Author Archives: Admin

JAIL GANG INTELLIGENCE & INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES for Corrections & Law Enforcement

This course is specifically designed to prepare Officers to successfully identify gang members, monitor gang activity, effectively gather gang intelligence, and properly conduct successful interviews with hard-core gang members in jail. Blocks of instruction will include:
o Proper gang identification and documentation
o Successful introductions and mindset
o Monitoring gang presence & activity
o Gang intelligence gathering
o Working with other Law Enforcement Agencies
o Handling jail informants
o Conducting successful interviews in jail
o Establishing a prisoner’s behavioral “norm” and patterns
o And much more………………………………………………………

Each prisoner and contact in Jail is different and the information in Correctional Facilities is always changing. Being able to effectively gather this information can lead to finding contraband, identifying gang members and affiliations, solving other crimes within the jail and saving an Officer’s life.

You have to be creative and ingenious while having a simple conversation with an inmate. Having good presence and a congenial personality goes much further than a harsh or callous attitude. Learn how to “talk-the-talk” and not over do it. Know how to control the direction of the conversation without making your contact feel like he or she is being interrogated. Just like anything else, this comes with practice.

Gang members are getting smarter every time they are arrested and incarcerated. Building your gang knowledge will benefit you in identifying who you’re dealing with, creating self-confidence, and at the same time, establishing yourself amongst gang members themselves. The OFFICER has to be confident, not cocky, in his or her approach. It is also crucial to guard against becoming lax.

Street Strategies Homicide Investigation

Street Strategies:

1 Day- Investigating Today’s Street Homicides

This 8 hour course is specifically designed to prepare uniformed police officers, supervisors, detectives, gang and drug investigators to successfully respond, evaluate, secure, and investigate today’s violent street crime related homicides.  Blocks of instruction will include:

 

Handling uncooperative witnesses:   We will discuss a number of effective strategies in handling witnesses in gang and drug related homicides and how to successfully utilize these strategies and procedures when conducting the most difficult of all homicide investigations.  Handling witnesses in these cases are the responsibility of everyone involved.

This block of instruction will also focus on the responsibilities of the first Officer on scene to the most experienced of Detectives.  The instructor will help prepare you to effectively handle this crucial part of the investigation that is often passed from one division to another.

 

Handling homicide scenes in gang and drug war zones: This block of instruction discusses many variables that contribute to the successful response, investigation, and conclusion of street homicides.  The quality of work and experience of the responding Officers and the investigating Detectives are critiqued during these crucial stages of the homicide that stem from the crime scene.  We will also discuss the importance of how each agency should develop clear and separate policies and protocol for all the officers and detectives involved.

  • Types of Gang and Drug Homicide Scenes
  • Homicide Scene Considerations
  • Officer Safety
  • Securing the scene
  • Handling witnesses/Canvassing
  • Identifying and handling evidence
  • Videotaping scenes and crowds

 

 

Domenic Cappelluti CFI

Domenic Cappelluti CFI, is a veteran detective with the Waukegan (Illinois) Police Department and a former Group Supervisor of the elite Lake County, IL Major Crime Task Force. With over 24 years of experience Dom has specialized in high profile violent street crimes, gang homicides, murder for hire cases on gang and drug officers and officer involved shootings. During his career, he has worked in various divisions, and avidly supervised the Criminal Investigations Bureau and the Gang Suppression Unit. Dom has proudly conducted and directed hundreds of gang and drug related operations throughout Lake County, Cook County and the Chicago metropolitan area targeting Chicago based street gangs. He is fluent in Spanish and Italian and has successfully conducted thousands of interviews and interrogations in Spanish with gang members from various gangs.

Having personally been targeted in a large scale murder for hire plot, Dom has been an intricate part in receiving federal funding and working with members of Congress to establish a clear understanding of the war on gangs and the approach that’s needed for successful. He continues to combat the media and has dedicated his career to fighting Freedom of Information Act violations, protecting officers’ rights and defending the work quality of experienced interviewers from the mirage placed on society from today’s biased media.

Dom is a nationally recognized lecturer for his vast experience in interviewing and interrogation, homicide and street gangs. Dom passionately teaches law enforcement officers and federal agents across the United States and Mexico. He has successfully testified as an expert in gangs, homicide and interviewing and interrogation in various courts across the United States. Dom is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards for his accomplishments. He has been honored by his police department, state and federal agencies, Congress and various newspapers.

