CHICAGO — Today, the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board (ILETSB), in partnership with the Cook County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO), marked a historic milestone with the graduation of the inaugural cohort of the nation’s first Crisis Response Therapy Canine Certification Program. The inaugural class features 11 certified therapy canine teams representing seven agencies across Illinois.
The program, launched to better equip law enforcement agencies with tools to respond to individuals in crisis, provides specialized training for therapy canine teams to support de-escalation, mental health response, and trauma-informed policing. Today’s graduates represent a new model for public safety that prioritizes compassion, connection, and community trust.
“This inaugural graduating class represents a meaningful step forward in how we approach public safety,” said Sean Smoot, Chairman of the Board at ILETSB. “ILETSB introduced Trooper, its first therapy dog supporting officer mental health resiliency, as an initial step, and this program builds on that work by integrating certified therapy canine teams into crisis response. We are giving officers and communities new tools to safely and effectively support individuals experiencing mental health challenges.”…