FLETC ournal Volume 13

Fall - Winter

2014

FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING CENTERS

 ARTESIA CHARLESTON CHELTENHAM GLYNCO 

J

National Summit on Preventing Multiple

Casualty Violence: A Call to Action

Page 15

Driving With Your Brain

Page 7
2 FLETCJ Fall - Winter 2014 Volume 13 

Foreword

Connie L. Patrick

Director, Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers

I am pleased to present this issue of the FLETC Journal, which centers on FLETC’s 

commitment to training excellence through partnerships. The collection of articles in this 

edition reflects the many ways partnerships enable FLETC to provide high quality training for 

our Nation’s law enforcement officers and agents. 

FLETC was founded on the premise that many agencies working together under a 

consolidated training model best serves both the law enforcement profession and taxpayers. 

This model offers partner agencies the flexibility to deliver training unique to their missions, 

while FLETC provides training in areas common to all law enforcement officers, such as 

firearms, driving, tactics, investigations, and legal issues. Moreover, FLETC provides one 

set of physical resources necessary for training. The result is that at a FLETC location, one federal agency builds 

and manages a cafeteria, gymnasium, library, training facilities, classrooms, computer laboratories, dormitories, 

and recreational facilities, which all federal partners utilize, rather than the Federal Government procuring and 

maintaining nearly 100 separate sets of facilities for each of the federal law enforcement agencies in the United 

States. 

Beyond the economic rationale for the consolidated training model, agencies also benefit from enhanced 

interoperability and higher quality training than would be possible if each of our more than 90 partners trained 

independently. For example, FLETC’s curriculum development and review process brings together experts from 

across the law enforcement community to share and vet ideas about training content and methodology. Like the 

peer review process in many professions, the healthy exchange of thoughts and concepts breeds thorough analysis of 

contemporary law enforcement issues and techniques and invokes beneficial change. FLETC training classes often 

comprise officers and agents from a variety of agencies, improving future interoperability in the performance of daily 

duties and during times of emergency. The consolidated training model leverages the significant role that training can 

play in fostering long-term collaborative mindsets and information-sharing capabilities in law enforcement officers 

from different agencies. 

This edition of the FLETC Journal demonstrates how these principles manifest themselves in our daily work and 

initiatives. You will read about our firearms instructor, use of force, driver training, and digital evidence programs, all 

products of the consolidated training model. This issue also features our Women in Law Enforcement Leadership 

Training Program, a program that demonstrates how partnering with the international law enforcement community 

has benefited females in the profession. Another article describes our new partnership with the Los Angeles Port 

Police, through which FLETC students are already benefitting from a west coast venue offering a host of exportable 

training programs. From the perspective of one of our federal partner agencies, Director of the Transportation 

Security Administration (TSA) Academy Dan Furlong shares his thoughts on the successful establishment of the 

TSA Training Academy and associated training programs at FLETC. 

Through external partnerships, FLETC engages with stakeholders on the most critical contemporary issues in 

law enforcement. In this edition of the Journal, we’ve highlighted our two-year partnership with the Department of 

Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services and the Johns Hopkins University to develop strategies for 

preventing multiple casualty violence. This Journal edition also features our successful partnership with local colleges 

and universities to offer FLETC students education credits for the completion of basic training programs. 

In his reflections on leadership, FLETC Assistant Director Bradley Smith observes how developing and sustaining 

collaborative and cooperative partnerships is an important principle for his every day work life. This extends to the 

whole FLETC enterprise and our partners, as we collectively realize that through joint efforts, organizations with 

distinct missions can more effectively tackle areas of common interest. I hope this issue of the Journal demonstrates 

how we try to do this each and every day at FLETC.

Connie L. Patrick

Cover: FLETC students for night driving training class park their cruisers on the driving range tarmac after an early evening rain shower.
www.fletc.gov 3

The Los Angeles Port Police Department partnered with the Federal

Law Enforcement Training Centers, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s

Department, the Los Angeles Police Department, and the Long Beach

Police Department to develop comprehensive maritime training for

state and local agencies.

For agencies looking for training curriculums for

new firearms instructors or refresher training for

current ones, FLETC offers two stellar programs

among its long list of advanced firearms programs,

the Firearms Instructor Training Program and the

Firearms Instructor Refresher Training Program.

USE OF

FORCE

Fall - Winter 2014 Volume 13

Law enforcement officers are

entrusted with the authority

to utilize appropriate force, if

reasonable, while enforcing

laws on behalf of society.

FLETCJ

LOS ANGELES REGIONAL

MARITIME LAW ENFORCEMENT

TRAINING CENTER EXPANDING

PARTNERSHIPS AND

OPPORTUNITIES WITH FLETC

45

21

2 Foreword 

5 Leadership 

7 Driving With Your Brain 

15 National Summits 

on Preventing Multiple 

Casualty Violence: A Call to 

Action 

25 FLETC Glynco 

Employees Volunteer for 

Local Search and Recovery 

Efforts 

29 Colleges and 

Universities Provide 

College Credit to FLETC 

Graduates 

30 FLETC Hosts Joint 

Peace Officers Memorial 

Ceremony 

32 Women in Law 

Enforcement Leadership 

Training Program 

35 Training for Reality 

39 Some Legal Aspects of 

Federal Emergency Vehicle 

Operations – “When things 

go wrong, who is liable...?” 

43 TSA Academy – Center 

of Learning 

11

FLETC TRAINS

THE TRAINER
4 FLETCJ Fall - Winter 2014 Volume 13 

The FLETC Journal is a law enforcement training 

magazine produced and published by the Federal 

Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC). It 

is produced, published, and printed through a joint 

collaboration with the Protocol and Communications 

Office and the Government Printing Office. The 

printed circulation is 2,000 and it is also available 

electronically on the FLETC website at http://www.

fletc.gov/about-fletc

The content of this publication is written in 

accordance with the guidelines of the Associated 

Press (AP) style. Views and opinions expressed in 

this publication are those of the authors, and do not 

necessarily reflect the FLETC training policy or 

doctrine. Articles, photographs, and other contributions 

are welcomed from the law enforcement training 

community and academia. Publication depends on 

general topical interest as judged by the editors. 

FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING CENTERS

FLETCJournal

DIRECTOR

Connie L. Patrick

EDITORIAL TEAM

GRAPHIC ART/DESIGN

Keith Gartman

PHOTOGRAPHY SUPPORT

David Tucker, Michael Taylor

Front Row (L-R): Alicia Gregory, Jen Tocco, Susan Thornton

Second Row: Carl Milazzo, Preston Farley, Dominick Braccio

Third Row: Bobby Masano, Ed McGuire, Karen Lane

Fourth Row: Ed Sizemore, William Norris, Kevin Miller

FAST FACTS

FLETC Domestic Training Sites: 

•	 Artesia, New Mexico 

•	 Charleston, South Carolina 

•	 Cheltenham, Maryland 

•	 Glynco, Georgia 

•	 LA Port, California 

Export Locations: 

State and Local Law Enforcement 

•	 Nationwide

International Law Enforcement Academies:

Academic, Operational and Program Support

•	 Bangkok, Thailand 

•	 Budapest, Hungary 

•	 Gaborone, Botswana 

•	 San Salvador, El Salvador 

International Training and Capacity Building Programs: 

•	 Delivered Worldwide 

Consolidation: Consolidation of law enforcement training 

permits the federal government to emphasize training excellence 

and cost-effectiveness. Professional instruction and practical 

application provide students with the skills and knowledge to 

meet the demanding challenges of a federal law enforcement 

career. They learn not only the responsibilities of a law 

enforcement officer, but through interaction with students from 

many other agencies, also become acquainted with the missions 

and duties of their colleagues. This interaction provides the 

foundation for a more cooperative federal law enforcement effort. 

Integrated Instructional Staff: The FLETC has assembled 

the finest professionals to serve on its faculty and staff. 

Approximately 50 percent of the instructors are permanent 

FLETC employees. The remaining instructional staff are federal 

officers and investigators on assignment from their parent 

organizations or recently retired from the field. The mix provides 

a balance of instructional experience and fresh insight.
www.fletc.gov 5

This is the second article in a new series that will feature FLETC leaders’ perspectives on various 

leadership principles. In this edition, Assistant Director Bradley W. Smith shares his thoughts on 

leadership.

Q. At this point in time, which leadership principle stands 

out to you as particularly important for government leaders?

I believe leaders need to demonstrate the behaviors they want 

their subordinates to emulate and to provide developmental 

opportunities for our staff to develop their skills to be 

successful in their current positions and competitive for higher 

responsibilities.

Q. What are some tactics you use to practice this principle 

in your daily work life? 

I strive to ensure my words and actions align, develop and 

sustain collaborative and cooperative partnerships internally 

and externally, value diversity of opinions and input, treat people with respect and to be 

inclusive, practice effective communications and listening skills, and focus on results.

Q. How do you ensure your organization and its activities are aligned with your “core 

values”?

I respond to and support the vision of leadership, communicate my expectations, 

demonstrate the desired professional behaviors and provide consistent messaging vertically 

and horizontally throughout the organization. I encourage staff to prepare for future 

opportunities by investing in being a life-long learner, participating on working groups 

and committees, actively engaging with innovative communities of interest, taking on 

challenging and complex projects, and by exercising personal integrity and leadership in 

everyday situations. 

