A Nationally Accredited Law Enforcement Training Academy

Recruiting & Applicant Background Investigations

Course Summary

This course is designed to provide personnel with the skills and knowledge of how to recruit,
hire and retain quality personnel for their law enforcement agency. Participants will leave with
the skills and knowledge of the importance of not only recruiting but also retention of quality
personnel. It is just as important to keep the best people as it is to hire quality personnel.

An organizational assessment should be the first step in the process and the need to break the
cycle of mediocrity. Background investigators will leave with the knowledge of their role in the
selection process, the legal aspects of the background investigation, background interview
sources of information and preparing the investigation report.

Background investigations affect the future of an organization in many ways; thus, selection
practices are vital to ensuring that future law enforcement employees and supervisors are suited
for the variety of duties expected from the populations they serve. This course will provide
techniques, procedures, and sample forms for the background investigator.

Your Instructor: Shawn Wetzel
Shawn has served in municipal law enforcement for 28 years with the Peoria Police Department and currently assigned to Professional Standards. He started his career within the Patrol Operations function and periodic collateral duties of as a Field Training Officer. In 2005, he was promoted to Sergeant assigned to Patrol and later transferred to Field Training Division to oversee the Field Training program. In 2008, Shawn transferred to Criminal Investigations as a supervisor to monitor the Juvenile Division detectives and cases of Criminal Investigation Division while maintaining collateral duties of the Field Training Divisions. In 2013, he was promoted to Lieutenant and assigned to Patrol Operations with collateral duties of the Field Training program and its recruits. In 2016, he transferred to Professional Standards with duties to include tracking and conducting internal investigations, policy review and development, periodic department audits and maintaining the integrity of the department through a fair and impartial investigation and review process. In 2019, he became the department’s Records Administrator to oversee the Records Division which handles the fulfillment of all subpoena’s, Freedom of Information Act requests, City licensing / Records checks, and various other records related duties.
In 2021, he has returned to the Professional Standards Division with the duties as noted above. During his tenure in a multitude of divisions, he has attained various specialized skills to include video and computer related training, local records and Freedom of Information Act certifications, and other investigative skill sets which assist in his current assignment. In 2022, retired from the Peoria Police Department.