MOST REQUESTED COURSES

P.R.I.M.E. T.I.M.E INTERVIEWING AND INTERROGATIONS - THREE-DAY COURSE

This three-day session will provide an in-depth look at the P.R.I.M.E. T.I.M.E. interview techniques utilized when questioning witnesses and suspects. Attendees will participate in an interactive training with current confession clips and class exercises that will provide useful tools and build confidence needed in the interview room. The instructors have been featured on 20/20 and have traveled the United States training officers with this approach.

ADVANCED INTERVIEWING - TWO-DAY COURSE

The goal of this course is to provide students with practical activities to hone their skills of negative-alternative questions, theme building, narratives, and expectations in the courtroom. The student will bring a DVD of an interview conducted so a critique by the attendees may be conducted for a peer learning environment.  

Peer review and feedback is important as leaders are developed by mentoring each other.  An interviewer must be prepared for not only the interview, but he/she needs to know what to expect in court. An effective witness interview can be as crucial as a confession. Learning to be patient and the proper questioning utilizing the cognitive approach is a must. Confidence can be developed through practice and practical experience.  This is an interactive course where the learner receives immediate feedback on his/her skills.

At the conclusion of the course, the investigator will:

  • Be able to apply cognitive interview techniques

  • Develop proper Good Choice-Bad Choice questions

  • Understand how to interview a non-emotional person

  • Understand how to interview an emotional person

  • Know what to expect in Suppression Hearings

  • Learn through peer review

CHILD DEATH INVESTIGATION - ONE DAY COURSE

The investigator will learn the common practices of a Homicide response, the practices of Child Protective Services, and the Medical Examiner.  The investigator will learn what is required for prosecution of cases involving children as victims.  The investigator will learn about cause of death findings in cases in sudden natural deaths — including infectious diseases and inherited conditions. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome will be covered in depth, with emphasis on important interview questions, scene investigations, and autopsy findings.  The information will be taught through visual presentation of cases, including scene findings, and autopsy findings.

At the conclusion of the course, the investigator will:

  • Know common causes of death in infants, toddlers, and older children

  • Be able to differentiate common accidental injury patterns from inflicted injury patterns

  • Recognize natural conditions that may be mistaken for abuse

  • Be familiar with common victim and perpetrator characteristics in the most common causes of death from inflicted injury

  • Recognize “recurring themes” and findings in neonaticide and factitious illness

  • Identify scene investigative techniques unique to the pediatric age range

  • Be familiar with victim and perpetrator characteristics in the most common causes of death in each unique age group

  • Understand the complexity and specificity that pediatric death investigation requires and the importance of re-creating the event in the interview

  • The importance of the Team Approach

BASIC HOMICIDE INVESTIGATION - TWO DAY COURSE

Death investigations are complex and unique.  No other type of criminal investigation is as demanding on an agency’s resources nor draws more public attention than death investigations. This two-day course provides criminal justice professionals with the requisite basic knowledge required to successfully investigate a death investigation.  The training focuses on proven techniques and procedures to manage, investigate, and successfully prosecute homicide cases. The course is designed for personnel with little or no experience investigating death cases and provides a step by step process for investigators to follow in order to bring the case to a successful conclusion.  

At the conclusion of the course, the investigator will:

  • Know responsibilities of a Homicide Investigator and duties of First Responders

  • Crime Scene analysis including wound analysis

  • Homicide Types and Offender Motivation

  • Crime Scene processing

  • Laboratory capabilities and evidence processing

  • Role of Coroner and Medical Examiner

  • Case Management

  • Documentation and Report Writing

  • Media Relations

  • Prosecution and Legal Matters

These topics will be discussed in depth and displayed using case studies.

OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTING - ONE OR TWO-DAY COURSE

Officer involved shootings are typically the most controversial investigations. Officers are required to effect arrests and enforce the laws using only the necessary force.  Anytime an officer uses deadly force, the community expects a thorough investigation to ensure the use of force was justified, especially in those instances where the suspect sustained serious bodily injury or death.  Any perceived violation or abuse of the use of force can create serious social problems within the community, and can create an atmosphere of mistrust between the police and the community.

Investigators are responsible for conducting a thorough investigation into an officer’s use of deadly force to determine if it was in compliance with federal, state, and local laws, as well as department policy.  The investigation must be fair and impartial.  The goal, as with any investigation, is to determine the truth.

Actions that can result from officer involved shootings include criminal charges against a suspect, possible criminal charges against the officer, or referral of charge decisions to a grand jury.  Criminal charge decisions depend on accurate and thorough investigations.  Also, civil actions are common with officer involved shooting cases and the investigation is generally significant in the civil proceedings.

The purpose of this course is to teach the procedures and investigative techniques necessary for conducting a thorough investigation into an officer involved shooting. This includes the criminal aspect of the investigation conducted by investigators, as well as the administrative investigation conducted by Internal Affairs investigators.  These are two separate, but necessary investigations and each has its unique characteristics, requirements, and limitations.  This course will provide instruction on how to begin an officer involved shooting call out by gathering information, making assignments, and notifications.  It will provide instruction on how to conduct on-scene responsibilities and how to effectively cooperate with all investigative agencies, such as the District Attorney, Police Integrity Division and the Medical Examiner's Office.  The course is designed to provide an understanding of both the criminal and internal aspects of an officer involved shooting.

At the conclusion of the course, the investigator will:

  • Determine when a Homicide investigation is required for an officer involved shooting.

  • Gather the necessary information to initiate a call out for an officer involved shooting and make all necessary notifications.

  • Identify typical procedures and investigative requirements followed during officer involved shooting scenes.

  • Understand how to process the crime scene function of the investigation as well as identification of the witness and suspects, and conducting the appropriate interviews and interrogations.

  • Understand specific requirements and procedures necessary for the IAD follow-up investigation of officer involved shootings.

INTERVIEWING FOR THE POLICE RECRUIT - ONE DAY COURSE

This is a one-day intensive course for those involved in the recruitment, screening and background investigations of potential police employees. This course will train the recruiter to focus on red-flag issues with applicants, and teach recruiters how to conduct a thorough job interview to prevent unnecessary background checks. This course will also help the background investigator identify applicants’ character flaws.