Assistant Director Bradley W. Smith’s 

Reflections on Leadership
6 FLETCJ Fall - Winter 2014 Volume 13 

Q. What is one mistake you witness leaders making more frequently than others?

Leaders often do not make it a priority to engage with and inspire their staff. Leaders need 

to inspire staff by engaging them in the work environment, providing regular and objective 

feedback, acting on leadership and mentoring opportunities, and by fostering an environment 

for creativity and success. 

Q. Can you name someone who has had a tremendous impact on you as a leader?

The leadership style demonstrated by Ronald Reagan as the “Great Communicator” during 

his Presidency led the American people to focus on a common vision and a better future. 

President Reagan had a set of values-based principles that guided his actions and resulted in 

significant achievements even during challenging circumstances and political opposition.

Q. Do you have a favorite leadership quote?

“It is surprising what you can accomplish when no one is concerned about who gets the credit.” 

- Ronald Reagan, January 1989

Q. What are you doing to ensure you continue to grow and develop as a leader?

During my professional career, I have made it my goal to develop and enhance my 

knowledge, skills and abilities to be prepared to take advantage of and be successful given 

new opportunities. This development is a commitment to being a life-long learner through 

training, education and being an avid reader and student of leadership. Further, I believe that 

it is important to take on new challenges even if it is outside of your comfort zone in order to 

develop professional relationships, learn new skills and grow as a leader. This includes paying 

attention to world events, listening to the messaging from leadership, and acting on those 

priorities. 

Q. Why do you think partners are important to the FLETC mission?

FLETC has more than 90 federal partners participating in consolidated law enforcement 

training, allowing various agencies to leverage resources to the mutual benefit of the entire 

law enforcement community. The collaboration between law enforcement agents from 

differing agencies while training side-by-side encourages cooperation, sharing of information 

and resources, professionalism and integration of efforts from agents once they are in the 

field. Training together promotes inoperability through a common understanding of tactics, 

communication and authorities facilitating effective field operations and familiarity when 

working together in preventing, responding to and recovering from threats to the homeland.
www.fletc.gov 7

Driving With Your Brain

By Malcolm D. Adams

Although we drive vehicles with our hands on 

the steering wheel (and not on the phone while 

texting), one foot (not feet) on the brake or 

accelerator pedal, and our eyes on the roadway 

(frequently on the mirrors), the most important 

part we use to drive is our brain. 

www.fletc.gov 7
8 FLETCJ Fall - Winter 2014 Volume 13 

I know, I know... you are already saying “Most 

people I see behind the wheel of a vehicle are not 

using their brain at all and usually their head is in 

another location also...” And you are probably correct 

that there is little evidence that the normal driver 

engages their brain when driving daily. But to quote 

subject matter expert Mike Robbs, “Law enforcement 

driving is not normal driving.” How, then, should law 

enforcement officers be trained to drive? 

At FLETC, where Robbs is a branch chief, driving 

instructors use numerous teaching techniques to 

accomplish multi-tasking, distracted, informationoverload kind of driving. Law enforcement officers 

are required to make observations for suspects and 

crimes, be alert for missing persons, watch for traffic 

infractions, respond to laptop computer messages 

from dispatch, operate radar equipment, communicate 

by radio and cell phone, and perform a host of other 

“to do” tasks. For the past seven years, one of the 

tools FLETC has used to teach the decision-making 

techniques required for these officers is driving 

simulators.

What place do driving simulators have in law 

enforcement training? Some say we should use them 

because they are the latest in technology and can save 

time and money. Others don’t want to do anything 

differently than what they have done for the past 

20-30 years. But, the Department of Defense and 

the airline industry have proven simulators enhance 

performance skills tremendously. For example, 

Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger’s simulator 

training may have played a part in his life-saving 

efforts during the 2009 landing of U.S. Airways Flight 

1549 in the Hudson River. Could driving simulators 

save officers’ lives because they practiced making good 

decisions on a simulator? 

Benefits of Simulators

There are definite benefits to using driver simulators 

in law enforcement training. One example is using 

these high-tech machines to enhance driving skills by 

training your brain to avoid collisions when presented 

with scenarios too dangerous to practice in any other 

venue. The simulators can show the consequences of 

8 FLETCJ Fall - Winter 2014 Volume 13 

Simulators enhance driving skills by training your brain to avoid collisions when presented to the student in scenarios too dangerous to practice in 

any venue.
www.fletc.gov 9

being involved in an accident. Agencies across the U.S. 

are spending large amounts of money in negligence 

lawsuits.

FLETC requires students who crash vehicles in 

the simulator lab to immediately call the dispatcher 

(instructor) and report the crash and whether medical 

assistance may be needed. In the After Action Review, 

students must answer the following questions: 

•	 What other reports are required? (Statement of 

driver, driver exchange, agency driving report, and 

others.) 

•	 What is the result of the crash investigation if 

found liable? Not liable? 

•	 Is the assigned vehicle out of service while being 

repaired? Is there another vehicle available to 

drive? 

The driving simulators replicate numerous types of 

vehicles, driving areas, traffic conditions, distractions, 

unsafe circumstances, and weather. They save lives, 

fuel, and wear and tear on equipment when compared 

with traditional driver training. The simulators are 

even more helpful with unseasoned drivers assisting 

drivers with standard emergency vehicle operations 

and learning laws and policies.

Consider the Numbers

According to the Officer Down Memorial 

Page (www.odmp.org), 41 officers were killed in 

traffic-related crashes in the line of duty in 2013. 

Unfortunately, so far in 2014, deaths from auto-related 

crashes or pursuits are up 33 percent.

The National Highway Traffic Safety 

Administration published a 28-year study, in January 

2011 of law enforcement personnel killed in the line 

of duty involving automobiles. More than 1,400 

officers were killed in automobile related accidents. 

Forty-two percent of them were not wearing seatbelts. 

Automobile deaths outnumbered all other types of 

deaths. 

The California Commission on Peace Officer 

Standards and Training published a 15-year study and 

found accidents were reduced by 10 percent if range 

driving is combined with cognitive driving through 

simulations. The Utah POST Emergency Vehicle 

Operations Training Program showed a 67 percent 

reduction in intersection errors among students 

receiving simulation training. Effective simulation 

training measurably and substantially reduces the 

number of real-life law enforcement officer vehicle 

crashes. The Winnipeg Police Service study showed 

a 29 percent reduction in on-duty collisions over 12 

months when simulation was used in Emergency 

Vehicle Operations training.

At FLETC, students enrolled in the three basic 

law enforcement programs - Criminal Investigator 

Training Program, the Land Management Police 

Training Program, and the Uniform Police Training 

Program - recognize the value of driver simulator 

training. An evaluation of more than 1,000 federal, 

state, and local students showed that 96 percent 

rated the program as either: excellent, very good, or 

good. This is another validation for simulators that 

the military and airline industry have been using for 

decades.

Instructing With Simulators

Instruction for simulators is fundamentally the same 

as other law enforcement training. There must be clear 

and detailed terminal performance objectives (overall 

goal) and enabling performance objectives (how to 

get to the goal). The primary difference in simulator 

instruction is the incorporation of the simulator 

www.fletc.gov 9

Driving simulators replicate various vehicles, driving areas, traffic

conditions, and weather.
10 FLETCJ Fall - Winter 2014 Volume 13 

technology into the lesson plans and a review 

process (written test, after-action review, practical 

exercise, etc.) to determine whether students met the 

objectives.

FLETC develops simulation scenarios to fit the 

criteria for specific training programs. For example, 

criminal investigators use a scenario with unmarked 

vehicles, while land management officers use a 

scenario driving high center of gravity vehicles in a 

rural setting.

To be as effective as possible in this type of training, 

FLETC selects instructors with particular attributes. 

This includes “buy-in” to simulator technology, 

computer awareness, ability to use technology in 

teaching points, experience in driving instruction, and 

the ability to observe and evaluate students who may 

be uncomfortable because of Simulator Adaptation 

Syndrome (SAS).

Occasionally, the technology of simulation training 

creates physical discomfort in the form of SAS which, 

although feels much like motion sickness, is actually 

an attempt by the brain to understand what the eyes 

are seeing, but the body does not feel (inertia of 

braking, cornering, acceleration, and pulling of the 

seat belt when stopping).

 FLETC has been successful in reducing SAS in 

many students using simulators. Training starts with 

learning to drive in a straight line at slow speeds. 

Then the complexity of the scenarios increases, which 

acclimates the student to the equipment. Other 

techniques to combat SAS are:

•	 Wearing optometrist grade sunglasses to prevent 

motion of peripheral vision;

•	 Keeping the laboratory cool;

•	 Driving short scenarios with limited movements 

and turns;

•	 Conducting After Action Reviews after each 

scenario, which allows instructors to evaluate the 

physical condition of each student;

•	 Providing frequent breaks for hydration and fresh 

air;

•	 Requiring radio calls and other interactions to 

eliminate the focus on SAS.

•	 In the end, the main goal of simulator training 

is to teach the student to make good decisions 

while driving, and allows them to train their 

brain through repetition. The more we practice, 

the more we respond effectively under the stress 

of law enforcement driving. 

Malcolm Adams has 

14 years experience 

at FLETC in 

developing, revising, 

and delivering federal 

law enforcement 

training. He 

currently serves as 

the Division Chief 

for the Inspection 

and Compliance 

Division where 

he manages the assessing and evaluating of 

internal compliance for FLETC work units. 

