Frequently Asked Questions
How old do I have to be to attend the Basic Recruit Training?
Indiana state law requires a Basic Recruit to be 21 years of age at the time of certification.
How can I attend the Basic Recruit Training?
There are two different ways you may attend the Basic Recruit Training, you can NOT just sign yourself up for the Basic Recruit Academy.
1) You can be hired by a member police department. They will send you to the Academy for basic training as their employee. This training must be completed within one year from the date you become a sworn, paid police officer, otherwise you will lose your arrest powers. Recruits attending the Basic Recruit training at the Northwest Indiana Law Enforcement Academy who have been hired by a Police Department will need their Police Department to register them on the ACADIS system on ILEA's website. Their Police Department will then need to fax a copy of their "approved" status to 940-9432. This must be done at least 2 weeks prior to the start of the Basic Recruit Academy.
OR
2) Any of our member police agencies can, at their discretion, sponsor you. You would then be a tuition paying student, the tuition is currently $4500, which is subject to change at the Board's discretion. The complete tuition is due the first day of the Basic Recruit Academy class, and is NON-REFUNDABLE. The forms needed for sponsored recruits can be found on our "Forms" page. Please fill those out and have your sponsoring department fax or mail them to NILEA at least 2 weeks prior to the start of the Basic Recruit Academy.
Basic Academy graduates may also be eligible for college credits from IU, Calumet College St. Joseph, and Ivy Tech.
How long is the Basic Recruit Training School at NILEA?
Our Basic Recruit Training School is fifteen (15) weeks in length.
When are Basic Recruit Training courses held?
The Northwest Indiana Law Enforcement Academy holds two Basic Recruit sessions a year, in January and August.
Can I register myself for in-service training?
No. Requests for in-service training MUST come from your department's training coordinator or Chief/Sheriff. All in-service registration will be done "on-line" by the member agencies.
How can I teach at the Academy?
First, you MUST attend an Instructor Development course. Then you must apply for your Instructor certification through the Indiana Law Enforcement Training Board. Once you have received your Instructor certification through the LETB, you should submit a letter to the NILEA Executive Director.
In the letter, you should include a copy of your Instructor certification card/number, what type of certification you hold (Primary, Master, Defensive Tactics, Firearms, EVO), and a statement that you would like to teach at the Academy. If you have developed a course/program of your own, include a course outline and a lesson plan. Last, be sure to include the name of your Chief, and your department's address so we know where to send the instructor request letters. Sorry, we can not send them directly to you, they must go through your Chief's office.
Do I have to attend the Academy if I graduated from an Academy in another state?
Information regarding the waiver process is on the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy website.
How many hours of training conducted by an LETB certified instructor can be used toward the instructors 24 hours of mandated in-service training?
Instructors may use no more than four (4) hours of their instructional time to count towards their in-service requirement of twenty four (24) hours.