CENTRAL ILLINOIS POLICE TRAINING CENTER
Brian Fengel, Director
Phone: (309) 690-7355
Fax: (309) 690-7359
Heather Grove: hgrove@icc.edu
Diane Schrementi:ds018b@icc.edu
Robert Pyszka: rp717@icc.edu
Instructor Development
Instructor: Heather Hansen and Christopher Collins
March 16-19, 2026
8am – 4pm
Class will meet at Peru PD, 2650 N. Peoria, Peru, IL
Enrollment Deadline: March 9, 2026
Course Size: Maximum – 16
COURSE OBJECTIVES
This new 32 hour curriculum has been designed to provide new instructors with the skills needed to become dynamic, effective trainers. In this highly interactive and participatory program, students will be introduced to a multitude of techniques that can be used successfully within traditional law enforcement environments and applications, including the classroom, field operations, simulated scenes, scenarios, and assessment training.
This course focuses on techniques of instruction that address different adult learning styles and will provide a comprehensive overview of different classroom management principles. Participants will complete numerous practical exercises in public speaking, demonstrative instruction, and lesson plan preparation. Class will culminate in each participant providing a block of instruction on a law enforcement-related topic of their choosing. Attendees will be encouraged in the development of their instructional skills through immediate, supportive feedback from instructors as well as their fellow classmates.
COURSE CONTENT
Topics to be addressed include:
– How to instruct to all adult learning styles
– Time management of a training program or unit of instruction
– Organization and lesson plan preparation
– Writing course objectives
– Different types of class participation
– How to construct exam questions
– Classroom media, including PowerPoint and Poll Everywhere
About the Instructor’s:
Lt. Chris Collins graduated from University of Illinois with a degree in Criminology and began his law enforcement career with the Kane County Sheriff’s Office in 1990 as an Auxiliary Deputy. In 1993 he attended the Police Training Institute at University of Illinois where he graduated first in his class and was awarded the Clifford Van Meeter Award for academic excellence. Over his 32 years in law enforcement Chris has served in most every conceivable capacity at the Sheriff’s Office, including patrol, investigations, civil process, community policing, and administration. He has served as a FTO, SWAT, Traffic Enforcement, and Negotiations Response Team Officer. He holds numerous professional certifications and graduated from Northwestern’s School of Police Staff and Command in 2009. He has supervised patrol, investigations, civil process, and the Office of Professional Standards as both a Sergeant and Lieutenant. Chris enjoys teaching and speaking, and is an Illinois Certified Crisis Intervention Instructor as well as a CIT International certified CIT Coordinator. His speaking credits include numerous local and regional organizations, as well as the Illinois State NAMI Conference. At home Chris enjoys spending time outdoors; camping with his dogs (Ellie an Australian Shepherd and Piper a Border Collie); traveling; and cooking.
Acting Lieutenant Heather Hansen began her career in Law Enforcement in 1989. She served as a corrections officer, probation officer and was a police and fire dispatcher. In 1995 she was commissioned as a State Trooper with the Illinois State Police. As a Trooper in the Chicago area, Heather was assigned to a special enforcement team that focused on gangs, guns, drugs, reckless drivers and DUIs. She has served in many additional roles in the last thirty years.
Twelve years of Heather’s career with the I.S.P. was spent as a crime scene investigator in the south suburbs of Chicago. She was the crime scene investigator for over 1200 major cases including hundreds of death investigations, 275 homicides, (including scenes with multiple deaths and entire families) and cases covered on a national basis. She received the Department Medal of Achievement for creating the State of Illinois five-week crime scene investigators curriculum. Heather served as the Coordinator of the CSI course and trained and certified hundreds of officers as crime scene investigators for the State Police and 90 additional police departments. Heather has been qualified in State Criminal and Federal Court as an Expert Witness in Crime Scene Investigation.
Heather has worked for the North Eastern Multi-Regional Training Corporation for the last 18 years. One area of her career that she is most proud of is that she has trained and collaborated with over 4500 law enforcement officers in the areas of Lead Homicide Investigator, Instructor Development, Career Survival, Fingerprinting, Footwear, Weapons, Biology/DNA, Tool Marks, Courtroom Testimony and working crime scenes from discovery of the first piece of evidence to courtroom conviction. Notable highlights of Heather’s testimonies include a life sentence for an offender that ambushed and murdered a Metra Railroad Police Officer; and a 126 year sentence for an offender who, with a juvenile accomplice, committed a home invasion, sexual assault and kidnapping of a woman terrorizing her and using her own vehicle during commission of the crimes. Currently, Heather is an instructor with 4 mobile training units throughout Illinois.
Heather has ascended the ranks and was promoted from Master Sergeant to Acting Lieutenant in 2019. She currently serves as Lieutenant of patrol and the Operations officer for 4 counties west of the Chicagoland area, at District 16 of the Illinois State Police. Heather also serves as a crisis and hostage negotiator on the Northern Swat and Crisis Negotiations Team.
Finally, Heather is most comfortable and inspired with the criminal patrol she sees from great officers every day. As crime rates rise across the Country she focuses on solid investigative techniques, identifying physical evidence that merits convictions in the eyes of jurors and our justice system.
Mobile In-Service Training Team # 7 Illinois Enforcement Training and Standards Board
MTU #7 request for certification of this course has been approved by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board
Meets the following mandatory training criteria: Cultural Competency 3 hours and Procedural Justice 2 hours