These inspection areas include directives, 

accreditation, training accident investigations, 

special inventories, and inspections. He also 

served in the Driver and Marine Division, 

Behavioral Science Division, and the State, 

Local, and Tribal Division. Adams has 

more than 40 years of law enforcement 

experience in operations and training. During 

his 27 years with the Jacksonville (Fla.) 

Sheriff ’s Office, he held positions in patrol, 

investigations, supervision, public affairs, 

community policing, stress management, 

and crisis/hostage negotiations before his 

retirement. Adams earned a bachelor of 

science degree from Florida State University 

and is a certified instructor for Florida and 

the federal government. He enjoys offshore 

fishing, boating, spending time with his family 

(especially grandchildren), and his church.
www.fletc.gov 11

Use of Force

By Brad Lawrence

The law enforcement profession is different in many ways from other career fields. One key distinction is 

that law enforcement officers (LEOs) are entrusted with the authority to utilize appropriate force on people, if 

reasonable, while enforcing laws on behalf of society. Along with this authority comes great responsibility, so it 

is vital that LEOs are thoroughly trained in both the technical application of and, perhaps more importantly, 

the decision-making process underlying the decision to use force against a suspect. FLETC has recognized 

and accepted that training challenge by developing, delivering, and maintaining a comprehensive, multifaceted, 

constitutionally-based use of force training program.

FLETC trains basic law enforcement students from most of its 90+ partner agencies along with advanced 

students from federal, state, local, tribal, and international agencies. FLETC use of force training is based on 

the Fourth Amendment and the U.S. Supreme Court cases of Graham v. Connor1 and Scott v. Harris2, and is a 

highly integrated, joint effort between instructors from the Enforcement Operations Division and those from 

the Legal Division. As we will see shortly, however, FLETC’s robust use of force program is made possible via 

strong support from other divisions, FLETC field sites, and partner organizations. 

 1Graham v Connor, 490 U.S. 386, 109 S. Ct. 1865 (1989).

 2Scott v. Harris, 127 S. Ct. 1769 (2007).

A Use of Force Instructor Training Program student responds to an assault with a hammer during use of force articulation drills.
12 FLETCJ Fall - Winter 2014 Volume 13 

because FLETC teaches more than 90 partner 

organizations plus many state and local agencies. It is 

not feasible to teach (or even to know) these disparate 

policies, so it remains up to each agency to instruct 

their students on its specific policy. FLETC teaches 

an agency might have a policy that is more restrictive 

than the constitutional standard, and violating the 

policy could subject officers to administrative sanctions 

or discipline. Still, students will be better prepared 

to comply with their agencies’ policies when they 

understand the constitutional authority justifying 

force. FLETC teaches students that courts will apply 

the Fourth Amendment standards regardless of their 

agency policy, while their agencies may administratively 

sanction them for policy violations. 

Immediately following the legal instruction, basic 

students receive an additional four hour lecture from 

an enforcement operations instructor. Instructors 

reinforce the legal training students 

just received, explaining there 

is a range of reasonable force 

options available in a given 

situation—there is 

very rarely only 

one right answer. 

Students are given 

“The program has improved through partner agencies’ feedback and participation in the 

curriculum review process, which helps ensure its continued place at the forefront of the use 

of force training field.” 

Students in FLETC’s basic training programs 

receive a two-hour block on the legal aspects of use of 

force from an attorney/advisor who is a FLETC legal 

instructor. This session comes on the second day of 

training and students learn that a LEO’s use of force 

will be judged by the objectively reasonable standard 

required by the Supreme Court in Graham and 

Scott. The students are also taught that the objective 

reasonableness of their actions will be judged based on 

the totality of the circumstances known to them at the 

time force was used, and without the benefit of 20/20 

hindsight. Therefore, students are taught the critical 

importance of articulating the factual basis underlying a 

use of force encounter rather than relying on subjective 

opinions or conclusions. For example, an officer’s 

report stating, “After I told him he was under arrest, 

the suspect told me that he would fight me rather than 

go back to jail, then widened his stance, put his right 

foot back at a 45 degree angle, bent his knees slightly 

to lower his center of gravity, and raised both clenched 

fists up near his face in a boxing stance” paints a much 

clearer, more factual picture than, “I told the suspect he 

was under arrest and he assumed an assaultive posture.” 

FLETC limits the use of force instruction to the 

applicable legal standards instead of agency policy 

Enforcement Operations Division Instructor Ken Tassie explains the

operation of an Airsoft training weapon to Use of Force Instructor 

Training Program students.

Students interact with a role player holding a crowbar during a use of 

force scenario.
www.fletc.gov 13

examples of force that could have been unreasonable 

either because the officer was more aggressive or 

hesitated more than necessary. Students are also taught 

the human performance factors that explain why an 

officer may react to a stressful situation in ways that 

may not be expected, like memory loss and sensory 

distortion. They are also presented with the results from 

scientific studies on action vs. reaction times, which 

highlights the importance of being proactive rather 

than reactive.

Throughout the training program each student will be 

required to perform in numerous realistic scenarios with 

role players using non-lethal training ammunition. Both 

legal and enforcement operations trainers participate 

to reinforce a consistent training message. Utilizing a 

building block approach, this starts with tightly scripted 

fragmentation drills, familiarizing students with the 

mechanics and mindset of actually employing force 

against another person. Students progress to more 

loosely scripted drills requiring the use of judgment 

to select an appropriate force option against the threat 

facing them. Finally, students are placed in several 

scenarios with role players, and are required to factually 

articulate the use of the force option they chose, both 

verbally and in writing.

Although the Enforcement Operations and Legal 

Divisions are primarily responsible for delivering the 

use of force program, much of its success is due to 

the collaboration of other FLETC divisions whose 

instructors continually reinforce the principles taught 

by the instructors of both divisions. For example, 

during Physical Techniques Division drills, students 

may be required to articulate the factual basis for 

choosing a particular force option. Firearms Division 

and Counterterrorism Division instructors will have 

students explain why they decided to use a firearm 

during a scenario, and students participating in the 

Behavioral Science Division’s Conflict Management 

labs will gain valuable practice by describing to their 

instructor the objective basis for taking the actions they 

took in a scenario. This continual reinforcement of use of 

force concepts, from the first week of training through 

the last, helps to ensure that students receive consistent 

training during their time at FLETC regardless of the 

training division presenting the course material.

Not only do several divisions support and reinforce 

the use of force concepts students learn during the first 

days of their training, but the FLETC partner agencies 

provide valuable input into the program. During both 

basic and advanced program Curriculum Review 

Conferences, partner agencies periodically reassess their 

training needs and ensure that the FLETC use of force 

program continues to deliver training that meets those 

needs. The program has improved through partner 

agencies’ feedback and participation in the curriculum 

review process, which helps ensure its continued place at 

the forefront of the use of force training field. 

“... the interdivisional cooperation and 

partner agency participation provide 

benefits.” 

A Use of Force Instructor Training Program student goes “hands on”

during use of force articulation drills.

A Use of Force Instructor Training Program student responds to an

assault with a knife during use of force articulation drills.
14 FLETCJ Fall - Winter 2014 Volume 13 

Instructor training is important too, and FLETC 

developed and conducts a Use of Force Instructor 

Training Program for FLETC instructors; partner 

organization instructors; and state, local, tribal, and 

territorial instructors. The intensive two-week program 

addresses law, tactics, human performance factors, 

scenario-based training development and student 

evaluation methodology, among other topics. Earning an 

instructor certificate in the instructor program requires 

the successful completion of a written exam, oral board, 

and 50-minute presentation on a use of force topic. The 

instructor program incorporates the very latest in the 

rapidly expanding human performance field, and the 

curriculum is continually updated as new research is 

conducted and evaluated. Here too the interdivisional 

cooperation and partner agency participation provide 

benefits. Prior graduates of the instructor program from 

multiple FLETC divisions participate in evaluating 

the oral board portion of the program, and are often 

assigned to help run various labs and exercises during 

the program. This blending of instructors from across 

FLETC divisions and partner agencies helps to further 

ensure that training is consistent and serves as a valuable 

refresher for the instructors. 

“... blending of instructors from across FLETC divisions and partner agencies helps to 

further ensure that training is consistent and serves as a valuable refresher for the instructors.” 

Case law, law enforcement technology, and insight 

into how human beings perform under stress are 

constantly evolving and advancing. Thanks to the 

dedication and passion of FLETC and partner agency 

instructors toward the mission of keeping officers 

and agents safe, FLETC’s use of force program will 

continue to keep pace with new developments to best 

serve current and future generations of LEOs.

Brad Lawrence 

began working 

for FLETC in 

2005, and is a 

branch chief in 

the Enforcement 

Operations 

Division’s Practical Applications Branch, which 

is responsible for the practical evaluations for 

FLETC basic training programs and use of 

force training for basic and advanced programs. 

Lawrence also worked for the FLETC Physical 

Techniques and Legal divisions. While in the 

Legal Division, he served as the topical area expert 

on use of force. Lawrence’s career began in 1988 as 

a police officer in Oklahoma, then as an inspector 

with the legacy Immigration and Naturalization 

Service. In 1992, he joined the U.S. Park Police 

as a patrol officer in the San Francisco field office, 

where he served on the Special Event Team and 

was a field training instructor. While he was with 

the Park Police, Lawrence earned a law degree 

from the University of San Francisco School of 

Law. He was admitted to the California bar and 

spent five years on active duty as a Judge Advocate 

with the U.S. Air Force. Lawrence remains in the 

Air Force Reserve, and is currently the Staff Judge 

Advocate for the 927th Air Refueling Wing at 

MacDill Air Force Base in Florida.

