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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the current mandated in-service training for police officers?

Mental Illness, Addiction & Disabilities**IC 5-2-1-9(g)

Autism, Alzheimer’s, Dementia and Endangered Adults*IC 5-2-1-9(g)

Human Trafficking (8 areas)* and **IC 5-2-1-9(g), IC 5-2-1-9(a)(10)

Annual In-service Training RequirementIC 5-2-1-9(g)
Presently 24 hours annually – must include 2 hours in Firearms*, 2 hours in Physical Tactics/Use of Force and 2 hours in Police Vehicle Operation.

Reserve Officers   IC 5-2-1-9(g) & IC 36-8-3-20(1)
Same in-service as required of regular police officers. (Order of LETB 6/8/15)

Officers should receive some training in all of the IC 5-2-1-9 requirements each year. 
The areas specifically required in IC 5-2-1-9 can be used to partially satisfy the 24-hour requirement.

Under state/county/local continuing education laws:
Domestic and Child Abuses, SIDS, CPR and Heimlich Maneuver, and others
State:  IC 5-2-8-5(e)(1-17); County:  IC 5-2-8-1(h)(1-18); Local: IC 5-2-8-2(f)(1-18)

Departments should be prepared to show that officers are competent in these areas although these do not necessarily require annual training.

Federal :
NIMS (DHS, required for DHS grants)
Bloodborne Pathogens (EPA, 29 CFR 1910.1030)
Hazardous Materials (EPA & OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.120)
Familiarization with Reflective Clothing Rule (DOT 23, CFR 634)

*Training now available through ILEA website.
**DVD available for purchase through ILEA Quartermaster.

How can I attend the Academy's Basic Course / How do I become a Police Officer?

You must be hired by a police department. They will send you to the Academy for basic training. This training must be completed within one year from the date you become a sworn, paid police officer, otherwise you will lose your arrest powers.

Do I have to attend the Academy if I graduated from an Academy in another state?

Any person trained out-of-state who is hired by an Indiana law enforcement agency must complete a Law Enforcement Training Board-certified 40-hour Pre-Basic Course before that person is empowered to make an arrest, conduct a search or seizure, or carry a handgun without a permit.

Completion of a certified Pre-Basic Course allows a person to function as a police officer for one year from the date of appointment, while awaiting enrollment in a full 600-hour basic training course or while completing the requirements for a waiver of basic training.

An individual who has successfully completed a POST-certified law enforcement basic training course in another state, and can document at least one year of paid full-time service as a police officer, may be eligible for a partial waiver of Indiana’s basic training requirement.  The newly hired officer’s obligations are as follows:

  • must undergo a background investigation
  • must pass a Board-approved physical examination
  • must have proof of high school graduation or GED
  • must document certification from another state (copy of basic certificate)
  • must provide a copy of curriculum (not the daily schedule) from the basic course attended
  • must document at least one year of paid, full-time law enforcement service (letter from former department stating how long the officer worked for them, what their duties were, and that they left in good standing)
  • must provide a list of no more than one page of courses the officer considers the most significant inservice and specialized training completed
  • must enter a “New Hire” form in the Acadis Computer system

The department head must submit to the LETB’s Executive Director the items underlined above.

NOTE:  As of July 1, 2017 there is a $50.00 Waiver Application Fee.  Please submit a department check made payable to ILEA/LETB with the waiver packet.

If after studying the documents submitted the Board feels the officer’s out-of-state training meets or exceeds what is presented in the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy basic course, and if the officer has the requisite experience, the Board will grant a partial waiver of training.  To complete the requirements of the partial waiver the waiver candidate:

  • must submit to an interview by an LETB designee
  • must pass a comprehensive written exam
  • must complete Indiana criminal and traffic law (home study - proctored exams)
  • must pass firearms written and proficiency exams
  • must complete a Board-recognized EMS Awareness course or First Responder course or an ARC First Aid course

Completion of the waiver process takes about three months, including a total of six non-consecutive days of exams at the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy.  Failure to complete the process before the first anniversary date as a sworn Indiana officer results in the loss of police powers.

Can I get a waiver from basic training if I graduated from a reserve academy?

A graduate of a LETB approved Reserve Officer Academy may be eligible for a waiver of the Tier II Basic Training Course if hired by a police agency participating in the Tier II Basic Program.

1. To begin a waiver process, a department head or Town Board President must submit the following:

  • Report of Physical Examination
  • Copy of applicant’s valid drivers license
  • Copy of applicant’s high school diploma or GED certificate
  • Copy of graduation certificate from a LETB Certified Reserve Officer
  • Copy of EMS Awareness
  • Letter from department providing length of service, hire date and a brief statement on the candidates work history.
  • Submit a “New Hire” form in our Acadis computer system.

NOTE:  As of July 1, 2017 there is a $50.00 Waiver Application Fee.  Please submit a department check made payable to ILEA/LETB with the waiver packet.
 
