Advanced and Specialized Law Enforcement Courses

Force Science 

Advanced Instructional Methods

How individual officers respond during such incidents is heavily underpinned by how the officers were trained. This places an immense responsibility on law enforcement trainers and use of force instructors.

Bad training exists and should be categorized as education built without the foundational research and science in neurology, cognition, and motor learning principles. Training is both art and science.

The Methods of Instruction – Training Practical Professional Policing Skills course fills a critical void in modern-day law enforcement training. During this intensive course, participants will be challenged by diving into paradigm-breaking scientific principles that can be immediately and directly applied to their academy or agency training program.

This learner-centric course utilizes an adult learning, problem-based approach. Individuals can expect to do a minimum of 20 hours of pre-class reading/viewing and assignments in addition to 24-hours of in-class instruction. Successful completion of this course requires the student to demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the material and its application in a variety of contexts.

At the end of this course, participants will have a broad understanding of identifying critical training needs and building and instructing an evidence-based training program to address the essential skills required by law enforcement. In addition, instruction will include developing realistic, verifiable, and justifiable course training standards (CTS) to guide future teaching while protecting the agency and trainers.

The course is immensely challenging. It requires a willingness of the participant to leave behind strongly held biases and traditionalism and embrace a growth mindset.

Parking is located at the Palm Avenue Garage located on the corner of 9th Ave and Nuccio Parkway. Please park on the student side of the garage.

For more information, please contact: Scott Johnson sjohnson2@hccfl.edu  or (813) 253-7952.

Shifting to a Leadership Mindset

This customized No-Nonsense Leadership 40-hour training class is designed to help those that are new in their position of leadership to hit the ground running, while developing and honing the skills they need in their leadership roles. The class will also impart high-level leadership insight and strategies for the more seasoned leadership attendees. This information will give them the ability to make better decisions, and proactively handle conflict.

DAY 1:  For the opening day of the training, we will discuss No-Nonsense strategies, basics and wisdom truths of leadership that set the course for leaders to be effective.

DAY 2: During this portion of the training, we will discuss how effective leaders make decisions, delegate authority effectively, and communicate to get things done. We will discuss the power of an effective team and how to lead your team through conflict.

DAY 3: During this segment, we will discuss how to effectively lead through and manage the inevitable changes that will take place in the workplace. We will discuss the power of habits and examine habits that can either make a leader or break a leader.

DAY 4: For day four we will tackle the issue of workplace politics. We will understand how uncommon, no-nonsense leaders lead in highly political work environments without losing their integrity. We will begin our assessment debrief by reviewing our behavioral assessments to see “HOW” we do what we do as a leader.

DAY 5: Day five is a complete assessment review. We will review Tri-Metrix assessments to understand each participant’s behavioral style, what motivates them to action, and their level of Emotional intelligence.

**WORKSHOP PREREQUISITE: Attendee must complete a two-part on-line assessment PRIOR to the class. We will debrief the assessment during class. This assessment is a mandatory part of attending the class for development.

AT THE END OF THIS TRAINING SESSION PARTICIPANTS WILL BE EQUIPPED WITH TOOLS TO BE ABLE TO:

• Communicate effectively and professionally resolve conflict.

• Engage and interact more effectively when encountering difficult people behavior and situations.

• Respond professionally vs overreacting unprofessionally when conflict arises.

• Consistently communicate through conflict situations to get desired results for the organization and their teams.

Parking is located at the Palm Avenue Garage located on the corner of 9th Ave and Nuccio Parkway. Please park on the student side of the garage.

For more information, please contact: Scott Johnson sjohnson2@hccfl.edu  or (813) 253-7952.

Stress Management CJSTC course #050

This 40-hour salary incentive course is designed to enhance the law enforcement, correctional and correctional probation officer’s ability to deal with stressful situations that are inherent in the criminal justice profession. A general awareness of the causes and types of stress, as well as ways to resolve stress, should lead to more effective job performance and employee retention. 

