In 1992, LETSS became a viable program under the Practical
Application Unit. The mission of LETSS is to instill, and further
develop, realistic expectations among law enforcement officers
concerning officer safety and survival. The LETSS staff, who
are FBI agents assigned to the Academy, are former military and/or
police officers who have an average of 20 years law enforcement
experience. They are highly trained professionals who are certified
as FBI Instructors in firearms, SWAT, Defensive Tactics, and
a variety of other disciplines. In addition to the LETSS staff
at the FBI Academy, 194 FBI Tactical Instructors, from every
field office in the U.S., have been trained by the LETSS staff
so that they can conduct the same training within their respective
regions.
Since its inception, LETSS has trained more than 3,000 FBI
task force members, police officers, and international law enforcement
personnel. Training is conducted at the FBI Academy in Quantico,
Virginia, regionally throughout the U.S., and internationally.