EOD Senior Instructor Bryan Feeney briefs Use of Force Instructor

Training Program students on how to conduct use of force drills.
National Summits on

Preventing Multiple Casualty Violence:

A Call to Action

This article provides an overview of the series of National Summits on Preventing 

Multiple Casualty Violence, a joint initiative of the Department of Homeland Security’s 

Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers, the Department of Justice’s Office of 

Community Oriented Policing Services, and the Johns Hopkins University’s School 

of Education. This multi-year effort aimed to advance the Nation’s ability to prevent 

horrific acts of multiple casualty violence that have alarmed the public and shattered 

the peace of American communities. Reports on the National Summits can be found at 

https://www.fletc.gov/publications/summits-on-preventing-multiple-causality-violence/.

www.fletc.gov 15

By Jennifer Tocco

Angel Memorial for the 26 victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. (Photo: © 2012, by Gina Jacobs)
16 FLETCJ Fall - Winter 2014 Volume 13 

On July 20, 2012, the commonplace act of going 

to the movies ended in horror for dozens of 

people in Aurora, Colo. As had happened when 

two teenagers killed 13 students and teachers 

at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo., 

in 1999, and again when a college student 

opened fire killing 33 people at Virginia Tech 

in 2007, violence shocked the American public, 

who collectively asked how such senseless acts 

could occur in typically peaceful communities. 

In the midst of the Nation’s mourning in the 

summer of 2012, the Department of Homeland 

Security’s Federal Law Enforcement Training 

Centers (FLETC) began partnering with the 

Department of Justice’s Office of Community 

Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) and 

the Johns Hopkins University’s ( JHU) School of 

Education to explore strategies for addressing this 

issue of increasing public alarm.

FLETC, the COPS Office, and JHU understood 

that much had been done, especially since 

Columbine, to address the law enforcement 

tactical response to active threat situations. 

However, they realized that experts had only 

scratched the surface regarding what communities 

can do to help prevent such tragedies from 

ever reaching the point of violence. They also 

immediately acknowledged that a “silo” approach 

to prevention could never work, but rather, that a 

cross-section of stakeholders from a wide variety 

of disciplines have expertise and roles relevant to 

helping prevent these horrific events. 

The partners’ initial efforts resulted in the National 

Summit on Multiple Casualty Shootings, which 

occurred at FLETC’s headquarters in Glynco, 

Ga., Dec. 11–13, 2012. Experts from numerous 

disciplines including law enforcement, health 

care, law, social sciences, education, and academia 

came together to discuss, debate, and build 

consensus on potential strategies for preventing 

multiple casualty violence. Participants included 

local leaders whose communities endured tragic 

incidents, academics who have done significant 

work relevant to this topic, attorneys 

with expertise in healthand education-related 

and privacy laws, 

and mental health, 

educational, and 

law enforcement 

practitioners who 

could potentially 

interact with 

troubled 

individuals in 

the course of their 

everyday jobs. Summit 

participants developed 

eight recommendations, all 

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State 

University held a candlelight vigil on the 

Drillfield on April 16, 2010, as a Day of 

Remembrance to commemorate the tragedy that 

occurred there just three years earlier when a gunman 

killed 32 students and faculty and injured 23 others.

National Summits on Preventing Multiple Casualty Violence: A Call to Action
www.fletc.gov 17

of which focused on the need to develop a 

strategic approach to information-sharing in the 

prevention of multiple casualty violence: 

•	 Maintain a multidisciplinary focus on 

preventing escalation toward a violent act.

•	 Identify and promote the use of 

interdisciplinary models designed to 

prevent multiple casualty incidents through 

threat assessment and intervention.

•	 Develop a public service campaign with a 

focus on the identification and notification 

of potential threats to begin a cultural shift 

toward the acceptability of reporting.

•	 Better educate health care practitioners; 

school administrators, faculty, and staff; 

and law enforcement professionals about 

the Health Insurance Portability and 

Accountability Act (HIPAA), the Family 

Educational Rights and Privacy Act 

(FERPA), and the Privacy Act to alleviate 

misperceptions or perceived barriers to 

sharing information across disciplines. 

•	 Draft a model statute establishing 

affirmative requirements for pertinent 

professions to report bona fide indicators of 

potentially violent behavior. 

•	 Use technology to create a mechanism 

for anonymously reporting indicators of 

potentially violent behavior and sending 

alerts about incidents.

•	 Enhance existing resources to develop 

a national, searchable database of 

information/intelligence pertaining to 

individual behavior that is indicative of 

escalation toward a violent act, and facilitate 

the sharing of such information across 

jurisdictional boundaries.

•	 Draft a model statute providing limited 

liability for citizens who report indicators 

of potentially violent behavior. 

Significantly, these recommendations served as 

a springboard for future efforts. However, it is 

critical to note that participants in later summits 

challenged, refuted, and refined some of these 

recommendations. Moreover, although FLETC, 

the COPS Office, and JHU used terminology 

related specifically to shootings while planning 

the first summit, the dialogue that occurred 

over the three-day event was not specific to any 

particular weapon. Therefore, summit planners 

modified language associated with subsequent 

efforts to be nonspecific on weapon of choice. 

This solidified the partners’ commitment to 

focusing on the events leading up to acts of 

violence, rather than the act itself and the 

response to it. Sadly, the first summit concluded 

only one day prior to the shocking attack at 

Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, 

Conn., – a tragic reminder of the urgency to 

continue efforts to protect communities from 

such violence.

The first summit laid the groundwork for 

further work on refining prevention strategies, 

and led FLETC, the COPS Office, and JHU 

to specifically focus on the need to improve 

information sharing among the various 

Summit participants separated into breakout groups to develop a

strategic approach for information-sharing in the prevention of

multiple casualty violence.
18 FLETCJ Fall - Winter 2014 Volume 13 

professional communities positioned to 

help prevent multiple casualty violence. The 

second summit, titled the National Summit 

on Preventing Multiple Casualty Violence: 

Strategic Approaches to Information Sharing, 

occurred at FLETC’s headquarters April 9 – 

11, 2013. This summit again brought together 

stakeholders from multiple disciplines, this 

time organized across three domains related to 

information-sharing. 

One breakout group focused on 

spreading awareness among 

professional communities and 

the general public on how 

to recognize indicators 

of potential violence 

and how to share 

information across 

disciplines. A second 

group addressed 

the various legal 

issues related to 

sharing information 

about people 

exhibiting potentially 

troubling behavior. 

These discussions 

centered on alleviating 

misperceptions about 

limits imposed by existing 

laws, such as the Health 

Insurance Portability 

and Accountability 

Act (HIPAA) and the 

Family Educational 

Rights and Privacy Act 

(FERPA), developing 

model statutes designed 

to protect those who report, and facilitating 

reporting by those in pertinent professions. 

A third group explored the identification of 

effective interdisciplinary models intended to 

prevent multiple casualty incidents through 

threat assessment and intervention. 

The second summit’s focus on improving 

information-sharing across disciplinary 

boundaries led participants to center their 

discussions on community-based approaches 

to prevention. To be specific, the summit 

highlighted the opportunities to be found 

in expanding the use of community-based 

intervention models that rely on crossdisciplinary information-sharing. 

Summit participants highlighted barriers 

to information-sharing, including 

reluctance to report on the part of 

individuals in both personal 

and professional capacities, 

inconsistencies inherent 

in a decentralized 

law enforcement 

framework, crossdisciplinary 

communication 

issues, and 

perceived legal 

roadblocks. A key 

to overcoming these 

challenges is effective 

development and 

implementation 

of community-level 

information sharing 

models. Moreover, summit 

participants observed 

that well before a 

person reaches the 

point of committing 

an act of multiple 

casualty violence, 

numerous institutions 

have interacted 

with that individual throughout his or her 

life, such as teachers, social workers, and 

colleagues. Determining a mechanism through 

which various community institutions can 

communicate and collaborate across disciplinary 

boundaries is critical to avoid missing 

opportunities for information sharing.

National Summits on Preventing Multiple Casualty Violence: A Call to Action

When FLETC, the COPS Office, and JHU began planning the

summit series in 2012, they developed a five-part prevention model

that conveys the essential components of multiple casualty violence

prevention.
www.fletc.gov 19

Following the second summit, FLETC, the 

COPS Office, and JHU recognized that 

community oriented policing provides a 

useful framework for analyzing how to turn 

the themes and concepts that emerged over 

the three-days into action steps to advance 

prevention. According to the COPS Office, 

community oriented policing is “a philosophy 

that promotes organizational strategies that 

support the systematic use of partnerships 

and problem-solving techniques to proactively 

address the immediate conditions that give 

rise to public safety issues such as crime, social 

disorder, and fear of crime.” At the second 

summit, participants discussed strategies 

associated with community oriented policing 

that could be incorporated into prevention 

efforts. Training law enforcement officers on 

community-based approaches and reenergizing 

a philosophical commitment to the principles 

of community oriented policing emerged as 

opportunities for institutionalizing communitybased approaches to preventing multiple 

casualty violence. 