This program will provide officers with the tools to help manage their stress. Those attending will be exposed to the benefits of physical fitness, stretching, nutrition, meditation and other stress reducing strategies. Attendees should bring work-out clothing, a towel and plenty of water. 100% attendance is required and participants must achieve a minimum score of 80% on the written exam to receive a certificate of completion. 

Course topics include: 

• Identifying Stress 

• Stress Reaction 

• Personal Stress Management Techniques 

• Resources for Stress Management

• Nutrition in Managing Stress

• The Role of Physical Fitness in Managing Stress 

• Dealing with Critical Incident Stress

• Substance Abuse

• The Role of Family and Friends 

Sergeant Glenn Wilson (Retired)

Sergeant Glenn Wilson retired from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office in 2017 with over 29 years of service. Glenn served as a supervisor in Field Training, Strategic Enforcement, Child Protection, Environmental Lands and the Underwater Search & Recovery Team where he and his co-workers experienced workplace stressors on a daily basis. This prompted him to create and instruct courses in fitness, compassion fatigue, traumatic stress, stress management, and self-care practices. He has travelled around the country teaching stress management techniques to first responders and who work with traumatized victims. Glenn holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from the University of South Florida, is a certified Florida Department of Law Enforcement Physical Fitness Trainer, and a Cooper Institute trained Law Enforcement Fitness Specialist. Glenn is the Lead Instructor for G-Force Training LLC.

This is a Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission Trust-Funded Course for Region IX. Officers in Region IX attend free of charge.

In order to attend, all officers are required to process the appropriate paperwork through their respective agencies.

For more information, please contact: Scott Johnson sjohnson2@hccfl.edu  or (813) 253-7952.

Courtroom Testimony

This 16- hour course is designed to cover all aspects of a criminal trial.  This course is designed to help you not only investigate cases ranging from homicides to trafficking in controlled substances, but how to effectively communicate the investigations to a jury during trial. This course addresses the 3 components of a guilty verdict: Investigating Beyond a Reasonable Doubt, Documenting to Avoid Cross-Examination Issues, and Presenting a Case in a Professional Manner. This is a Criminal Justice Standards & Training Commission Specialized Training Course, and is approved for mandatory retraining only.

Topics of instruction include:

Parking is located at the Palm Avenue Garage located on the corner of 9th Ave and Nuccio Parkway. Please park on the student side of the garage.

For more information, please contact: Scott Johnson sjohnson2@hccfl.edu  or (813) 253-7952.

Kinesics

Being able to determine deceptive responses through the observation of nonverbal clues and body reactions during an interview or interrogation can be a valuable tool for the perceptive investigator. During stressful interviews, individuals often “leak” autonomic behaviors that are difficult to control. This seminar presents instruction and demonstrations that teach students skills in reading behavioral signals of tempo, posture, breathing, gestures, & other body movements that cannot be consciously controlled. The class provides students with information that should enhance their perceptual skills, thus, increasing their ability to recognize changes in behavior that often forecasts shifts in attitude and imminent disclosures, as well as, to assess deception and resistance. This is not a boring lecture seminar where participants are forced to take copious notes with minimal involvement.  Rather, the program is conducted in a highly reactive setting, prompting dialog between the students and the instructor. Students are involved in numerous exercises in order to apply the techniques presented during instruction.   

Topics of instruction include:

Parking is located at the Palm Avenue Garage located on the corner of 9th Ave and Nuccio Parkway. Please park on the student side of the garage.

For more information, please contact: Scott Johnson (813) 253-7952 or sjohnson2@hccfl.edu

FL General Instructor Techniques # 1186

In this course, students will have an opportunity to define, explore, and develop each of the skills required of an instructor. Students will learn about the types of liability associated with instruction, their responsibility to act ethically and without bias, and how to control and document classroom activities. Students will be instructed in the use of adult learning models and facilitation skills to conduct application-based activities such as individual and group exercises, problem solving scenarios, practice demonstrations, and peer evaluations.  Students will study how to design instruction, write objectives, test questions, and prepare lesson plans.  In addition, students will be required to prepare and present a 30-minute presentation to the class. 