Dom was proudly selected by a government agency to represent the United States, internationally, in a joint governmental operation that provided interview and interrogation training that is currently being used to target members of various Mexican street gangs and drug cartels. Dom is the creator and lead seminar instructor of the Gang Combat Dynamics Series, Criminal Related Interviewing Made Easy (C.R.I.M.E. 123), Investigating Street Homicides, and Courtroom Success: How to Testifying in High Profile Cases. Dom is now the author of: “Criminal Related Interviewing Made Easy- A Step-by-Step Guide.” Still working the streets and interview rooms today, Dom’s teaching style and fresh approach always delivers an awesome experience for audiences of all sizes. Enjoy!


Street Strategies Seminar Series:

C.R.I.M.E 123: Interviewing & Interrogation

“My C.I.” Cultivating and Effectively Handling today’s Top Confidential Informants

Mastering Gang Basics: Your First Line of Defense

Gang Combat Dynamics

Street Strategies Homicide Investigation Seminar

Jail Gang Intelligence

Courtroom Success:
Preparing for Today’s Homicide and High Profile cases

Gangs in Schools: Prevention to Investigation

James Di Naso

James Di Naso

James Di Naso is co-owner of Police Kinesiology Company and serves as the company’s Police Performance Director.  Over the past several years, he has traveled to academies and agencies all over the United States training thousands of federal, state, county and city law enforcement officers. He is a nationally recognized subject matter expert on law enforcement physical preparation.  James is also a sought after speaker and has presented at several state, national and international law enforcement conferences including ITOA, ASLET, and ILEETA. He has authored many articles on police specific fitness for national publications and has a featured video series on policeone.com and bluetube. James is also an instructor for North East Multi Regional Training (NEMRT), a regional police-training academy in Illinois.

Prior to focusing his efforts on training law enforcement officers, James worked for eighteen years as a sports performance coach training athletes at every level including professional athletes from the NFL, NBA and MLB.  He served as the Executive Sports Performance Director for Velocity Sports Performance in Willowbrook IL and has owned and operated his own performance training business for sixteen years.  James holds a Masters Degree in Exercise Science from Eastern Illinois University and professional certifications from the National Strength and Conditioning Association, and the United States Weightlifting Federation.

Courses:

Injury Prevention For Police
Weight Training and Performance Enhancement for Police
Injury Prevention for Defensive Tactics Instructors
Specialized Fitness Training for SWAT Officers
Tactical Police Agility Practitioner
Dynamic Police Workout
Fitness for Baton & Shooting Skills Improvement
Olympic Weightlifting & Power Training For Police

Police Morale For Supervisors

Presented by: Officer Mike Wasilewski, MSW & Althea Olson, LCSW

Poor employee morale is a serious problem facing law enforcement and one that, if not confronted and corrected, will threaten the mission, productivity, discipline, and even the integrity of a police agency. With stakes so high, it is only natural law enforcement managers make raising employee morale a top priority.

Or is it?

The reality is, many police managers refuse to acknowledge the issues or, if they do, adhere to the belief, “Low morale isn’t our problem! They can fix it themselves,” while perpetuating the culture that breeds it. For most cops, low morale has far less to do with what they see and experience on the street than the impact of politics, policies, and practices inside the station.

This training is for supervisors and managers who want to bring the “best cop” out of each officer, who understand the power and productivity of happy staff, and who want to do more than pay lip service to the heavy responsibility of effective leadership.


Officer Mike Wasilewski, MSW & Althea Olson, LCSW

Mike & Althea have been married since 1994. Together they co-author two popular monthly columns for Officer.com & one monthly column for LawOfficer.com. They have taught together around the country and at the 2010 and 2011 ILEETA Conference & Expo to other police trainers.

Officer Mike Wasilewski, MSW, has been with a large suburban Chicago department since 1996. He holds a Master of Social Work degree from Aurora University and has served on his department’s Crisis Intervention & Domestic Violence teams. Mike is an adjunct instructor at Northwestern College.

Althea Olson, LCSW, has been in private practice in the Chicago suburbs since 1996. She has a Master of Social Work degree from Aurora University providing individual, couple, & group therapy to adolescents, adults, and geriatrics. Althea is also trained in Critical Incident Stress Management & is a certified divorce mediator.

