Section 1780.101  Purpose and Scope

 

Unless otherwise indicated, the rules set forth in this Part provide for training requirements and procedures applicable to all probationary and permanent Court Security Officers covered under the Illinois Police Training Act [50 ILCS 705]. 

 

Section 1780.102  Definitions

 

The terms used in this Part are defined in Section 2 of the Illinois Police Training Act.  Additionally, the following terms are defined for purposes of this Part: 

 

"Act" means the Illinois Police Training Act [50 ILCS 705]. 

 

            "Board" means the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board.

 

"Course" means the course of study identified by the Board pursuant to Section 1780.203 as the Basic Court Security Course for Court Security Officers. 

 

"Course Coordinator" means the person or entity responsible for offering the Basic Court Security Course for Court Security Officers. 

 

"Course Roster" means the form listing the names of all probationary and permanent Court Security Officers completing the requirements of a course approved by the Board under this Part.  The information required on a course roster form is the Court Security Officer's name, date of appointment, department, employment status and social security number and the name of the course and the date of course completion. 

 

"Court Security Officer" is a person hired under the following statute: The sheriff of any county in Illinois with less than 3,000,000 inhabitants may hire court security officers in such number as the county board shall from time to time deem necessary. Court security officers may be designated by the Sheriff to attend courts and perform the functions set forth in Section 3-6023. Court security officers shall have the authority to arrest; however, such arrest powers shall be limited to performance of their official duties as court security officers. Court security officers may carry weapons, upon which they have been trained and qualified as permitted by law, at their place of employment and to and from their place of employment with the consent of the Sheriff. The court security officers shall be sworn officers of the Sheriff and shall be primarily responsible for the security of the courthouse and its courtrooms. The court security officers shall be under the sole control of the sheriff of the county in which they are hired. If a county has a Sheriff's Merit Commission, court security officers shall be subject to its jurisdiction for disciplinary purposes. They are not regular appointed deputies under Section 3-6008. The position of court security officer shall not be considered a rank when seeking initial appointment as deputy sheriff under Section 3-8011. Every court security officer hired on or after June 1, 1997 shall serve a probationary period of 12 months during which time they may be discharged at the will of the Sheriff. [55 ILCS 5/3-6012.1]

 

"Executive Director" means the Executive Director of the Board. 

 

"Full-time Court Security Officer" means one who is employed at least 35 hours a week as a Court Security Officer on a regular basis. 

 

"Permanent Court Security Officer" means a court security officer who has completed his or her probationary period and is employed as a court security officer by a participating local governmental unit.

 

"Probationary Court Security Officer" means a recruit court security officer required to successfully complete initial minimum basic training requirements at a designated training school to be eligible for employment as a court security officer.

 

"Trainee" means a probationary Court Security Officer who is receiving the training prescribed by Subpart B.

 

Section 1780.103  Veracity of Information

 

No person shall make any false or misleading statement, representation or certification of any record, report, application or any other documents filed with the Board or required by the Board.  Submission to the Board of any information including or constituting a material misrepresentation by a probationary or permanent Court Security Officer will render any subsequent certification granted to that Court Security Officer by the Board void at the Board's election. 

 

Section 1780.104  Confidentiality of Information

 

Personal information submitted to the Board by probationary and permanent Court Security Officers will be treated as confidential and only released if necessary to comply with the Illinois Freedom of Information Act [5 ILCS 140], a subpoena or other State or federal laws. 

 

Section 1780.105  Date of Compliance

 

Compliance with this Part is required on and after December 15, 2010.

 

Section 1780.106  Board Review

 

The Curriculum and School Standards Committee shall be responsible for monitoring the curriculum of the Basic Court Security Course.  The committee shall, as changes in the law or training techniques occur, recommend modifications in the Basic Court Security Course to the Board. 

 

Section 1780.201  Training Standards

 

a)         The Board shall establish training standards and a curriculum for the implementation of the Basic Court Security Course. 

 

b)         Every probationary Court Security Officer must successfully complete the Basic Court Security Course to be certified a Court Security Officer. 

 

c)         Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (b), any individual who has successfully completed either the Basic Law Enforcement Course or the Basic Correctional Course may seek from the Board a waiver from the requirement for completion of the Basic Court Security Course. 

 

Section 1780.202  Minimum Curriculum Requirements

 

a)         In no event will the Basic Court Security Course be less than 158 hours of full-time study, nor more than 240 hours.