Pursuant to Rule 11B-35, F.A.C., this course is a pre-requisite for applying to CJSTC to become an instructor for CJSTC certified Training Centers.

Topics of instruction include:

**Students are encouraged to bring their laptops with PowerPoint for use in developing their presentations.

Parking is located at the Palm Avenue Garage located on the corner of 9th Ave and Nuccio Parkway. Please park on the student side of the garage.

For more information, please contact: Scott Johnson sjohnson2@hccfl.edu  or (813) 253-7952.

Search and Seizure 

About the Instructor:

JP Nixon, senior consultant for the Odysseus Project, has been conducting law enforcement training throughout the US for over a decade.  A narcotics prosecutor by trade, Mr. Nixon is the former Director of a joint State/Federal task force, based out of Miami, Florida, that conducted complex international narco-money laundering investigations. 

Course Description:

Instead of the standard lecture on what you cannot do when acting under the color of law, this class zeros directly in on ways of fulfilling law enforcement objectives in the face of the law’s constraints.  Consisting of an interactive multi-media presentation designed to engage the students in thought and discussion with the instructor and each other while learning how to apply the Fourth Amendment to both basic and complex fact patterns.  An absolutely essential class for personnel at all levels, taught in a uniquely dynamic way.

Overview of Topics:

• How to Effectively Articulate Reasonable Suspicion and Probable Cause

• Searching Cars and Conveyances & Pretextual Detentions

• How to Secure Consent

• Knock & Talks and Consensual Encounters

• The Home, Curtilage & the Open Fields Doctrine

• Damaging or Destroying Property & Scope of the Search

• Exigencies, Sweeps, and Holding the Scene

• Managing Uncooperative Detainees

• Weapons Searches vs. Contraband Searches

• Use or Deployment of a K-9 in Various Contexts

• Detention, Seizures, and Custody – a Tactical Approach

• Hotels, Motels, and Other Criminal Forums of Convenience

Parking is located at the Palm Avenue Garage located on the corner of 9th Ave and Nuccio Parkway. Please park on the student side of the garage.

For more information, please contact: Scott Johnson (813) 253-7952 or sjohnson2@hccfl.edu

Field Training Officer for Law Enforcement #809

This course features the introduction of a legally defensible evaluation process that has been implemented in hundreds of police agencies across the country. Using the pure "San Jose, California" model as its core, the student will learn how to develop a field training officer (FTO) program. Since an agency's effectiveness is directly related to the quality of its personnel, a well-conceived recruit management program is an absolute must, regardless of the organization's size and geographic location. Upon completion of the course, each participant will have gained the knowledge to develop an FTO program and fulfill the role of field training officer. This program is designed for the new FTO, the FTO who has not had formal training and shift supervisors of field training officers. While managers of FTO programs will find the training of great value, the course focus is on the FTO's role. The nature of the information is that which the FTO's immediate supervisor must have to effectively monitor and evaluate FTO and recruit performances alike. This course is approved for Salary Incentive.

Topics of instruction:

• Examples of successful field training and evaluation programs
• FTO meetings
• Legal and ethical issues in recruit selection, training and evaluation
• Performance evaluation using standardized rating procedures
• The effect of the FTO style on recruit  learning
• Teaching principles, methodologies and philosophies
• Remedial training and narrative reports
• 29 key elements of successful programs
• FTO program structure
• The 'hows' and 'whys' of documentation
• Recruit termination procedures
• FTO objectives, principles and goals

Parking is located at the Palm Avenue Garage located on the corner of 9th Ave and Nuccio Parkway. Please park on the student side of the garage.

For more information, please contact: Scott Johnson sjohnson2@hccfl.edu or (813) 253-7952.

Proactive and Undercover Investigations

About the Instructor:

JP Nixon, senior consultant for the Odysseus Project, has been conducting law enforcement training throughout the US for over a decade.  A narcotics prosecutor by trade, Mr. Nixon is the former Director of a joint State/Federal task force, based out of Miami, Florida, that conducted complex international narco-money laundering investigations. 

