Ill. Officers Train to Handle CCW Encounters

Illinois, the last state to allow concealed carry, is expected to begin issuing permits in April under a law that goes into effect on the first of the year. So law enforcement agencies are looking for ways to train their officers how to properly make contact with civilians who are legally carrying concealed handguns.

"As soon as you see someone move (and) they have a gun, all of a sudden things get really crazy in a hurry," Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart told reporters at a news conference. "What we're attempting to do is get out in front of this."

"There's no two ways about it. This is going to be a sea change for law enforcement around the state," Dart said. "(Before the law) if you weren't a member of law enforcement and you had a gun, you had it illegally. Now you have to throw all that out the window and sort of look at things in a whole different way."

Kevin McClain, executive director of the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board, told the Chicago Tribune the board is already expected to boost the required training for new officers to about 560 hours, up from 480. That would include less than 10 hours of new training on concealed carry.

"The ultimate goal is not only to protect law enforcement but also to protect the public," he said.