Courses:

Police Morale For Supervisors 
Another Cop Killer
Crossing Police Lines: Living life 360º
Survival BEYOND the Street
Survival Skills For Police Marriages
Understanding and Responding to the Emotionally Disturbed Person
Treating Cops: What the client wants you to know (for the mental health professional)

Emotional & Relationship Survival for Law Enforcement

Brian Kanicki

Brian Kanicki

Brian Kanicki

While the role of the police in our community has changed over the years, the prevention of crime has remained the number one priority. Yet, few law enforcement professionals ever receive any formal crime prevention training. Brian Kanicki has become one of our nation’s premier crime prevention trainers and experts. He is focused on delivering innovative and practical crime prevention courses for front-line law enforcement officers, as well as those assigned to crime prevention and community policing as their primary duty. His range of experience as a patrol officer, detective, and advanced crime prevention specialist enables him to integrate first-hand knowledge and experience to his training. Brian is committed to providing the best and most current crime prevention training possible.

He has developed several courses for law enforcement professionals and has trained hundreds of police officers throughout the US. His “Crime Prevention on Patrol” course has become a favorite among law enforcement officers and police administrators throughout the country.

Brian is a Michigan native and became a Police Officer in 1995. In 2013, after 18 years of policing in his home state, Brian and his family moved to Florida where he is currently working for a police agency in the Tampa Bay area. Brian is a certified Advanced Crime Prevention Specialist and Advanced C.P.T.E.D. Specialist.

Throughout his distinguished career, Brian has served as a patrol officer, detective, and a crime prevention officer. During his tenure with his department’s Crime Prevention Unit, he was charged with coordinating dozens of Neighborhood Watch groups and a Business Watch Program encompassing hundreds of businesses. He also oversaw a Crime Free Multi-Housing Program, working with landlords and property managers of rental communities, successfully reducing calls for police service within these properties by over 50%. Brian served as a School Liaison Officer and taught a law-based safety oriented program to thousands of students. Brian has also served as his department’s Public Liaison & Media Relations Officer. He has been responsible for developing and initiating numerous crime prevention programs throughout his community.

Brian has received advanced training in crime prevention, risk/threat assessment, and community policing initiatives and has also presented at hundreds of civic and community events, business groups, and neighborhood associations on a variety of crime prevention, security, and safety related topics.
In 2008, after seeing a glaring need for engaging and realty-based crime prevention training, Brian developed an in-depth crime prevention training series for law enforcement officers and began teaching police officers throughout Michigan. These courses were an immediate success and his teaching expanded nationally.

Brian holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Administration from Central Michigan University, as well as an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Delta College. Brian is certified in Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) from the National Crime Prevention Institute at the University of Louisville and Advanced CPTED from the American Crime Prevention Institute. Brian also served as a regional trainer for the International Crime Free Association.

Courses:

Crime Prevention on Patrol
Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design
Crime Free Multi-Housing
Residential Crime Prevention
Crime Prevention for Businesses
Crime Prevention for Religious Institutions

Dave “Buck Savage” Smith

DaveAndBuck

Lieutenant Dave Smith

Former police lieutenant Dave Smith is an internationally known speaker, writer and law enforcement expert.  Dave attended United States Naval Academy and then completed his degree at University of  Arizona while fighting forest fires with the “Coconino Hot Shots.”  He began his police career with the Tucson Police Department and in 1978 he joined the Arizona Department of Public Safety.  As a career  police officer, Dave held positions in Patrol, SWAT, Narcotics, Training and Management. In 1980 he developed the popular “Buck Savage” video training series, was the lead instructor for the Calibre Press    “Street Survival” seminar from 1983 to 1985, and was instrumental in developing Calibre’s timeless “Tactical Edge” officer survival book.  Dave holds numerous instructor certifications in firearms, defensive    tactics, and human performance and is a proven expert witness and consultant.

In 1989, Dave joined the Law Enforcement Television Network (LETN), developing and hosting cutting-edge police, security and public safety training as its Director of Education and was the general manager  of Calibre Press until January of 2002.  Dave continued to instruct the “Street Survival” seminar through 2012 as its senior instructor and he managed the most comprehensive update to the seminar since  2003.  Dave has authored hundreds of articles for publications including Police Chief, Law and Order, The Trainer, Police Marksman, the Calibre Press Newsline, PoliceOne and POLICE magazine.

Dave is currently the owner of “Winning Mind Seminars” and is a regular columnist for POLICE magazine and PoliceOne.Com.  Dave is also the Director of Video Training for the online Police One Academy.  He is available for conferences, training events, and consulting, and is the author of the popular book In My Sights. Dave can be reached via his website at www.jdbucksavage.com or on his Facebook fan page as “JD Buck Savage.”