Course Description:

This class is a compelling multi-media presentation involving the use of real-life case studies, film, and television as examples to aid in the understanding of the concepts being taught.  The course is designed to serve as an introduction or refresher on the tools available to, and methods employed by, investigators working proactive and long-term cases, with an emphasis on narcotics traffickers, money launderers, theft/robbery crews, criminal street gangs, human traffickers, and other organized criminal enterprises.  Students will walk away from the training with a strong grasp of how to plan and steer an investigation from the moment of identifying the targets all the way through the indictment process. 

Overview of Topics:

• Initiating the Investigation & Deconfliction
• Wiretaps, Pen & Traps, Mobile Trackers, Pole Cameras, Drones, and Electronic Surveillance
• Use of Informants – Source Cultivation & Management
• Undercover Work – Laundering your Identity & Honing your Ability to Deceive
• Authorized Criminality – the Need to Participate in Illegal Activity
• Alcohol, Drugs, Sex, and the Obstacles of Undercover Work
• Physical Search Techniques for Undercover Operations
• How to Build Conspiracy & Racketeering (RICO) cases
• Post-Arrest Investigative Follow Ups

Parking is located at the Palm Avenue Garage located on the corner of 9th Ave and Nuccio Parkway. Please park on the student side of the garage.

For more information, please contact: Scott Johnson (813) 253-7952 or sjohnson2@hccfl.edu

Child Sex Crimes Investigations # 1171

This is a Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission Advanced Training Course. This 40-hour course is approved for mandatory retraining or salary incentive.

Sexual abuse is about power and control over the child. The abuser is someone that the child knows and possibly trusts so it is easy for the abuser to keep the child from telling anyone about the abuse. The abuser may say that the abuse is normal or the abuser may force or threaten the child. The child does what the abuser wants because the child loves, fears, or respects the abuser. Anyone can abuse a child. Reports indicate that 93% of children under 18 are abused by someone that they know. This person can be a parent, sibling, teacher, coach, or anyone else in the child’s life. It’s rare for a stranger to abuse a child. It can happen, but it’s not likely.

Investigators need to understand that a child doesn’t make up stories about abuse. The child is constantly trying to make sense of what happened. The trauma from the abuse sometimes causes the child to mix-up the when, where, and how. It can also cause the child to say and do things that don’t always sound “right.”

Topics of Instruction include:

This is a Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission Trust-Funded Course for Region IX. Officers in Region IX attend free of charge. 

 In order to attend, all officers are required to process the appropriate paperwork through their respective agencies.

Parking is located in the Fernando Noriega, Jr. Palm Avenue STUDENT PARKING GARAGE located on the north side of 9th Avenue, between Nuccio Parkway and 13th Street. You will be given a parking pass the first day of class.

For more information, please contact: Scott Johnson sjohnson2@hccfl.edu  or (813) 253-7952.

Adult Sex Crimes Investigations # 1170

This is a Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission Advanced Training Course. This 40-hour course is approved for mandatory retraining or salary incentive.

This course is designed to provide an overview of sex crimes investigations for the officer and investigator with limited experience in this area, and an understanding of the problematic, legal, investigative, and evidentiary aspects of sex crimes. 

Students in this course will gain insight into the crimes, their impact on victims, the evidentiary aspects of adult sex crimes, legal rights of victims and the legal responsibility of law enforcement when investigating these crimes.

Topics of Instruction include:

This is a Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission Trust-Funded Course for Region IX. Officers in Region IX attend free of charge. 

 In order to attend, all officers are required to process the appropriate paperwork through their respective agencies.

Parking is located in the Fernando Noriega, Jr. Palm Avenue STUDENT PARKING GARAGE located on the north side of 9th Avenue, between Nuccio Parkway and 13th Street. You will be given a parking pass the first day of class.

For more information, please contact: Scott Johnson sjohnson2@hccfl.edu  or (813) 253-7952.