Courses

Check the Training Calendar for a list of upcoming training dates and locations.

CHILD ABUSE INVESTIGATIONS

16 Hour Class

This class is designed for the officer who responds to calls involving all types of crimes against children. The class will benefit all officers responsible for investigations involving children who are the victim of crimes from abuse, neglect, sexual assault, and murder. Unfortunately, with most smaller departments there is not an investigator specifically assigned to only work crimes against children. This will result in cases being improperly worked and the result can be horrible for not only the victim but the officer, department and everyone involved. This Instructor has many years of specifically working crimes against children and properly conducting the investigations from start until final prosecution of the perpetrators. Not only will the students receive the training on how to properly conduct these types of crimes, but they will meet and become an acquaintance to a very committed Investigator, Instructor, and fellow officer.

TOPICS:

  • Introduction and Overview of Child Abuse Investigations
  • History of Child Abuse
  • Law Enforcement Role in Child Abuse Investigations
  • Identifying Child Abuse and Different types of Child Abuse
  • Investigative Strategies – Physical Evidence, Forensic Interviews, Crime Scene Work, Documentation, Sexual Assault Examinations, Joint Investigations, Collecting Evidence, and other Issues relating to the Investigations
  • Trial Preparation and Testimony
  • Commercial Vehicle Interdiction

SEARCH WARRANTS

24 Hour Class – SEARCH WARRANTS

This class is designed to walk officers through the process of writing a search warrant, search warrant affidavit and a search warrant return and covers the execution of search warrants and the problems associated with no-knock warrants, as well as, the proper procedure to not only write and execute warrants, but the ability to defend an executed search warrant in the court system. The attendee will be provided with a copy of the Texas District & County Attorney’s Association Warrants Manual. This manual includes a flash drive with sample warrants for most types of warrants an officer will encounter,

Provide the attending Officer the training necessary to have an understanding on the proper methods to write, execute and defend different types of search warrants pertaining to various investigations.

TOPICS:

  • Warrant Basics
  • Search Warrant Affidavits
  • DWI Warrants
  • Vehicle Warrants
  • Digital Evidence Warrants – Cell Phone
  • Remotely stored Electronic Data Warrants
  • Real-time Data Warrants
  • Contraband Subject to Forfeiture – People
  • Executing Search Warrants
  • Arrest Warrants and Affidavits
  • Defending Warrants in Court

ADVANCED ROADSIDE INTERVIEW TECHNIQUES FOR PATROL OFFICERS COURSE

16 Hour Class – Methods for Detecting Deception and Criminal Activity

This course is specifically formulated for the uniformed patrol officer. The goal of the course is for officers to conduct roadside interviews with traffic violators by effectively communicating with those persons throughout a traffic stop and to be able to detect deception and/or indication of concealed criminal activity if present. The students will have the opportunity to view, analyze, and discuss actual video segments relative to the discussion topics.

The two-day (16 hour) Advanced Roadside Interview Techniques for Patrol Officers course is specifically formulated for the uniformed patrol officer who makes traffic stops. Literally hundreds of thousands of patrol officers throughout the country conduct traffic stops on a daily basis. In fact traffic enforcement is one of the most important public services performed by uniformed patrol officers. The majority of those motorists that are stopped are productive citizens of the community who have merely committed a traffic infraction. However, the remaining traffic stops involve those who are committing crime. The officer is tasked with conducting positive encounters with motorists as well as challenged with apprehending those who are committing unlawful acts. Many of these unlawful acts are not all persons with dignity and respect. Officers will gain an understanding of how to conduct non-intrusive roadside interviews that uncover criminal activity. The student will learn awareness and effective communication skills that are essential to making traffic stops that avoid complaints, assist in gaining compliance from persons, as well as detecting persons committing unlawful acts. The officer will gain knowledge of how to verbally control persons without instigating a confrontation. The course addresses the detection of deceptive behavior indicative of concealed criminal activity. The course covers the roadside interview process from the initial observation of the violator to the final assessment of the stop. The student will also be exposed to effective phrases that can be used during roadside interviews.

The method of instruction of the Advanced Roadside Interview Techniques for Patrol Officers course involves the
implementation of numerous video clips from actual traffic stops that are designed to stress learning points as well as provoke discussion from the student group. The students will be encouraged to analyze video throughout the course, for key learning points.

TOPICS:

  • Be able to discuss the aspects of roadside interviewing
  • Know the two key elements of a roadside interview
  • Identify verbal deceptive behavior and associated body language
  • Discuss the importance of non-verbal communication relative to the roadside interview process
  • Know the basic rules relative to traffic stops as it relates to the interview process
  • Know the importance of initial contact observations
  • Be able to discuss the roadside interview process
  • Be familiar with the assessment process of the interview
  • Identify effective phrases that can be used during roadside interviews

The course is advanced as it goes beyond the basics of a traffic stop and encourages the officer to constantly assess the circumstances surrounding the stop through developed awareness and communication skills

ADVANCED VEHICLE CONTRABAND CONCEALMENT COURSE

16 Hour Class – Techniques in Detecting Hidden Compartments and Concealed Contraband
The course is packed with awesome actual video of seizures along with excellent supporting media. This is absolutely the best hidden compartment course available anywhere!

