What is the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)?
FOIA is the state Freedom of Information Act. Under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (ILCS 140), records in possession of public agencies may be accessed by the public upon written request. [Illinois FOIA statute] Pursuant to 5 ILCS 140, Section 2 (c), a public record is any records, reports, forms, writings, letters, memoranda, books, papers, maps, photographs, cards, tapes, recordings, electronic data processing records, recorded information, and all other documentary materials, regardless of physical form or characteristics, having been prepared or having been or being used, received, possessed or under the control of any public body.
Submitting FOIA Requests
The ILETSB will promptly address any FOIA request issued by a member of the public. Responses are typically issued by email; therefore, each request must indicate the valid email address of the requestor. If the requestor prefers a mailed response please indicate as such and include a complete mailing address.
Please do not include Social Security Numbers in any part of your request as we do not use them and cannot search by them. Please do not include any attachments to your FOIA request that contain Social Security Numbers.
To access ILETSB's information the request can be sent by the following three methods:
About ILETSB
The Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board is a 19 member organization that establishes and approves training programs for all officers within Illinois. The Board's purpose is to ensure that all municipal and county law enforcement and correctional officers within the state are prepared to address the circumstances they will encounter while performing their duties. The Board's office is located at 500 South 9th Street, Springfield, IL 62701 and may be contacted by mail, telephone or fax. The Board has quarterly meetings and has standing subcommittees on Curriculum Development and Executive / Financial Matters. There are currently 17 employees and the Board manages an annual budget of approximately $13,900,000 which is principally used to fund basic and supplemental training programs. More information is available on the Agency Information page.
ILETSB's Records
The Board maintains a database of all law enforcement, correctional and court security officers employed by local governments within the state. Typically, these records consist of training histories, employment histories and department rosters. A training history indicates each course completed by a single officer throughout his or her career. An employment history indicates which department an officer has worked for throughout his or her career. A department roster indicates all the officers that are currently employed by a single department, as well as the status of such officers.
Most records are stored within a computer database and are typically provided in a single page printout. However, ILETSB records are maintained in various media formats that may include paper, microfilm, digital images, and computerized records. In certain situations information cannot be cost effectively extracted onto a paper or an electronic format. In these situations, special arrangements for your on site inspection will be made in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act, and the use of commercial copy vendors, may be necessary. Requests requiring less than 50 pages will be issued without charge. Response exceeding 50 pages will require a fee of $0.15 for each additional page. Responses in an electronic format shall be assessed a fee of $1 for each data disc required to complete the request.
Authority
This website information concerning the FOIA program is being provided as required by Section 4 and 5 of the FOIA (5 ILCS 140/4). This website information may be revised and/or updated in the future.