Detective Boot Camp

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: Lou Tessman

November 18-19, 2026

8am – 4pm

Class will meet at: CIPTC, ICC Peoria Campus, Poplar P101, Peoria, IL

Enrollment Deadline: November 11, 2026

Course Size: Max 64

Course Description

This 2-day class is for both the new and experienced detectives. It provides a comprehensive review of the skill set needed to be an effective criminal investigator. A successful criminal prosecution starts with a thorough investigation. Your experienced instructor will lead the participants through the steps of an investigation by reviewing case studies and actual crime investigations. Along with the practical approach, investigative techniques that build the foundation of most investigations will be reviewed. The objective is to prepare the participant to be able to apply these skills in the field immediately.

Topics

Command of Crime Scene
Preservation of evidence
Case Management
Resources
Warrants
Debriefing Witnesses
Search & Seizure
Fourth & Fifth amendment issues
Defining and addressing implicit bias

About the Instructor

CFI retired from the Waukegan (Illinois) Police Department after 23 years of service in a wide variety of assignments, including patrol, investigations, training, and ultimately Deputy Chief of Police.

Lou is a 26-year veteran of the United States Marine Corps, retiring as a CWO-4. In addition to his service in Vietnam he was activated for Desert Storm and Desert Shield and has received numerous military awards including the Naval Commendation Medal. Lou began his career as a police officer with the City of Waukegan assigned to the patrol division. He was later assigned to the detective bureau for nine years and as a juvenile officer for one year. Lou also served as the Commander of the elite Lake County Major Crime Task Force. The task force works on major criminal investigations relating to homicides, kidnappings, and police-involved shootings. During his career, he has conducted thousands of interviews and interrogations. Most noteworthy, Lou has obtained over 80 homicide confessions during his career with only three instances where he was unable to obtain a confession from the homicide suspect.

Mobile In-Service Training Team#7 Illinois Law 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: Civil Rights 5 hours: Const. Use of LE Authorly 1 hour; Cultural Competency .50 hours, Human Rights 1 hour; Officer Wellness/Mental Health .50 hours and Procedural Justice 3.50 hours. Specialized Training: Lead Homicide Investigator 16 hours

Event