Basic Criminal Investigation for Street Patrol and New Criminal Investigators

Course Objectives and Agenda (CLICK HERE)

Please be aware that this class is a 20-hour training. Therefore, the first two days of training will be 8am-5pm local time. The last day will be 8am-12pm local time.

This course is designed for new investigators and patrol officers seeking to build a strong foundation in criminal investigations. Through a combination of practical instruction and real-world application, participants will learn the essential skills, legal knowledge, and investigative tools necessary to conduct effective investigations and prepare cases for successful prosecution.

Topics covered include:

• Rules of Evidence – Understand how common mistakes can lead to case dismissals and how to properly present a defensible case in court.

• Search and Seizure – Learn about expectations of privacy, warrant exceptions, vehicle searches, and proper legal procedures.

• Search Warrants – Explore the essential elements of warrant writing, probable cause, particularity requirements, curtilage, and returns of service.

• Crime Scene Management – Gain skills to secure, document, and manage crime scenes to preserve the integrity of your investigation.

• Analyzing Evidence – Learn how to recognize, process, and preserve physical evidence to support your case.

• Follow-Up Investigations – Develop investigative leads through interviews, digital evidence, timelines, records checks, and crime reconstruction.

• Case Management – Learn how to manage your caseload, work effectively with prosecutors, and create organized investigative plans.

• Eyewitness Identification – Review techniques including photo lineups, live lineups, double-blind procedures, and best practices for reliability.

• Crime Type Overviews – Examine investigative approaches to a range of offenses including arson, burglary, child abuse, homicide, theft, assault, and sexual offenses.

• Interview and Interrogation – Improve your ability to conduct productive interviews and interrogations using tested strategies, memory retrieval techniques, and behavioral cues to distinguish truth from deception.

Whether you're just stepping into an investigative role or looking to sharpen your patrol-based investigative skills, this course will provide the foundational tools to build strong cases from start to finish. knowledge, and investigative tools necessary to conduct effective investigations and prepare cases for successful prosecution.