Joel Sanders

Joel Sanders is a police lieutenant with more than 24 years of law enforcement experience. He received a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Illinois State University and attended Graduate School at Western Illinois University in Law Enforcement Management. Lt. Sanders specializes in scene assessment, enhancement of officer sensory skills, and preparation and planning for officer response to crimes in progress. As a patrol officer and a sergeant, he was a primary FTO. He also served in a leadership role for a crisis negotiation unit and supervised his department’s in-service training program. Currently, he serves as the midnight shift patrol lieutenant and coordinates the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT).

Lt. Sanders is a certified instructor for QPR Gatekeeper and Below 100. He also holds instructor certification in Mental Health First Aid – Adult and Public Safety curriculum from the National Council for Behavioral Health. Lt. Sanders founded and leads a multi-disciplinary Crisis Intervention Team Steering Committee tasked with building community collaboration between law enforcement and the local behavioral health system. Through his efforts, significant and practical changes have occurred within the local mental health system.

As a civilian, he co-owns and operates Professional Practice Training and Consulting with his wife, Loren Sanders. Their company focuses on operational and leadership development, change management, and workplace safety.