December 18, 2023 – Retired ISP Colonel and Macon County Law Enforcement Training Center Commander, Tad Williams, has passed away after a long batter with Cancer. Williams was 57.
Tad A. Williams passed away Saturday, December 16, in his home surrounded by his family.
The family will have a visitation on Tuesday, December 19, 2023, from 2:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m., with a law enforcement walk-through at 6:00 p.m., Tuesday evening in the funeral home. Interment will be in Point Pleasant Cemetery, Long Creek.
Memorials may be made in Tad’s memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or to Carle Hospital Foundation.
Retired Colonel Tad Williams had served in law enforcement for 33 years. He started as a University Police Officer, EMT, and volunteer firefighter, before joining the Illinois State Police. His ISP career moved him across the state, but he finally landed back here in the Decatur area.
Retired Colonel Williams career began in the Division of Operations as a District Trooper before being advanced to Investigations as a Special Agent. He served as a major crimes squad leader, Investigative Lieutenant, Patrol Operations Lieutenant, and Investigative Zone Captain. He also served the ISP as the Division of Internal Investigations Southern Commander.
After his tour of duty in DII, he was appointed by the Director to the position of Lieutenant Colonel and led the Field Support Command for the Division of Operations. Field Support consisted of all the specialty units; SWAT, Air Ops, Commercial Motor Vehicles, Intel, Crash Reconstruction, Motorcycle Unit, etc.
After one-year, Retired Colonel Williams was transferred within the Division to serve as Lieutenant Colonel over Field Operations Command, all 21 Patrol Districts, 7 investigative zones, and 21 drug units.
In 2015, the ISP Director appointed him to the rank of Colonel to serve as Deputy Director of the Division of Operations, which makes up 88% of the Illinois State Police.
After retiring from the Illinois State Police, retired Colonel Williams served as the Executive Director of the Macon County Law Enforcement Training Center Police and Corrections Academy and given the title of Commander. Commander Williams led the Academy for just over four years before again retiring in the late fall of 2021.
Throughout his career at the ISP and MCLETC, retired Colonel and retired Commander Williams continued to teach numerous courses at the ISP Academy and MCLETC. These courses included but were not limited to Fundamentals of Criminal Investigations, Major Case Investigation, Leads Management, Officer Involved Shootings, Traffic Stops, etc.