The first summit revealed gaps in informationsharing among the various disciplines 

positioned to help prevent multiple casualty 

violence. The second summit demonstrated the 

significance of sharing information specifically 

across community-level stakeholders. Together, 

the first two summits pointed to the need for a 

practical framework for individual communities 

to develop, implement, and sustain prevention 

strategies. As the summit planners evaluated 

next steps, they observed a need to translate 

the themes, concepts, and recommendations 

from the first two summits into a practical tool 

a community could use to operationalize and 

institutionalize prevention strategies. Thus, 

FLETC, the COPS Office, and JHU planned 

a third and final summit with a goal to develop 

an outline of a multiple casualty violence 

prevention toolkit adaptable to individual 

communities. 

The final summit occurred Feb. 4-6, 2014, once 

again at FLETC’s headquarters in Glynco, Ga. 

Throughout the three-day summit, participants 

identified, defined, and refined the major 

elements of a multiple casualty prevention 

toolkit. They described tools associated with 

community self-assessments, informationsharing models, a media campaign/national 

branding, training, resources, and guidelines 

documents. While summit participants largely 

agreed that most communities would have use 

for tools associated with these broad elements, 

they strongly believed that the actual content 

of the toolkit should be customizable and 

scalable to individual community needs and 

characteristics.

The third summit also featured discussion 

about the need for leadership and advocacy for 

developing, implementing, and sustaining the 

toolkit. Summit participants observed that while 

monetary resources and overall advocacy might 

come from national level organizations, and 

possibly public / private partnerships, “boots on 

the ground” leadership at the local level will be 

necessary for effective operationalization and 

institutionalization of prevention strategies. 

The next critical step is for a federal entity 

interested in this issue to develop a solicitation 

for development of the toolkit, which would 

Deputy Director Ken Keene welcomes participants to FLETC’s

second National Summit on Preventing Multiple Casualty

Violence.
20 FLETCJ Fall - Winter 2014 Volume 13 

encompass developing, implementing, and 

sustaining prevention strategies over the long 

term. 

The partnership FLETC, the COPS Office, and 

JHU forged demonstrates how organizations 

with distinct missions can more effectively 

tackle areas of common interest when they 

work collectively. In addition, the summits 

themselves demonstrate the power to be found 

when organizations with different objectives 

cross traditional boundaries to engage in 

meaningful discussions about important issues 

in which all have a stake. Despite challenges 

that can arise when professional communities 

with different policies, procedures, jargon, and 

primary missions come together to interact 

about a mutual concern, the summit series’ 

approach of facilitating cross-disciplinary 

dialogue demonstrated that opening lines of 

communication is a significant step in finding 

commonalities and progressing toward shared 

goals. 

The series of national summits on preventing 

multiple casualty violence concluded with 

participants’ passionate commitment to 

returning to their home communities with 

fresh ideas to immediately begin improving 

information-sharing and cross-disciplinary 

communication. The overarching theme of all 

three summits was the necessity of engagement 

and leadership at the local level with support 

from federal stakeholders. A summit participant 

who is an official from a large city expressed his 

intention to return home and take action, stating 

to a suburban police chief who experienced 

one of our Nation’s most horrific incidents of 

multiple casualty violence, “Hopefully, I’ll be 

able to do something for my city to channel the 

Jennifer Tocco began 

her civil service career 

in 2008, and currently 

serves as a management 

and program analyst in 

the Director’s Office. 

She previously held 

positions in the Office of 

State and Local Training 

and the Rural Policing 

Institute. Prior to moving to Georgia, Ms. 

Tocco worked in the nonprofit and academic 

sectors. 

While completing her graduate studies, 

Tocco served as a research fellow at the 

Rutgers Graduate School of Education’s 

Center for Educational Policy Analysis. She 

holds a Bachelor of Arts with a double major 

in political science and history from Drew 

University, a Master of Education degree with 

a focus on educational policy and qualitative 

research methods from Rutgers University, 

and a Master of Public Administration 

degree from Valdosta State University. She 

also completed all doctoral coursework in 

educational policy while at Rutgers.

right people to avoid the terrible tragedy that I 

can see in your eyes that you went through.”

Participants recognized that tragedies may still 

happen. However, as the third summit concluded, 

the general sentiment was that simply doing 

something will “create good” in communities, 

even with unintended benefits. As the police chief 

who experienced such tremendous loss stated, 

“We only have to prevent one.”

“The partnership FLETC, the COPS Office, and JHU forged demonstrates how 

organizations with distinct missions can more effectively tackle areas of common 

interest when they work collectively.”

National Summits on Preventing Multiple Casualty Violence: A Call to Action
www.fletc.gov 21

By Terry Benjestorf

Los Angeles Regional Maritime 

Law Enforcement Training Center

Expanding Partnerships and 

Opportunities with FLETC

www.fletc.gov 21

LA Port Police SAFE Boat.

(Photo courtesy of the Port of Los Angeles.)
22 FLETCJ Fall - Winter 2014 Volume 13 

Department to develop comprehensive maritime 

training for state and local agencies. The first 

result of this collaboration was the Basic Maritime 

Officer’s Course, a challenging two-week program 

certified by the California Commission on Peace 

Officer Standards and Training. The Los Angeles 

Regional Maritime Law Enforcement Training 

Center (MLETC) offered its first Basic Maritime 

Officer’s Course in April 2011, and has run nearly 

30 more since then, all receiving rave reviews from 

students.

On February 26, 2014, FLETC Director Connie 

Patrick signed a Memorandum of Understanding 

(MOU) between FLETC and MLETC. The 

purpose of the MOU is to establish a cooperative 

relationship between FLETC and MLETC “to 

develop training standards and strategies for the 

protection of America’s waterways and ports, 

provide access to a law enforcement marine 

training facility, and provide law enforcement 

training opportunities for federal, state, local, tribal, 

and other law enforcement agencies.” Pursuant 

to the MOU, FLETC also assigned a Senior 

Instructor/Regional Training Coordinator to the 

MLETC. 

With an MOU and a Regional Coordinator in 

place, the synergy between FLETC and MLETC 

and the Los Angeles Regional Maritime Law 

Enforcement Training Center is even stronger. 

Partnership History

The safety and security of America’s ports and 

waterways have always been important, but they’ve 

become an even greater concern due to the ongoing 

threat of terrorism. In addition to putting lives 

and property at risk, the successful terrorist could 

impact our Nation’s economy by disrupting a major 

port or waterway.

Law enforcement agencies have been working 

diligently to improve their effectiveness at 

combatting terrorism. When grant funding was 

available, they added, upgraded and/or replaced 

their facilities, vessels, and equipment. However, 

many agencies continue to suffer budget cutbacks, 

and since grant funding rarely covers personnel 

costs, most remain focused on minimizing staff 

reductions. Training budgets were not immune 

and continue to be severely impacted as well. 

Furthermore, there was limited availability of 

maritime training for local law enforcement.

In 2009, the Los Angeles Port Police Department 

partnered with the Federal Law Enforcement 

Training Centers (FLETC), the Los Angeles 

County Sheriff ’s Department, the Los Angeles 

Police Department, and the Long Beach Police 

The Los Angeles Regional Maritime Law Enforcement Training 

Center Front Entrance.

An aerial view of the Port of Los Angeles, California. (Photo courtesy 

of the Port of Los Angeles.)
www.fletc.gov 23

FLETC’s State, Local, and Tribal Division is better 

positioned to provide a wide variety of fast, flexible, 

and focused training to the law enforcement 

professionals who protect our homeland. 

As a direct result of the successful partnership 

between FLETC and MLETC students now enjoy 

a west coast venue for a host of exportable courses, 

including the Law Enforcement First Responder 

and Active Shooter Threat training programs.

Setting

The beautifully renovated MLETC is located 

within the Port of Los Angeles, also known as 

“America’s Port.” The Los Angeles/Long Beach 

port complex processes thousands of ships every 

year, containing hundreds of billions of dollars in 

merchandise and representing more than 46% of 

the goods shipped to America. 

In addition to the commercial vessel traffic, the 

ports are home to several recreational marinas, 

waterside restaurants and shopping, and the U.S. 

Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach. 

The beautiful Santa Catalina Island, located 

approximately 26 miles southwest of the port, is a 

popular tourist spot and the only one of the eight 

Channel Islands to be inhabited. Needless to say, 

the environment offers an endless array of training 

opportunities for maritime students.

The construction of the training center, as 

well as the purchase of the training vessels and 

equipment, was made possible through Department 

of Homeland Security Port Security Grants. The 

design of the facility and selection of the training 

platforms were also a collaborative effort. 

The Maritime Center staff called upon their 

considerable maritime experience, as well as their 

visits to the FLETC Glynco and Charleston sites, 

and their close relationship with Glynco’s Marine 

Training Branch staff, to assist them with classroom 

layout and equipment selection.

The primary training vessel is a 28-foot center 

console manufactured by the same company 

selected to replace the U.S. Coast Guard’s Response 

Boat Small fleet.

“As a direct result of the successful partnership between FLETC and MLETC 

students now enjoy a west coast venue for a host of exportable courses, including the 

Law Enforcement First Responder and Active Shooter Threat training programs.”

The dock area of the Los Angeles Regional Maritime Law 

Enforcement Training Center. (Photo courtesy of the Port of Los 

Angeles.)

A Maritime Law Enforcement Training Center classroom.
24 FLETCJ Fall - Winter 2014 Volume 13 

They feature aluminum hulls, solid foam 

collars, fully integrated navigation systems, shock 

mitigating seats, and are powered by twin Honda 

225-horsepower outboards. In addition, the 

training center has two 28-foot Rigid Inflatable 

Boats for use as adversary platforms.