2. Upon receipt of listed items (must be accurate and complete), a letter will be sent to the department head advising of LETB approval or denial. Most waivers are contingent upon the individual testing and passing the following examinations:

  1. Criminal Law
  2. Traffic Law
  3. Firearms
  4. Firearms proficiency (PPC)

Note: required handout materials and instructions for completing the requirements will be sent with a letter approving commencement of the waiver process.

3. Indiana Law Enforcement Academy’s Registrar will notify the department head of  dates the officer is to report to Indiana Law Enforcement Academy for testing.

4. Upon completion of all waiver requirements, a certificate showing compliance with the Tier II Basic Training mandate will be issued.

What is the current process for instructor recertification?

PRIMARY INSTRUCTOR -

  • Document twelve hours of instruction per year, thirty six hours over three years (See Documenting Instructional Hours)
  • Complete an Instructor Application
  • Submit both documents to the Executive Director, Law Enforcement Training Board
  • There is no grace period for instructor re-certifications.

PSYCHOMOTOR SKILLS INSTRUCTOR -

  • Document twelve hours of instruction per year in each psychomotor skill possessed (ex. EVO and Firearms Instructor would require twenty-four hours per year or seventy-two hours over three years)
  • Complete an Instructor Application
  • Submit both documents to the Executive Director, Law Enforcement Training Board
  • There is no grace period for instructor re-certifications.

ACADEMY STAFF INSTRUCTOR

  • Document twelve hours of training per year, thirty six hours over three years
  • Complete an Instructor Application
  • Submit both documents to the Executive Director, Law Enforcement Training Board
  • There is no grace period for instructor re-certifications.

MASTER INSTRUCTOR

  • Document twelve hours of training per year, thirty-six hours over three years
  • Document the evaluation of at least three programs or instructors per year, these hours can count towards the instructional hour requirement
  • Complete an Instructor Application
  • Submit all documentation to the Executive Director, Law Enforcement Training Board

PROVISIONAL INSTRUCTOR

  • Must renew certification yearly
  • There is no instructor card or certificate issued, validation is by letter

What agencies are L.E.T.B.- certified to conduct Instructor Development courses?

Those agencies authorized to provide an LETB Certified Instructor Development Course are:

LETB certified Basic Academies/Staff

  • Indiana Law Enforcement Academy at Plainfield
  • Northwest Indiana Law Enforcement Basic Training Academy
  • Indiana University Bloomington Law Enforcement Basic Training Academy
  • Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Basic Training Academy
  • Fort Wayne Police Department Basic Training Academy
  • Indiana State Police Basic Training Academy
  • Southwest Indiana Law Enforcement Training Academy, Evansville

LETB Certified Training Councils

  • Southwest Indiana Law Enforcement Training Council (Jasper area)
  • Central Indiana Law Enforcement Training Council (Plainfield/Indianapolis area)
  • North Central Indiana Law Enforcement Training Council (Grissom AFB)
  • Northwest Indiana Law Enforcement Training Council (Gary area)
  • Northeast Indiana Law Enforcement Training Council (Elkhart/Ligonier area)
  • South Central Indiana Law Enforcement Training Council (Dearborn County area)

These sites or their staff, who have met the educational requirements, are the only agencies authorized by the LETB to provide a certified Instructor Development Program.

How many hours of training conducted by an L.E.T.B.- certified instructor can be used toward the instructor's mandated 16 hours of inservice training?

Instructors may use no more than four (4) hours of their instructional time to count towards their in-service requirement of twenty four (24) hours.

Can I attend an In-Service class if I am an out of State Police Officer?

The Indiana Law Enforcement Academy will permit Full time out of State Police Officers to attend in-service classes if there are openings left in the class. Each class has a limit on how many students may attend the class. If a slot is available you will be notified no earlier than 30 days before class begins. Contact the Academy Registrar for additional information.

What are the Academy's In-Service Training Requirements?

Beginning in 2009, to be reported in 2010, the annual in-service training requirement will be changed to the following:

  • The minimum number of hours will be raised to 24 hours.
  • At a minimum, two (2) of these hours must be in the subject of firearms.
  • At a minimum, two (2) of these hours must be in the subject of physical tactics and the use of force.
  • At a minimum, two (2) of these hours must be in the subject of police vehicle operation.

This does not change the other mandated requirements that are separate from the rules in 250 IAC 2-7. Keep your eyes on the website for more details.

What is the Refresher Rule?

On April 21, 2008 the law Enforcement Training Board passed a new 120-hour refresher course that complies with the new statutory language (see House Bill 1105), which became effective March 24, 2008.

If you are hiring an officer that has been out of law enforcement for more than two years, please contact the Executive Director in writing to determine what the refresher requirements will be.

The following information will be needed in order to determine the refresher requirements:

  • Last date the officer worked in law enforcement and the title of that position.
  • Position you have hired, or are considering hiring the officer for (example: upper level policy maker, line position, etc.).
  • Previous number of years the officer served in a law enforcement position.

How many hours do I get to claim towards my in-service yearly requirement for the new online recertification for breath test operator?

The Department of Toxicology has determined that two (2) hours is adequate time to complete the training. An officer who successfully completes the training may claim two (2) hours towards their mandated twenty four (24) hour yearly requirement.