Illinois e-News Release

CHICAGO – Originally appointed to the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board (IETSB) by Governor JB Pritzker in 2020, Sean M. Smoot was confirmed to serve as Chairman by the entire Board.

Previously, he served as ILETSB’s Vice-Chairman and the Chair of its Finance, Legislative, and Personnel Committees. He now begins a two-year term as chairman.

“Throughout his career, Sean Smoot has prioritized making Illinois safer, sometimes in extraordinarily difficult circumstances,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “I can think of no one who is more qualified for this position, and I wish him the very best of luck as he begins his term.”

“Sean Smoot is dedicated and has a wealth of experience as well as a collaborative spirit,” said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. “I congratulate Sean and look forward to the continued excellence he will bring to this new role.”

“I am incredibly grateful to Governor Pritzker and the entire Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board for trusting me to lead ILETSB during this transformational time,” said ILETSB Chairman Sean M. Smoot.“The safety of Illinoisans will continue to be my top priority and I look forward to serving as Chairman as we expand our operations to ensure accountability, procedural justice, and equity at every turn.”

ILETSB mandates, promotes, and maintains a high level of professional standards for state law enforcement and correctional officers. Traditionally the agency’s focus has been on officer training and grant administration. However, Smoot will lead the agency through an extensive expansion process in the coming months. This expansion, in addition to ILETSB’s training and education roles, will include implementation of new statutorily mandated regulatory responsibilities. This includes investigation or review and administrative adjudication of misconduct complaints against police and correctional officers. ILETSB also retains the ability to revoke an officer’s certification, thereby removing them from the law enforcement profession if necessary.

Currently, Mr. Smoot serves as the Director of the Police Benevolent & Protective Association and the Police Benevolent Labor Committee in Illinois. He is also the Managing Partner at 21CP Solutions – 21st Century Policing, LLC. In that capacity, he serves on teams monitoring federal consent decrees including the police departments in Baltimore and Cleveland. He also consults internationally on police and public safety issues including Public Employment Labor Law, Pension & Benefits Law, Section 1983 Civil Rights Litigation, Body Worn Cameras, Use of Force, Supervision, Officer Safety & Wellness, Recruiting, Retention, and Hiring.

Mr. Smoot’s tenure will follow a 25-year career representing police officers in collective bargaining and employment matters across the state. He was instrumental in the creation of the Coalition of Frontline Police Officers, which includes the Illinois Police Benevolent & Protective Association (PBPA), Metropolitan Alliance of Police (MAP), Illinois Council of Police (ICOPS), and the Association of Professional Police Officers (APPO). The Coalition represents over 30,000 active and retired members.

Additionally, he served on the Executive Session on Policing and Public Safety at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, from 2008 through 2014. He also served as a police and public safety policy advisor to the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition Teams and was a Member of President Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing.

He is a member of the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), the Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ), and serves on the Advisory Boards of the NYU Law – Policing Project and the National Civic League. He is also an advisor to the National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL) – Police Academy Program. Mr. Smoot is the Area 4 Vice-President of the National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO), a national law enforcement advocacy group representing over 250,000 police officers.

Smoot earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice Sciences from Illinois State University and a Juris Doctor degree from the Southern Illinois University School of Law, where he served as the Business Editor of the SIU Law Journal. Mr. Smoot spent twelve years as an elected Alderman and ten years as Police Commissioner in the city of Leland Grove.