• Colonel Akil Smith
• Deputy Director

Colonel Akil Smith, was appointed as Deputy Director of the Division of Internal Investigation in March 2021. Deputy Director Smith has more than 23 years of experience as a law enforcement officer, and his career began in 1997 with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department in St. Louis, Missouri.

In 2002, Deputy Director Smith joined the Illinois State Police (ISP) ranks as a member of Cadet Class 104 and, upon graduation, was assigned to District 6 Patrol. On July 1, 2008, he transferred to ISP Investigations Zone 5, General Criminal/Narcotics, and became a Special Agent.

On April 16, 2012, Deputy Director Smith was promoted to Sergeant. Deputy Director Smith was promoted to the rank of Master Sergeant on November 1, 2014, and designated as the Commander of ISP Drug Task Force 6. He was promoted to Lieutenant on April 1, 2017. As a Lieutenant, Deputy Director Smith served in various assignments throughout the Department; ISP Zone 4 South Investigations Operations Lieutenant, Division of Internal Investigation Operations Lieutenant, and interim ISP Academy (ISPA) Commander. Deputy Director Smith achieved Captain's rank with his January 1, 2019, promotion and was designated ISPA Commander. In March 2019, Deputy Director Smith received the appointment as the Assistant Deputy Director of the Division of Academy and Training.

Deputy Director Smith was born in Chicago, Illinois, where he graduated from Chicago Public Schools, Morgan Park High School. Deputy Director Smith is a 1996 graduate of Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois.

• Lieutenant Colonel Jose De Jesus
• Assistant Deputy Director

Lieutenant Colonel Jose De Jesus was appointed as Assistant Deputy Director of the Division of Internal Investigation in November 2023. Lieutenant Colonel De Jesus has 18 years of experience with the Illinois State Police and his past assignments include District Chicago Patrol, Medicaid Fraud Investigations, Deputy Chief Public Information Officer, Operations Officer District 21 Patrol, Commander District 5 Patrol, and Northern Commander for the Division of Internal Investigation.

Lieutenant Colonel De Jesus was born in Chicago, Illinois where he attended Lane Tech High School, and earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biochemistry from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Lieutenant Colonel De Jesus is also a veteran, having served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves.

• Commander Natasha Lawson
• Southern DII Commander

Captain Natasha Lawson serves as the Southern Commander of the Division of Internal Investigation (DII), which handles 75 counties in Southern Illinois. Captain Lawson has over 17 years of experience with the Illinois State Police.

In 2006, Captain Lawson joined the Illinois State Police (ISP) and, upon graduation was assigned to District 15 Patrol. Captain Lawson’s diverse background includes the following past assignments with the ISP: The Division of Operations, the Division of Administration, the Public Information Office, the Statewide Recruitment Coordinator under the Equal Employment Opportunity Office, the Chief of Staff for the Legal Office, and as a Bureau Chief at the Division of the Academy and Training.

In 2011, Captain Lawson was a case agent in DII and attended the Basic Investigator Course (BIC). In March 2021, Captain Lawson returned to DII as the Chief of Staff, transitioned into the Springfield Investigative Commander role, and was promoted to the Southern Commander in December 2023.

Captain Lawson was born in Chicago, Illinois, and attended Proviso West High School. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Aviation Administration with a minor in Criminal/Social Justice from Lewis University in Romeoville. She’s a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., which provides community service nationwide. She is also a paralegal, attaining her American Bar Association certification in Paralegal Studies from Roosevelt University in Chicago.

• Commander Jeff File
• Northern DII Commander

Acting Captain Jeff File serves as the Northern Commander of the Division of Internal Investigation, which handles 27 counties in Northern Illinois. Acting Captain File has over 21 years of experience with the Illinois State Police.

In 1997, Acting Captain File began his career in law enforcement as a police officer for Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois. In 2002, he joined the Illinois State Police (ISP) and upon graduation was assigned to District 2 Patrol. From February 2007 through September 2021, he was a member of the Illinois State Police Zone 1 Investigations North Central Narcotics Task Force where he achieved the rank of Master Sergeant and served as the Director of the Task Force. In October 2021, Acting Captain File transferred to the Division of Internal Investigation where he achieved the rank of Lieutenant and served as the Des Plaines Investigative Commander.

Acting Captain File is a graduate of Western Illinois University and has attended numerous Investigative and Leadership courses throughout his career including the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board Executive Institute Police Executive in the 21st Century and the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command.