Heather Hansen

Heather Hansen began her career in Law Enforcement in 1989. She served as a corrections officer, probation officer and was a police and fire dispatcher. In 1995 she was commissioned as a State Trooper with the Illinois State Police. As a Trooper in the Chicago area, Heather was assigned to a special enforcement team that focused on gangs, guns, drugs, reckless drivers and DUIs. She has served in many additional roles in the last thirty years.

Twelve years of Heather’s career with the I.S.P. was spent as a crime scene investigator in the south suburbs of Chicago. She was the crime scene investigator for over 1200 major cases including hundreds of death investigations, 275 homicides, (including scenes with multiple deaths and entire families) and cases covered on a national basis.  She received the Department Medal of Achievement for creating the State of Illinois five-week crime scene investigators curriculum. Heather served as the Coordinator of the CSI course and trained and certified hundreds of officers as crime scene investigators for the State Police and 90 additional police departments. Heather has been qualified in State Criminal Court and Federal Court as an Expert Witness in Crime Scene Investigation.

Heather has been a Police Instructor since 2002, in Crime Scene Investigation and the Forensic Science Disciplines.  She currently is a trainer and lead instructor for 4 Mobile Team Units in Illinois.  Heather has trained and collaborated with over 7000 law enforcement officers in the areas of Lead Homicide Investigator, Instructor Development, Career Survival, Fingerprinting, Footwear, Weapons, Biology/DNA, Tool Marks, Courtroom Testimony and working crime scenes from   the first piece of evidence to a courtroom conviction. Notable highlights of Heather’s testimonies include a life sentence for an offender that ambushed and murdered a Metra Railroad Police Officer; and a 126-year sentence for an offender who, with a juvenile accomplice, committed a home invasion, sexual assault and kidnapping of a female victim.

Heather achieved the rank of Lieutenant, in her 27-year career with the Illinois State Police. She retired in 2022, as Lieutenant of Patrol and the Operations Officer for 4 counties west of the Chicagoland area, at District 16 of the Illinois State Police.  Heather also served as a crisis and hostage negotiator on the Northern Swat and Crisis Negotiations Team.

Finally, Heather is most comfortable and inspired with the criminal patrol she sees from great officers every day. As crime rates rise across the Country she focuses on solid investigative techniques, identifying physical evidence that merits convictions in the eyes of jurors and our justice system.