Training Programs

The Basic Maritime Officer’s Course has 

generated a great deal of interest among local, state, 

and federal agencies, and the enthusiasm has not 

been limited to law enforcement. The Maritime 

Center staff worked with local fire departments 

to deliver 40-hour boat operator courses for their 

fireboat crews. They’ve also worked with the U.S. 

Army’s Civil Support Group to assist them with 

their maritime mission readiness effort. 

The Basic Maritime Officer’s Course is based on 

FLETC’s four-week Marine Law Enforcement 

Training Program and effectively bridges the gap 

between that program and the week-long Inland 

Boat Operator Training Program. Consequently, 

FLETC is evaluating the Basic Maritime Officer’s 

Course for inclusion into its course catalog.

In addition to the locally developed courses, 

FLETC is now offering the Boat Operator AntiTerrorism Training and Electronic Navigation 

Training Program at the MLETC. The courses are 

being taught by local law enforcement instructors 

who’ve been fully trained and certified by FLETC. 

Staff

The MLETC has been fortunate to attract, select, 

and retain some of the finest instructors from 

the Los Angeles Port Police, Los Angeles Police 

Department, Long Beach Police Department, 

San Diego Harbor Police, and the Los Angeles 

County Sheriff ’s Department. These well respected 

maritime law enforcement professionals not only 

possess the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities, 

but they have a true passion for sharing it with 

their students. 

For more information about training at the LA 

Port contact Terry Benjestorf at: 300 E. Water 

Street, Wilmington, Calif., 90720, or call 310-221-

4749 (off ice) 912-506-1243 (cell) or email terry.

benjestorf@fletc.dhs.gov.

Students are learning how to protect a high value asset during a 

recent Boat Operator Anti-Terrorism Training Program.

Terry Benjestorf 

currently serves as 

a regional training 

coordinator for the 

State, Local and 

Tribal Training 

Division. Prior to 

joining FLETC, 

Benjestorf spent 

27 years working a 

number of challenging 

assignments with the 

Los Angeles County 

(Calif.) Sheriff ’s Department. He spent his 

last four years as the program director for 

the Los Angeles Regional Maritime Law 

Enforcement Training Center.
FLETC Glynco Employees 

Volunteer for Local 

Search and Recovery 

Efforts

By Alicia Gregory

www.fletc.gov 25
26 FLETCJ Fall - Winter 2014 Volume 13

and Recovery team in 1993. Since its inception, the 

Glynn Brunswick Civil Defense and Glynco County 

Emergency Management had oversight until 1999, 

when the Glynn County Police Department took the 

group under its wing. It falls under the leadership of 

Jay Wiggins, a captain at the Glynn County Police 

Department and the Director of the Glynn County 

Emergency Management Agency. 

“We work directly for him on a volunteer basis,” 

explained Youngblood. “When he needs our assistance, 

he will contact the Chief of the SAR and me via phone. 

Once I gather the information, I will text the other 

volunteers or have the 911 center put out a request. I 

let them know the time and place to meet, and give a 

briefing of what we are doing once we all gather. I always 

keep in contact with their every move.”

Youngblood said that his main duties are to oversee 

the operations and to ensure that all squad members 

are working in a safe environment and have the tools 

and equipment they need to perform their mission. The 

group is minimally funded at $300 a year, so money for 

much of the fuel, gear (such as flashlights, gloves, and 

boating equipment) and repairs to equipment comes out 

of the volunteers’ own pockets. 

Search and recovery is different from search and rescue 

efforts, where there is hope for a successful outcome to 

a tragedy. When search and recovery volunteers arrive, 

it is because efforts for a rescue have been abandoned. 

These types of incidents are difficult for obvious reasons. 

A great deal of time and effort goes into ensuring public 

safety, and in today’s economy, volunteers are a key asset 

in providing these vital services. Staff at Federal Law 

Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) Glynco site 

are contributing their time and expertise volunteering 

in support of the local search and recovery squad. The 

partnership between law enforcement agencies, the 

community, and volunteers influences the success of 

recovery operations.

“Volunteers are called out an average of four to five times 

a year,” explained Buddy Webb, equipment specialist at 

the FLETC. “We are lucky that the folks here are given 

support from the leadership to take on these requests for 

help. In most cases our job is recovering evidence from a 

crime or finding bodies in a drowning.” 

Webb is one of five FLETC staff members who 

volunteers on the Glynn County Search and Recovery 

(SAR) team. Webb and automotive mechanic Howard 

Henderson are divers. Randy Cochran, supply 

technician; Shornden McCloud, instructor; and Dianne 

Ranne, visual information specialist, are team members. 

The Assistant Chief of the team is Jerry Youngblood, 

fleet management specialist. There are 27 members, 6-7 

of whom are core team members, who perform weatherrelated, and crime-scene search and recovery operations. 

They are a group of non-paid volunteers who come 

together in a time of need for the local community.

The team started out as the Brunswick – Glynn Rescue 

Squad in 1957. The name was changed to Search 

FLETC Glynco Employees Volunteer for Local Search and Recovery Efforts

The team spends a great deal of time training on the water.

The Search and Recovery Team investigates a boating accident.
www.fletc.gov 27

However, there are still many volunteers who are willing 

to spend their time helping. Even though the recoveries 

are difficult, they do provide some measure of comfort 

for mourning families.

“If it was my family member, I would 

want that closure,” said Henderson. 

“It is hard to have that without 

finding the body.” Henderson 

said he has participated in the 

heartbreaking task of looking 

for children. “This job pretty 

much sticks with you.”

One of the major reasons both Webb and Henderson 

volunteer is the chance to give back to the community. 

Each man also has a different personal motivation, but 

the outcome is the same – to help in any way they 

can.

In general, volunteers come from a 

variety of backgrounds. Most are 

employed and are simply looking 

for an opportunity to not only 

help others by sharing their 

unique abilities, but also learn 

new skills. 

Often these volunteers recover the remains of drowning victims.

“One of the major reasons both Webb and Henderson volunteer is the chance to 

give back to the community. Each man also has a different personal motivation, but 

the outcome is the same – to help in any way they can.”
Volunteers are frequently required to search not only for 

drowning victims, but also for missing objects underwater. 

Underwater searching by divers is time consuming and 

can be very dangerous depending upon water depth, 

visibility, currents, and underwater obstructions. 

Volunteers are taught to perform different search patterns 

with the help of ropes and compasses, and to plan search 

and recovery operations as a team. According to team 

members, the painstaking process involves outlining 

a small area, searching one small step at a time. Once 

the search of that immediate area is conducted, the line 

moves one step forward again.

The team must search and cover selected areas, keeping 

an eye out for evidence, things out of place, or personal 

effects. Anything that could be considered out of place 

is collected, then bagged and tagged as evidence. The 

team then covers the entire area again from a different 

direction, to ensure nothing was missed.

“Attending to the pain and suffering of those loved ones 

is our priority in these situations,” noted Youngblood. “If 

we can bring closure to a mother, father, sister, brother, 

then we know we have done our best.” 

Often the search area is large because there are no 

eyewitnesses or the eyewitnesses cannot accurately 

identify the place where the drowning victim or 

object was last seen. Large areas are often impossible 

to effectively search with traditional techniques, and 

consequently, searches are terminated after several days 

and recovery is left to chance. 

“It’s a tough decision for the divers,” stated Webb. 

“There’s nothing we want more than to bring closure to 

the family, all the officers involved, and the community.”

The team has received numerous commendations from 

the city and county for their work. Over the years, 

FLETC staff received certificates of appreciation from 

the leadership at Fort Stewart, the U.S. Coast Guard, and 

other agencies for their volunteer search and recovery 

efforts. 

“There have been many times over the years that I have 

called on the team and woke them up in the middle of 

the night for help,” said Wiggins. “I could not perform 

my job if it wasn’t for the volunteers on the search and 

recovery team.”

28 FLETCJ Fall - Winter 2014 Volume 13

Alicia Gregory is 

a Senior Public 

Affairs Specialist 

in the FLETC 

Protocol and 

Communications 

Office. She arrived 

at FLETC in 2005, 

after serving as the 

U.S. Army Corps 

of Engineers, 

Charleston 

District’s public affairs officer. Gregory has 

more than 20 years working in the public 

affairs field and has an extensive background 

in internal communications, and community 

and media relations. She is a graduate of the 

Defense Information School in Fort Meade, 

Maryland. Gregory has a Bachelor of Business 

Administration from South University.

FLETC Glynco Employees Volunteer for Local Search and Recovery Efforts

Team members prepare for former President George W. Bush’s visit

to the Golden Isles.
Graduating from a basic training course taught 

at the FLETC is quite an achievement. It takes 

dedication, perseverance and time, but in the end, these 

programs prepare individuals for careers in federal law 

enforcement. While that is an accomplishment in itself, 

many graduates are now finding the efforts they gave 

toward completing these basic training courses may also 

earn them college credits. FLETC Director Connie L. 

Patrick, working together with leadership from various 

educational institutions, is paving the way for current 

and former students to receive college credit hours for 

three FLETC basic training programs.

One example of this is the FLETC’s current 

partnership with the College of Coastal Georgia in 

Brunswick, Georgia. In 2013, the two organizations 

signed an agreement where the school will provide 

credits for courses covered in the Criminal Investigator, 

Uniformed Police, and Land Management Training 

Programs for equivalent courses in criminal justice and 

law enforcement. 

