Prior to my announcing that I would seek the Office of Sheriff of Bureau County, I searched the Illinois statutes to ensure that my candidacy would not be in violation on any statutes, especially in the area of certifications. 55 Illinois Compiled Statute (ILCS) 5/3-6001.5, Sheriff Qualifications, contains no mandated certification requirements to be elected to the office of Sheriff in any county in Illinois. I have requested the California Commission on Police Officers Standards of Training (POST) send me a certified list of all approved courses that I have completed. I have copies of my Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced certificates and will provide copies of those certificates upon request, provided my opponents provide copies of their certifications. Although I have never attended the FBI National Academy, I do have copies of all leadership courses I completed or instructed while in the U.S. Marine Corps.

 

Interestingly enough, as I was doing that research, I discovered 55 Illinois Compiled Statute 5/3-6007, Training (Sheriff). Each sheriff in the State of Illinois is mandated to obtain “at least 20 hours of training, approved by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board”. Under this statute, a sheriff is authorized to be reimbursed by the county for expenses incurred obtaining this training, upon “presentation by the sheriff to the county board a certificate of completion” for such training. My reading of this statute is that a sheriff shall complete this training and present the county board with certification of completion of the required hours whether or not he claims the mileage. A simple matter of transparency. In the time I have been a member of the Bureau County Board, over a year, I have yet to see this proof of training for the Office of the Sheriff. As the Sheriff of Bureau County, I will submit this certification to the County Board immediately upon completion of the mandated training.