Breathe, Think, Testify!
This course introduces staff to courtroom decorum in criminal and civil cases. Officers will learn: courtroom procedure; applicable rules of evidence; officer review of reports and preparation before testifying; and practice testifying through interactive role-play scenarios.
California Mandates for Probation (Juvenile or Adult Law – 4/8 Hour Sessions)
Through a vibrant and fresh approach to legal update training, this course familiarizes staff and administrators with the latest legislative enactments and case law decisions that affect probation and other law enforcement agencies. Officers will learn to interpret laws and practically apply objectives in the field.
CA Peace Officers and Federal Immigration Law Enforcement
This course familiarizes officers with an overview of Federal immigration law and corresponding mandates for California peace officers. Officers will learn to interpret the latest statues and federal/state court decisions affecting immigration enforcement, agency collaboration, and officer/agency liability. Officers will practically apply policy-oriented approaches to a variety of immigration-related scenarios with follow-up debriefings and group discussion.
CSI Strategies and Containment
This course will introduce officers to crime scene containment in facilities and field supervision settings. Specifically, this course will provide a practical approach for officers to secure and contain a crime scene to prevent unnecessary intrusion and minimize contamination of evidence. Course topics include: introduction to forensic science; evidence admissibility (legal considerations); the 6 steps of processing a crime scene; types of evidence found at a crime scene (specific to facility and field setting scenarios); scene containment and evidence preservation; PREA considerations; and the facilitation of interactive role-play scenarios to employ the learning objectives covered by the course.
Custody Credits
This course is designed to provide officers who complete Adult Pre-Sentence Investigation Reports with information concerning how to accurately compute custody credits. The course will enable the student to identify the rules for which type of custody credit calculation applies to a defendant, and accurately apply the correct statutory scheme to make a calculation.
Direct and Vicarious Supervisor Liability
In this course, participants will be familiarized with: the federal and state court litigation process; direct and vicarious supervisor liability (negligent hiring, failure to train, improper entrustment, improper assignment, failure to supervise, failure to discipline, and failure to direct); immunities and defenses; Federal and State protections for employees; and ‘best practice’ recommendations to limit criminal and civil liability in their supervisory role.
Disciplinary Process and Liability
This course will familiarize first-line supervisors with administrative investigations, use of force review/investigations, supervisor responsibility during an officer-involved-shooting, discipline process, and liability concepts.
Diversity – Now What?
This course features a customer service-based approach to diversity in the workplace. Topics include: the benefits of establishing metrics-based expectations for exceptional service; strategies to reduce perceptions of inequality through considerations of race, gender, age, LGBTQ+, mental and developmental disabilities, implicit bias, cultural misconceptions; how officer wellness affects service delivery and social capital; employee accountability in maintaining a positive work environment; and legal liability.
Exceptional Service Delivery Models and Our Mission
Citizen complaints and public opinions of misconduct most often begin with the perception that customer service has fallen short of expectation. In this course, officers will value the importance of identifying internal and external customer needs and aligning service approaches to meet those expectations. Through interactive role-play scenarios, officers will become acquainted with examples of exceptional customer service and acknowledge the consequences of negative interactions. This course will also highlight the importance of incorporating customer experience feedback systems and modifying service approaches accordingly.
Firearm Use – Application and Liability
This course familiarizes armed officers with state and federal law (statutes/case law) related to use of force liability and provides effective and tactically sound live simunitions scenario training. Topics covered include: new legislation; state/federal legal updates (responsibilities and implications); search and seizure; tactical considerations (briefings/live simunition practice/debriefing); evidence (containment/collection); training; supervision; and officer wellness.
First Amendment Audits (Only Open to Current Law Enforcement Personnel)
Attendees will be familiarized with applicable constitutional law, privacy rights, trespass requirements, and current auditor practices/trends. Participants will also be provided with guidance on managing auditor interactions in public spaces.
HR 101 for Training Managers – What You Do and Don’t Do Matters
Too many of us allow the “Don’t See, Don’t Hear, Don’t Speak” paradigm to dictate day-to-day operations in our agencies. It negatively affects agency morale, employee engagement, professional development, and exposes officers and agencies to legal liability. This course will highlight the ‘Do’s and Don’ts’ for training managers/staff, including: the impact of documentation; legal liability associated with our action/inaction; and the benefits of proactively aligning training unit goals with the agency mission.
I Can Be Sued for What?
The rise of litigation against public agencies has magnified the importance of accountability, transparency, and meaningful training programs that equip probation staff with legally sound decision-making skills in the field. In this course, attendees will be familiarized with: State and Federal law; the road to litigation; Civil vs. Criminal Liability; Immunities; and Deliberate Indifference vs. Bystander Liability scenarios. Officers will engage an active-learning environment in which they provide legally-sound and practical approaches to liability scenarios.
Information Gatekeeper 101 – Confidentiality and Release
Empowering officers to understand their crucial function as information gatekeepers will improve their service delivery and reduce agency liability. In this course, officers will become familiar with state and federal law that affects confidentiality and the release of information. Officers will explore 21st Century information threats and the consequences of failing to maintain or release confidential information. Additionally, attendees will recognize common information interactions (formal and informal) that expose officers and agencies to liability. Lastly, officers will review case studies and apply policy-oriented approaches via a group activity and debrief exercise.
Necessary Force – Is it Really Necessary?
Students will be introduced to the tenants of Assembly Bill 392, including: related legislation, statutes, and case law. Students will also discuss/debrief case studies and apply best practice recommendations.
Our ‘Red Flag’ Employee
This course will familiarize students with risk factors that lead to ethical, harassment, and discrimination issues in the workplace. Attendees will be introduced to statistics, cases studies, and proactive strategies aimed at limiting workplace liability.
