Illinois Licensed Private Detective Agency
Not theory from a textbook — the actual methods working investigators use in the field. Surveillance, OSINT, counter-surveillance, protection and casework, taught hands-on by a detective with 35+ years on the street.
Six ways in — from a live-online crash course to a full week of immersion, plus two Illinois PERC tracks. Every one is taught by working investigators and built around what the job actually demands.
A fast-moving, two-week introduction to the many specialties inside the field — from background work and surveillance to OSINT, social-media investigation and TSCM. Five modules, four live Zoom sessions with the instructor.
Spend a full day one-on-one with a veteran investigator in a working office. Run real scenarios — locating people, background checks, surveillance, bug detection and spy-gear — with lunch on us. Day and evening seats.
The 20-hour training for the security-officer side of the Illinois PERC — your first step to working as a licensed security professional in Illinois. Law and authority, professional conduct, patrol, access control and reporting.
The 20-hour training for the investigation side of the Illinois PERC — for anyone entering private investigation with a licensed Illinois detective agency. Investigative law and procedure, surveillance, records research, evidence and report writing.
An advanced 10-hour personal-protection course — threat awareness, Illinois self-defense law, and home, vehicle and workplace safety, plus lawful defensive skills. Ideal for Illinois Concealed Carry holders and any responsible adult.
Our flagship. Seven days of ground-up hard training in Chicago — mobile and foot surveillance, TSCM bug-sweeps on real equipment, executive protection, firearms and defensive tactics, interviewing and casework. Lodging and meals included.
Anyone can hand you a manual. We put you in the field with the tools, the tradecraft and the judgment that only come from decades of real cases.
Surveillance, counter-surveillance, locating people, OSINT and interviewing — the methods that actually close cases, not classroom filler.
Train on professional surveillance and TSCM gear — covert cameras, bug-detection and counter-measures worth well over a million dollars.
Every course is delivered by an Illinois Licensed Private Detective Agency and taught inside the law — you learn what you can do, and what you can't.
No lecture halls. You work directly with the instructor, run live scenarios, and get honest feedback on your own performance.
Finish and earn a certificate from N.I.S.A. — a credential you can show agencies and clients as proof of real training.
Career-changers, security professionals, attorneys, corporate teams and curious beginners — regardless of age or experience.
Surveillance, protection and covert operations taught from live experience — not textbook theory.
Instructors drawn from law-enforcement, military and security backgrounds — 147 combined years.
Honest guidance on the industry, the law, and where the work can take you.
President of Special Solutions, Ltd. & Total Security Group, Inc. — an Illinois-licensed private detective, executive-protection specialist and covert-operations veteran with 35+ years in Chicago.
For more than 35 years, John C. Frycek has operated at the highest levels of protection and investigation out of Chicago, Illinois. As President of Special Solutions, Ltd. — a state-licensed, full-service investigation and protection firm with global reach — and founder of Total Security Group, Inc., he has built his career on integrity, discretion and relentless dedication: from complex corporate investigations and risk management to close protection for executives and celebrities across America.
A Certified Personal Protection Specialist, Certified International Investigator (CII), counter-intelligence and interview-&-interrogation specialist, NRA and Illinois concealed-carry firearms instructor and second-degree black belt, John served as an FBI cooperating investigator on organized-crime operations and managed federal FAA security in the days following 9/11. Today he sits on the boards of ADSAI and the Illinois Department of Financial & Professional Regulation (IDFPR) — and as Director of Training, he passes that hard-won experience directly to the next generation of investigators.
State-licensed private detective, U.S. Marine Corps veteran, and founder & CEO of Total Protection Consultants, Inc.
Carlos brings a rare blend of military discipline, sworn law-enforcement experience and executive leadership. After serving in the Marine Corps in a maximum-security capacity and earning his law-enforcement certification at the University of Illinois, he was decorated repeatedly for saving lives as a sworn officer — and, as a Street Gang Crimes Investigator, helped drive narcotics and deadly weapons off the street and make his community safer.
He rose from Operations Manager to Executive Vice President to President before founding Total Protection Consultants, Inc., a full-service risk-management detective agency serving government agencies, Fortune 500 companies, major law firms, insurance carriers, school districts, healthcare systems and places of worship. As Chief Investigator he has led murder, kidnapping, fraud, robbery and extortion cases — specializing in undercover work, covert surveillance and sting operations — and was featured on ABC’s 20/20 for a murder investigation that exonerated an innocent man and identified the true perpetrator.
Match the course to your goal — a fast intro online, a single day, PERC certification, or the full week.
Send an application and a deposit to hold your seat. We keep classes small on purpose.
Work the real tools and scenarios beside the instructor — in the classroom, the field and the range.
Complete the program and walk away with a certificate and skills you can put to work immediately.
Tell us your goal and we'll point you to the right program. Questions about dates, pricing or PERC? We'll answer straight.