Courses:

Winning Mind Seminar Series

Sergeant Betsy Brantner Smith (ret.)

Betsy Smith

Betsy Smith

Sgt. Betsy Brantner Smith retired in 2009 as a 29-year veteran of the Naperville, IL Police Department. Beginning her career as a police dispatcher at age 17, Betsy became a police officer four years later and has held positions in patrol, investigations, narcotics, juvenile, hostage negotiation, crime prevention and field training.  She received her four year degree from Western Illinois University in 1991, and was a class officer and graduate of the Northwestern University Center for Public Safety’s School of Staff and Command in May of 2001.

As a sergeant, she supervised her department’s K-9 Unit, served as a field training sergeant, recruitment team sergeant, bike patrol coordinator, Crowd Control Bike Team leader, and supervisor of the Community Education/Crime Prevention Unit. Betsy served on the Elderly Services Team, the Crisis Intervention Team, and was a proud founding supervisory member of NPD’s Honor Guard Unit.

From 1999 – 2003 Betsy hosted various programs and was a content expert for the Law Enforcement Television Network (LETN), is currently an on-air commentator and advisor for the Police One Academy and was a featured character in the Biography Channel’s “Female Forces” reality show. Betsy also serves on the Board of Directors for Safe Call Now, an organization dedicated to providing confidential support resources to first responders.

She has been a law enforcement trainer for over 20 years and was a content expert and senior instructor for the Calibre Press “Street Survival” seminar from 2003 through 2012.  Betsy is a popular keynote speaker at conferences and events throughout the United States, Canada and around the world. Since 1995, Betsy has authored hundreds of articles for law enforcement, government and civilian publications including Police Marksman, Law and Order, Police Chief, Law Officer, PoliceLink.com and LawOfficer.com. She served on the advisory board of Police Marksman magazine and is currently a featured columnist on both PoliceOne.com and Officer.Com.

Betsy is the creator of the only course of its kind for women in law enforcement, “The Winning Mind for Women” and is the owner of Dave Smith & Associates’ Winning Mind LLC. Together, Betsy and Dave develop and instruct cutting edge courses through Winning Mind Seminars and travel extensively, bringing their inspirational messages throughout the world. Betsy can be reached through www.pg-ti.com or through her website at www.femaleforces.com and you can follow her on Twitter as @SgtBetsySmith.

Courses:

The Winning Mind© for Women

The Winning Mind for Women Unleashed

“The Love/Hate Relationship Between Cops and Dispatchers” Improving the Dispatcher/First Responder Roles in Public Safety Organizations
Career & Officer Survival for Dispatchers

Men & Women Are Different, But They Can All Be Great Cops!

Excited Delirium: Awareness, protocol development, investigation, and hands-on practical demonstration

 

Instructed by Lt. Michael Paulus, Michael Paulus Training, LLC

Course Description:

It’s four o’clock in the morning. The call comes in of a man, no shirt, sweating profusely, and

screaming unintelligibly. Five officers respond and after a few minutes of struggling to get

control of the man, the cuffs are on, but the man is dead.

This scenario has been repeated over and over in this country and around the world.

This full day course will give the attendee an awareness of what Excited Delirium is, what it

looks like, as well as common behavioral cues. There is a section on a possible response protocol

involving various stakeholders that will give the police department and the community a more

appropriate response to “a medical emergency that presents itself as a law enforcement

problem.”

There is an overview of investigative guidelines for the investigation of a Sudden Unexpected In-

Custody Death that appears to be an Excited Delirium incident. Lastly, there is a hands-on

practical section which seeks to show attendees a more effective way of bringing a person in the

throes of Excited Delirium under control. The goal is to reduce the length and intensity of the

struggle for the officers and the agitated subject.

OUTLINE:

Awareness of Excited Delirium, Characteristics of Sudden Unexpected In-Custody Death,

Behavioral Cues, Response Protocol.

Break

Building a multi-disciplinary response to a multi-factorial problem, identifying the stakeholders,

Decisions of each stakeholder, example of Champaign PD’s response protocol with EMS.

Lunch

Hands-on practical application of the Multiple Officer Control Tactic, how to work “smarter- not

harder” when controlling a person with superhuman strength, no sense of pain, and seemingly

unlimited endurance.

Break

Investigation of suspected Excited Delirium Sudden Unexpected In-Custody Deaths, why the

investigation will start out as a Use of Force incident, identifying the necessary medical

indications of a possible Excited Delirium death.