In fact, students who have completed the mentioned 

training programs within the last three years can earn 

up to 12 hours of college credits that can be applied 

towards degree programs at Coastal Georgia or 

potentially transferred to another college or university. 

Current trainees may also enroll in the program while 

attending one of the basic training courses. 

“It was the dedication of our FLETC loaned 

executives at the College of Coastal Georgia over the 

Colleges and 

Universities Provide 

College Credit to 

FLETC Graduates

past several years that has allowed our two institutions 

to provide this benefit to the thousands of eligible 

agents and officers,” said Director Patrick. 

This is not the only school that is helping former 

and current students earn college credits based on their 

FLETC training. Eastern New Mexico UniversityRoswell notes that law enforcement officers certified 

by FLETC, among other certified law enforcement 

professionals, can use that certification as part of a 

two-tiered course of study to receive either an Associate 

of Arts in Criminal Justice or an Associate of Applied 

Science in Police Science at the university. In addition 

to their campus at Roswell, they offer online classes. 

In addition, the FLETC recently signed an 

agreement with Columbia Southern University, 

whereby graduates of FLETC’s basic training programs 

can receive in some instances up to 21 hours of college 

credit that may be counted toward completion of a 

degree at CSU.

Other schools have differing criteria for the type 

and number of college credits 

provided for FLETC 

programs. Students 

should contact 

the specific 

academic 

institutions 

for details on 

what they offer.

www.fletc.gov 29
FLETC held its 29th annual ceremony Wednesday, May 21, honoring those FLETC graduates who lost 

their lives in the performance of duty. The ceremony was a joint observance with other area law enforcement 

agencies in southeast Georgia, including the Brunswick Police Department, Glynn County Police Department, 

Glynn County Sheriff ’s Office, Georgia State Patrol and Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Almost 

300 FLETC and Partner Organization staff, community members, congressional staffers, students and family 

members attended the morning ceremony.

This year, three names were engraved upon the FLETC Graduates Memorial, bringing the total to 199 since 

the establishment of FLETC in 1970. Those honored were: former National Park Service Ranger Robert 

W. Baron, who was a Sergeant with the Sandoval County (N.M.) Sheriff ’s Office when he was killed; U.S. 

Customs and Border Protection Officer Darrell J. Windhaus; and Federal Bureau of Prisons Senior Officer Eric 

J. Williams. While there were no area law enforcement agencies that lost officers or agents this past year, the 

Brunswick Police Department has discovered information about Special Constable Marvin M. Wilder, who was 

killed in line of duty in 1921. 

FLETC Hosts Joint Peace 

Officers Memorial Ceremony

30 FLETCJ Fall - Winter 2014 Volume 13
FLETC Director Connie Patrick introduced 

the keynote speaker Judson Murdock, 

Director, Houston Office of Field Operations, 

U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and 

welcomed the full auditorium to the solemn 

ceremony. 

“Today’s Peace Officers Memorial Day ceremony 

recognizes that public safety often comes at an 

enormous price. Whether at the federal, state, or 

local level, law enforcement professionals defend our 

Nation against violence, threats, crime, and terrorism,” 

Mr. Murdock said.

“With valiant service comes great sacrifice. 

Without this sacrifice, America’s precious freedoms 

and valued liberties would no longer exist.”

The ceremony included the reading of the FLETC 

graduates honor roll of names by FLETC Assistant 

Director Marcus Hill; Glynn County Sheriff Neal 

Jump read the state and local agencies honor roll of 

49 names from area law enforcement agencies. 

The CBP Field Operations Academy Honor 

Guard presented and retired the Colors while agency 

representatives from the three federal agencies who 

lost officers placed a wreath at the memorial at the 

conclusion of the ceremony.

“All of these individuals whose names we will call 

today are recognized for their noble service in life,” 

Director Patrick said. “We recall their service and 

sacrifice at our Memorial service as we say their 

names each year.”

For further information and a full listing of the 

FLETC Graduates Memorial, visit: http://www.fletc.

gov/about-fletc/fletc-graduates-memorial/.

Top picture: Director Connie L. Patrick welcomes guests to the Peace 

Officers Memorial Ceremony.

Center picture: Closeup of the wreath placement at the FLETC Peace 

Officers Memorial.

Bottom picture: The wreath detail and Windhaus family members 

proceed to the Memorial site.

www.fletc.gov 31
32 FLETCJ Fall - Winter 2014 Volume 13 

In his 2014 State 

of the Union address, 

President Obama 

declared that “when 

women succeed, 

America succeeds . . . 

We truly can’t afford 

to have women held 

back or prevent them 

from reaching their 

full potential if we 

hope to maximize 

the strength and 

productivity of 

our workforce.” As part of its work to promote 

this sentiment, the White House Council on 

Women and Girls has highlighted the Federal Law 

Enforcement Training Centers’ (FLETC) Women 

in Law Enforcement Leadership Training Program 

(WLELTP). In November 2011, FLETC Director 

Connie Patrick described the need for the WLELTP 

in an entry on the Council’s blog. She wrote, 

“While the law enforcement officers in attendance 

represented a diverse spectrum of agencies and 

function, they shared common experiences as women 

in law enforcement. 

Although women make up 47 to 50 percent of the 

workforce in the United States, they constitute only 

up to 20 percent of the law enforcement workforce 

and are underrepresented in the management 

ranks. FLETC is working hard to advance issues 

that impact women in law enforcement.” In March 

2014, Department of Homeland Security Secretary 

Jeh Johnson referenced the WLELTP in his post 

on the Council’s blog as one way DHS provides 

empowerment for women and girls. 

A recent graduate of the WLELTP enthused, “The 

Women in Law Enforcement Leadership Training 

Program is hands down one of the best leadership 

courses that I have ever had the pleasure to attend.” 

So, what exactly is this program and why is it 

receiving such high visibility?

The WLELTP is a five-day session designed 

for women in law enforcement who desire to 

further develop their leadership skills. It is a 

career development tool that provides a unique 

opportunity to view leadership principles from the 

female law enforcement professional’s perspective. 

The courses in the program concentrate on issues 

and challenges common to female leaders in law 

enforcement, including gender differences, work life 

harmony, and others. The program facilitates open, 

candid discussions and exercises to identify and 

develop approaches to deal with common issues and 

challenges. The competency areas include leadership 

skills through understanding and adapting to human 

behaviors, communication skills, team building, 

situational decision-making skills, and emotional 

intelligence. Taking into consideration life and work 

Women in Law Enforcement 

Women in Law Enforcement Leadership Training Program held in 

Budapest, Hungary. Executive Panel consisted of FLETC Director 

Connie Patrick, FLETC Assistant Director Dominick Braccio, and 

Hungarian National Police General Ildiko Kincses. 

President Obama speaks about women 

in the workforce during his State of the 

Union address.
www.fletc.gov 33

experience, participants explore these topics and 

develop skills through lecture, practical exercises, 

case studies, and self-directed learning. During the 

program, distinguished law enforcement executives 

lead a panel discussion on law enforcement leadership 

topics that the participants select. 

FLETC delivered an early version of a program 

tailored to women, 21st Century Leadership for 

Women in Law Enforcement, to high-ranking female 

law enforcement in Bucharest, Romania, in June 

2010. Recognizing the need for and potential success 

of this type of program, FLETC formalized the 

WLELTP in conjunction with its leadership training 

curriculum development and review activities. The 

WLELTP debuted at Glynco in November 2011 for 

21 federal law enforcement participants. The course 

was extremely well received, and FLETC deemed 

it an overwhelming success. Since that inaugural 

iteration, FLETC has offered the WLELTP both 

domestically and internationally more than 15 

times to more than 550 female law enforcement 

executives from more than 50 countries. In addition 

to domestic locations, FLETC has delivered this 

program in Lima, Peru and Accra, Ghana, and at the 

International Law Enforcement Academies (ILEAs) 

in Bangkok, Thailand; Budapest, Hungary; Gaborone, 

Botswana; and San Salvador, El Salvador. FLETC 

has planned additional iterations of the WLELTP in 

2014 domestically in Florida and internationally at 

the ILEAs in Bangkok and Budapest. 

The ILEA senior leadership has been instrumental 

in ensuring that the WLELTP receives needed 

support and public awareness. High-ranking female 

executives, including United States ambassadors, have 

delivered opening remarks for many of the overseas 

programs, stressing the importance of developing 

women as law enforcement leaders and explaining 

how the WLELTP can help fulfill that crucial goal. 

In Lima, Peru, an associate of U.S. Ambassador 

Rose M. Likins complimented and challenged the 

women, saying, “You have the valuable assignment of 

application of the law, of the practice of justice, and of 

strengthening the rule of law. It is wonderful to find 

so many brave women that dedicate the best part of 

their work and effort to fight for the common good 

to establish peace and legality.” Addressing a class in 

El Salvador, the San Salvador Magistrate President 

By Janet Lanham

Leadership Training Program

FLETC’s Leadership Institute conducted a Woman in Law 

Enforcement Leadership Training Program in Lima, Peru. 