All Police officers have received formal training and have gathered an understanding of the legal requirements to begin a vehicle search for contraband. However, most of these officers have received little or no formal training on how to physically conduct the search itself. Because of this, many times the officer misses contraband due to the concealment method being utilized by the suspect. The result is the suspect is released and allowed to continue on the criminal endeavor with the end result being the successful distribution of the contraband to our cities, towns, schools, and finally to our children.

Advanced Vehicle Contraband Concealment course is designed to meet the need of educating officers in an effort to make law enforcement more successful as a whole when encountering and searching contraband laden vehicles. This training will give the officer the edge when conducting vehicle searches.

Recently we conducted a search of a suspect’s vehicle and discovered more than $346,000.00 hidden in a secret compartment. This same suspect confessed that he had made several previous trips in the same vehicle, transporting concealed drugs and currency each time. The suspect stated that he was searched a total of ten (10) times on those previous trips, some of those included a K-9 search as well. In fact, he had been searched earlier on the same trip when we apprehended him. He admitted that the other officers conducting the searches could not find the concealment and eventually released him each time. All those previous contraband smuggling trips were successful even though he dealt with law enforcement on each and every one. These circumstances are not unusual. It would be arguable that most if not all the other officers that had searched the vehicle, had little or no formal training in vehicle contraband concealment.

The course takes the concept of concealing contraband in vehicles and breaks it down to afford the officer a formal understanding of the extent of the ever-evolving methods smugglers are utilizing to avoid detection if they are searched. The course discusses the perspective, planning, and preparation needed by officers before conducting searches. The officer learns the concealment options afforded to the suspect and the proper search techniques to discover the concealment. The course then walks the officer through every area of the vehicle where contraband can be concealed, giving detailed explanation on how to properly search each area and what to look for in order to make discovery.

Video, moving photo illustration, and photograph media affording the student an actual visual representation of the classroom discussion topics heavily support Advanced Vehicle Contraband Concealment. The course is detailed and in-depth. This course is not a show-and-tell. This course is not a trophy shot class. This course is specifically designed to teach the student. However, this course addresses only physical search techniques and does not discuss legal issues of search and seizure.

TOPICS:

  • Development of systematic search techniques
  • Search Objectives
  • X-ray equipment developments
  • Density detection equipment developments
  • K-9 failures
  • How officers are getting beat on concealment everyday
  • Pitfalls concerning concealment

Even experienced drug interdiction officers leave this class with a new outlook on concealment and adjust their searching techniques This class is a must for K-9 officers and any patrol officer who conducts vehicle searches.

Click here to view sample of moving illustration

CRIMINAL PATROL/DRUG INTERDICTION

16 Hour Class – Specialized Criminal Patrol/Drug Interdiction class
The objective of this course is to educate law enforcement officers in proper techniques and procedures to successfully and lawfully conduct criminal/drug interdiction patrol stops. This class is not based on theory or old school techniques; it is based upon current successful operations.

This individual fled as we tried to stop him for merely speeding (routine stop). Unknown to us, he had just committed Capital Murder, stabbing to death a resident and robbing them a couple of hours earlier. The vehicle and all the contents belonged to the victim. We discovered the crime scene of the unreported murder by sending local police to the victim’s residence of which we obtained from the insurance card in the car.
Perfect example of what criminal patrol really is about!

Traffic enforcement is one of the most challenging aspects of law enforcement. All traffic stops are unpredictable situations that can lead to a simple warning or citation to the apprehension of violent and dangerous suspects. Unlike many criminal patrol/drug interdiction courses, we do not solely focus on “Highway drug interdiction”. Our Criminal Patrol/Drug Interdiction course gives the student the whole package. The officer will learn how to detect all types of criminals on traffic stops to include drug and contraband smuggling.

Let’s face it, most officers do not have the opportunity to strictly work an interstate or major highway. We take this into consideration as our course discusses the criminal element as a whole as well as drug smuggling. Officers attending our course are encouraged to seek and apprehend suspects committing all types of criminal activity. Most of these stops occur within a city or county during routine stops. Officers are taught the importance of the assessment process of any criminal patrol stop is the interaction between them and the person they have stopped. The officer will learn an ethical approach to working criminal patrol/drug interdiction. The officer is exposed to the fact that treating all persons with dignity and respect is the core to a successful criminal patrol endeavor.

The course is inundated with actual traffic stop video clips showing the detection of all types of criminals through traffic enforcement.

TOPICS:

  • Introduction to Criminal/ Drug Interdiction
  • Roadside interview techniques that uncover criminal activity
  • Indicators of deception
  • Legal issues relating to interdiction patrol stops
  • Contraband smuggling
  • Currency seizures

Upon successful completion of this course, officers will have an in-depth knowledge of the proper working techniques of Criminal/Drug Interdiction.

Click here to view currency seizure photos