 

b)         The Board's mandated training course may be reviewed and modified at any time by the Board.  Nevertheless, the approved curriculum will include, but not be limited to, the following: 

 

1)         The Peace Officer Firearm Training Act [50 ILCS 710];

 

2)         A course in cardio-pulmonary resuscitation consistent with American Heart Association standards;

 

3)         Instruction on first aid or emergency care (life threatening conditions);

 

4)         Instruction on basic court security principles;

 

5)         Instruction on the legal rights of visitors and prisoners;

 

6)         Instruction on self defense tactics;

 

7)         Instruction on human behavior; and

 

8)                  Instruction on physical search procedures. 

 

Section 1780.203  Course Standards and Requirements

 

a)         Each Basic Court Security Course offering shall be overseen by a Course Coordinator. 

 

b)         The Course Coordinator will be responsible for the supervision and administration of the Basic Court Security Course, including, but not limited to, arranging for qualified instructors, arranging for adequate training props and adequate training facilities such as classrooms and firearms ranges, and the conduct and discipline of the trainees. 

 

c)         The Course Coordinator shall maintain complete records on each trainee.  The records shall include, but not be limited to, the attendance and performance ratings of the trainee, including test scores for every written or oral test during the Basic Court Security Course.  All records gathered by the Course Coordinator under this Part shall be maintained in accordance with the Illinois Freedom of Information Act [5 ILCS 140]. 

 

d)         The Course Coordinator shall be responsible for submitting a course and class roster to the Executive Director of the Board.  Every class roster must be verified by the Course Coordinator to certify the attendance and final grade of all trainees. 

 

e)         The Course Coordinator shall make final determination as to whether a trainee has satisfactorily passed all reasonable standards and requirements of a particular course of training.  The Course Coordinator shall also have the authority to dismiss any trainee from the school prior to the completion of the course if the Course Coordinator determines that the trainee is being disruptive or non-compliant, or cannot meet the minimum training requirements set forth in this Subpart B.  Upon such dismissal action, the Course Coordinator shall submit a written report within seven calendar days to the Executive Director and the appointing authority. 

 

f)         The Course Coordinator shall also have the responsibility of fixing reasonable fees to be charged for any training course.  Reasonable fees will be based on the costs of developing and implementing the course, including but not limited to the cost of instructors, facilities for training, training supplies, and general administrative costs.  The Board shall annually review the training fees established by the Course Coordinator to determine if the fees are reasonable. 

 

Section 1780.204  Approval of Instructors

 

a)         The Board shall approve instructors on the basis of education, training and experience; for example, as a result of the successful completion of a comparable training course or extensive prior law enforcement or correctional employment.  The instructor will be eligible to instruct Board-certified courses in the specialized field relating to his or her qualifications.  It shall be the continuing responsibility of the Course Coordinator to see that instructors are assigned only topics that they are qualified to teach and are supervised on a regular basis to ensure that instructional excellence is maintained. 

 

b)         The actual evaluation and selection of instructors is the responsibility of the Course Coordinator.  Review and evaluation of the instructors may also be initiated by the Board. 

 

Section 1780.205  Minimum Requirements of the Trainee

 

a)         Regular attendance at all sessions is required.  However, excused absences may be granted by the Course Coordinator under certain limited circumstances beyond the trainee's control, which may include, but are not be limited to, a death in the family, illness, response to a court subpoena, disability or transportation breakdown.  In order to successfully complete the course, absences must not exceed 10 percent of the total hours of instruction for any Board-certified course of instruction. 

 

b)         Qualification in the use of firearms as required by the Peace Officer Firearm Training Act [50 ILCS 710] is required. 

 

c)         An overall average of 70 percent must be achieved on all written examinations given during any course of training.  Separate evaluation of any skill-oriented performance requirements shall be made by the instructor on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. 

 

d)         The Course Coordinator shall establish standards of conduct for the trainee while enrolled in the Basic Court Security Course.  These shall include demeanor, deportment and compliance with the discipline and regulations of the course.  Receipt of certification of the successful completion of the course from the Course Coordinator shall be deemed proof that the trainee has complied with the requirements of this Section. 

 

e)         Each trainee who has not been awarded a certificate attesting to his or her successful completion of the Basic Court Security Course as prescribed by the Board within 12 months after his or her initial full-time employment must forfeit his or her position, or the employing agency must obtain a waiver from the Board extending the period of compliance.  Waivers shall be issued only for good and justifiable reasons, and shall extend for 90 days beyond the initial 12 months.  Good and justifiable reasons for waiver include, but are not limited to, unavailability of academy space for training, illness or disability, and the need for the trainee to serve his or her department during the initial 12-month period. 

 

f)         Each trainee shall bring to training session any necessary equipment issued by the sponsoring agency.