ECSO Certification

Registration deadline: August 11, 2025 

Unit Preparation 
A.    COURSE TITLE: Electronic Criminal Surveillance Officer (ECSO) 

B.    COURSE LENGTH: 8 hours INSTRUCTORS: TBD 

C.    PRESENTED TO: Full-Time, non-probationary Federal, State, County, and Municipal, law enforcement officers preparing for active monitoring of non-consensual overhear operations.

D.    CLASSROOM LOCATION: Northern Illinois Training Advisory Board, 527 Colman Center Drive, Rockford, Illinois 61108 

E. Student Materials 
a. Handouts 
b. Paper and pen 

F. METHOD OF INSTRUCTION: 
1. Lecture 
2. Hands-on practical exercises 
3. Final written test

COURSE GOALS 
This course is designed to prepare law enforcement officers in the legal, technical, and practical aspects of the interception of private communications and related investigation and prosecution techniques. 

STUDENT PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES 
Understand the requirements for participating in a non-consensual intercept (725 ILCS 5/108B) 
1. Understand a basic understanding of the Illinois Eavesdropping Statutes. 
2. Understand the differences between Federal Title III and the Illinois Statute.
 3. Understand listening post requirements. 
4. Understand the proper documentation and evidence handling procedures. 
5. Understand minimization pertaining to communication interception. 
6. Understand the technical aspects of communication interception. 
7. Participation in a practical exercise

I.    LEGAL REVIEW 

A. Federal Law 
1. Background 
2. Title III

 B. Illinois Law 

1. 720 ILCS 5/14-1 Eavesdropping Definitions 
2. 725 ILCS 5/108A Judicial Supervision of the Use of Eavesdropping Devices 
3. 725 ILCS 5/108B Electronic Criminal Surveillance Illinois State Police ECSO Instructor 
 
C. Illinois Administrative Code 
1. 20 ILL Administrative Code 1295 Certification and Training of Electronic Criminal Surveillance Officers. II. 

II.         TECHNICAL ASPECTS 

A Electrical Fundamentals 
B. The Telephone System 
C. CALEA based intercepts 

III.        DIALED NUMBER RECORDER/PEN REGISTER 
A. Investigative uses of a DNR/Pen
 B. DNR/Pen operation 
C. Appearance Points 
D. Wireroom Maintenance / Troubleshooting

 IV. OTHER TECHNOLOGIES 

A. Surveillance Equipment 

V. DIGITAL RECORDING MEDIA 

A. Digital recording media must have write-protection capability 

1. Types of digital media 
2. Digital media care 

VI. PRACTICAL ASPECTS 

A. Pre-Planning 

B. Entities involved and their responsibilities. 

1. Chief Judge 
2. State’s Attorney 
3. Telephone Carrier Illinois State Police ECSO Instructor 
4. Technical Investigation Personnel 
5. Intelligence Personnel 
6. Office Services 
7. Evidence Custodians 
8. Foreign Language Interpreters 

C. Logistical considerations 

1. Staffing
 2. Equipment 
3. Office supplies 
4. Communications 
5. Surveillance 

VII. LOGS/EVIDENCE HANDLING 
A.    20 ILL Administrative Code 1295.70 1. Evidence handling procedures 

VIII. PRACTICAL EXERCISES 
A.    Minimization practical exercise (samples of intercepted calls) 

IX. REVIEW FOR EXAM 

X. EXAM

THIS IS NOT A PUBLIC MEETING