Optics and Leadership Outcomes
Perceptions of inequality are often the product of faulty service delivery models within an organization. Since managers and supervisors are tasked with the responsibility of creating agency-wide congruency of policy and practice, it’s crucial they capitalize on defining, communicating, and managing behaviors that fall short of agency values, policies, and its mission. In this course, participants will be introduced to effective management strategies that promote diversity and inclusion of internal/external stakeholders through case studies and group discussion.
Our Wellness, Our Responsibility
This course will familiarize staff with officer wellness concepts and illustrate effective techniques to promote physical, mental, and emotional health. Specifically, this course will cover: stress management; nutrition and exercise as enhancers of tolerance to fatigue; interpersonal relationships; alcohol and substance use; family relation dynamic and maintenance; vicarious trauma; code of conduct adherence (on/off duty); financial decision-making and overtime work; cultural acceptance and promotion of officer wellness; and goal-setting for successful and healthy careers in law enforcement.
POBR
This course is designed for line-level employees to gain a better understanding of the Public Safety Officer Procedural Bill of Rights (POBR). Students will be introduced to the procedural requirements under POBR; applicable statutes and case law; critical incident involvement; employee interview considerations; and Miranda and Lybarger admonishments. This course will also cover civil liability and penalties for departments and employees who violate POBR provisions.
Progressive Discipline for Supervisors
This course will introduce sworn and non-sworn probation personnel to the three phases of progressive discipline (preventive, corrective, and formal), specifically: elements of each phase; applicable MOU/Code of Conduct considerations; practical applications; and liability issues associated with each phase. Personnel will learn: appropriate supervisor course of action during each of the progressive discipline phases; union representation and POBR considerations; useful performance evaluation techniques; and recent developments in employment law through case law coverage/role-play.
Redefining Use-of-Force Paradigms through De-escalation
The evolution of the law enforcement profession, along with emerging legislative mandates, have placed great emphasis on de-escalation as a use-of-force imperative. Understanding the difference between non-coercive de-escalation and realistic de-escalation is an important concept for law enforcement officials to grasp. This course will introduce students to the foundational principles of de-escalation, cover actionable concepts through scenario-based discussion/debrief, and review the importance of law enforcement legitimacy and procedural justice. Respecting the value of all human life and dignity without prejudice to anyone is paramount for all law enforcement officials. Vesting officers with the authority to use reasonable force and to protect the public welfare requires monitoring, evaluation and a careful balancing of all interests.
Sexual Harassment – Choices and Consequences (Supervisors/Managers)
This is not the boring ‘check the box’ webinar you attended last year! Participants will engage a ‘live’ and interactive virtual session that covers applicable federal/state law, employee/employer liability, prevention strategies, and recommended practices (content is tailored to supervisors and managers).
Social Media Use – Legality and Liability
Social media has proven to be an invaluable tool for law enforcement investigations and casework, but has also exposed officers and agencies to criminal/civil liability, code of conduct violations, threats to safety, and resulted in community misconceptions about law enforcement work. This course will introduce sworn and non-sworn staff to liability associated with personal use of social media. The following topics will be covered: internet use (characteristics and culture); information availability online (personal and public records); First Amendment considerations; officer safety; negative effects of online activities on officer reputation/credibility, investigations, and case outcomes; civil/criminal liability; department and community relations; and existence/notification of department policy covering social media use.
Strategic Responses to Mental Health Crisis
Respecting the value of all human life and dignity without prejudice to anyone is paramount for all law enforcement officials. Vesting officers with the authority to use reasonable force and to protect the public welfare requires monitoring, evaluation, and a careful balancing of all interests. This course will increase the officer’s confidence and ability to articulate and assess an individual’s behavior who may be experiencing episodic mental distress and respond with effective resolution techniques. Effective controlling force techniques will be demonstrated and drilled lightly.
The 5 W’s of Internal Affairs
This course will familiarize front line-level employees with the Internal Affairs process. Course topics will include coverage of the Who, What, When, Where, and Why’s of internal affairs, including: purpose; administrative investigations; use-of-force; in-custody death investigations, and brief Peace Officer Bill of Rights.
Transfer Hearings and Probation
In this course, participants will examine the evolution of the WIC 707 Transfer Hearing and the critical role of the Transfer Hearing Report. Participants will explore the legal criteria for transfers, as well as draft transfer reports identifying behavioral patterns, social history, and victim input. Participants will evaluate the criteria to make an ultimate recommendation for or against transfer.
Trauma Resilience
This course will introduce attendees to Vicarious Trauma and its effects on: wellness; interpersonal relations; and assignment effectiveness. Attendees will gain an understanding of Vicarious Trauma, including: recognizing trauma exposure and initiating protective measures; managing interpersonal conflict that results from Vicarious Trauma; and creating personal strategies to overcome the effects of Vicarious Trauma.
Vertical, Lateral, and Whirlwind Communications in Probation
Communication barriers often breed hostile work environments, negatively affect casework objectives, compromise safety, and detrimentally affect probation officers’ well-being. This course highlights communication objectives in facilities/field supervision settings and equips personnel with effective techniques to navigate and positively manage varying needs. Specifically, officers will: understand the purpose of vertical and lateral communications; recognize environmental factors (physical/social) that positively and negatively affect communication; appreciate the importance of affective communication approaches to casework; and value the benefits of maintaining a positive work environment.
WIC 241.1 Reports
In this course, participants will review the procedure required under WIC 241.1 to create joint reports. Participants will identify Single and Dual Status jurisdiction, as well as which protocol is adhered to by their own jurisdictions. Participants will draft a 241.1 report by identifying necessary stakeholders, resources, and will evaluate investigative information to form an appropriate recommendation.