In May of 2013 the FLETC’s Leadership and International Training 

Division conducted a Women in Law Enforcement Leadership 

Training Program (WLELTP) in Gaborone, Botswana. 
34 FLETCJ Fall - Winter 2014 Volume 13 

Janet Lanham was appointed 

as an instructor with the 

Leadership and International 

Capacity Building Division 

in 2012. In this capacity, 

she facilitates instruction 

in a variety of leadership 

courses presented in both 

domestic and international 

environments. Lanham’s federal government 

career spans over 34 years which includes more 

than 29 years in law enforcement. Prior to her 

current assignment, Lanham was the chief of the 

Training Innovation Division at FLETC. Before 

joining the Department of Homeland Security, 

Ms. Lanham held various leadership positions 

with the Department of Treasury, Internal 

Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division.

of the Supreme 

Court of Justice, 

Ms. Doris Luiz 

Rivas, observed, 

“Great changes and 

transformations 

begin with 

only a few. This 

[WLELTP] is 

a starting point. 

Let us look 

forward with greater involvement and work within 

our institutions to strengthen democracy. This is 

important! If women awaken we can become more 

effective and awaken the destiny of our country.” U.S. 

Ambassador to El Salvador Mari Carmen Aponte, 

Deputy State Secretary Dr. Krisztina Berta of the 

Ministry of Interior for the European Union and 

International Matters, U.S. Ambassador to Botswana 

Michelle Gavin, U.S. Ambassador to Hungary Eleni 

T. Kounalakis, and U.S. Ambassador to Thailand 

Kristie Kenney expressed similar sentiments during 

iterations of the WLELTP. 

An unexpected bonus occurred during two of the 

programs when WLELTP participants had the 

opportunity to interact and converse with young 

girls from local high schools. Topics of conversation 

included life choices, education, career guidance, 

and the future of females in law enforcement. 

One of the young attendees at ILEA Gaborone 

exclaimed, “Through this interaction with these law 

enforcement women, I will now consider a career in 

law enforcement. 

This has changed 

my life!” A young 

girl at ILEA San 

Salvador marveled, 

“I am honored 

and excited to be 

with such a large 

group of women 

law enforcement 

officers. I never 

thought this opportunity would happen to me.” 

The popularity of the WLELTP reflects the genuine 

need for this type of program. The testimonials speak 

for themselves, and demonstrate how partnering 

with the international law enforcement community 

has enabled FLETC to have a significant impact 

on females in the profession. The Leadership and 

International Training Division Chief, Ariana 

Roddini, professes, “The success of the program is 

a credit to the instructors and staff of the FLETC’s 

Leadership and International Training Division 

who work hard to develop and deliver this valuable 

curriculum.” 

Attendees and panel members of the Women in Law Enforcement 

Leadership Training Program held in Glynco, Georgia.

FLETC’s Leadership and International Training Division conducted a Women in Law 

Enforcement Leadership Training Program (WLELTP) in Accra, Ghana.
Training For 

Reality By Preston Farley

As our civil society has embraced technology 

and the computer age, so has the criminal 

element. People now spend historically 

unprecedented amounts of time on computers, 

both stationary and mobile. Activities such 

as voice communication, texting, emailing 

and surfing the Web are a few of the standard 

activities for which law enforcement officers 

must be prepared to investigate. Currently, 

FLETC offers numerous technology-centric 

law enforcement training programs, which 

cover the gamut of technologies that most 

people use day-to-day and that comprise 

the bulk of a law enforcement officer’s 

investigative needs related to digital evidence. 

What follows are a few success stories of how 

FLETC-trained officers utilized their training 

to successfully investigate and aid in the 

prosecution of digital evidence-based crimes.

The Case of the Missing Women

The case was cold, nearly five years old, and 

all leads seemingly exhausted. The facts of 

the case are straightforward. On Aug. 6, 

2006, two women, Kay Harrelson and Peggy 

Merimon were seen leaving their place of 

work, the Lubbock State School, at lunchtime. 

They were accompanied by co-worker Mickey 

Patterson. The women never returned to 

work or home and were never seen again. 

When subsequently questioned by authorities, 

Patterson stated he took the women to his 

home where they had a tryst; he gave them his 

car, and he never saw them again. Harrelson’s 

decapitated body was found in a ditch a 

couple of miles from the school 13 days later. 

Merimon’s body was not immediately found. 

As video evidence revealed, three people were 

indeed in Patterson’s car near his home during 

lunch on that fateful day, but evidence to 

connect Patterson to Harrelson’s death was 

lacking; therefore, Patterson could not be held 

by authorities. 

Fast forward four years. Merimon’s body is 

discovered in an open field about 13 miles 

from the school, and the discovery ignites 

the cold case. Joe Moudy, a detective with the 

Lubbock, Texas Police Department, utilizes 

the latest technological resources and makes 

a huge discovery. By 2006, most American 

adults carried cell phones. Whenever someone 

makes a phone call or sends a text, that 

information is recorded by their cell phone 

provider. What is less well known is that the 

www.fletc.gov 35
36 FLETCJ Fall - Winter 2014 Volume 12 

phone’s general geographical location is also 

tracked and recorded by the carrier as well. 

This is partly due to the federal law requiring 

cell phones to establish their location for 911 

emergency service providers to render aid, 

when required. Moudy was well aware of this 

information due in part to his attendance 

at FLETC’s Mobile Device Investigation 

Program, where he was equipped with cuttingedge training and tools to conduct such an 

investigation. 

Moudy subpoenaed the records for the cell 

towers nearest the recovered remains of the 

date in question. The records, nearly five years 

old, were still available from the cell carriers. 

The records disclosed that the primary 

suspect’s cell phone was within the coverage 

area of that particular tower at the time and 

date in question. This fact, accompanied by 

the other circumstantial evidence gathered 

in the case, was compelling enough for a jury 

to convict Patterson of murder and sentence 

him to life in prison where he died of natural 

causes a year later. 

The most interesting part about this case is 

that a mobile digital device’s geo-location was 

the lynchpin to solving the case. Not the data 

on it, but information about it. Technically, 

information about data is called metadata. 

It is imperative that investigators and their 

supervisors are at least notionally aware of 

the capabilities of digital forensics in this day 

and age. A digital footprint is the theoretical 

trail someone leaves just by virtue of living 

in a digitally-enhanced society. People don’t 

necessarily have to take an overt action to 

create a digital footprint. If they walk by 

many businesses or private residences, their 

presence may be recorded and stored digitally 

on their digital video recorders for a period 

of time. The simple act of driving a vehicle 

increasingly means creating another digital 

footprint as most automobile manufacturers 

are including features that necessitate digital 

data. 

Global positioning systems, mobile Wi-Fi 

hotspots, and enhancing or replacing cellphones 

inside of a vehicle all enlarge digital footprints. 

For example, let’s explore a man’s fictional 

drive to his work place. First, he might drive 

through his favorite coffee shop and pay for 

his drink with an app stored on an iPhone, 

which is linked to a bank account. Next, he 

might hit the expressway where his digital 

toll-box mounted to his windshield is queried, 

which marks the precise date/time/location of 

his entry to the toll road, takes a photograph, 

and debits the appropriate amount from his 

bank account. As he drives along, his phone 

and perhaps vehicle are communicating with 

cell towers along the way. This information 

is archived by phone providers for various 

lengths of time (usually determined by the 

provider holding the data) and provides time/

date/location data. Finally, he gets to his 

office and slides his identification card into a 

card reader to get into his building and then 

into his office. Then he must slide that card 

into his computer to allow access to data 

stored. Each time the person uses his ID card, 

the time/date/location of the use is recorded 

in a database somewhere in that organization. 

In addition, during his drive to work he may 

encounter potential video surveillance, which 

often occurs around the clock in many public 

areas for traffic control, emergency response, 

and crime suppression. 

Most of the video systems are also digital. This 

fictional drive to work demonstrates the digital 

world in which we all live. Instructors at FLETC 

teach students that those digits have real-world 

implications for investigators when they know 

what to look for and how to process the evidence.
www.fletc.gov 37

The Case of the Child Pornographer

A second notable case concerned Pete 

Mallory, who was the owner of a small 

independent television station in Georgia. 

The station was located in a building on the 

West Georgia Technical College campus. 

He was long established in the community 

and well respected. One of the less pleasant 

but increasingly necessary tasks of law 

enforcement is that of searching the internet 

for indicators that someone in the local 

community is trading in child pornographic 

movies and images. As this practice among our 

citizenry has been occurring since the advent 

of the internet, law enforcement has had to 

develop and employ a variety of strategies and 

sophisticated software to discover and disrupt 

this practice. 

Detective Christopher Pritchett of the 

LaGrange (Ga.) Police Department, is a 

graduate of FLETC’s Seized Computer 

Evidence Recovery Specialist Training 

Program, during which he learned the 

basics of digital forensic examination in a 

Microsoft Windows environment. He has 

used his newfound skills to snag criminals 

trading in child abuse imagery by identifying 

their internet protocol (IP) address. (Think 

of an IP address as the “street address” of 

a computer.) On one particular day, the IP 

address revolved back to television station 

WJCN, which is located on the campus of a 

local college. 

Scott Lewis, also an investigator with the 

LaGrange Police Department, arrived on 

the scene and discovered multiple desktop 

computers, laptops and removable media. 

As the IP address was followed, it revealed 

that a computer owned and operated by the 

station owner was the one law enforcement 

was seeking. Lewis promptly seized and 

analyzed it, and revealed far more than just 

child pornographic imagery. In addition to 

the more than 25,000 different child abuse 

images and movies detailing rape and torture 

of children, analysis also revealed that Mallory 

was surreptitiously photographing his female 

employees, using a digital camera pointed at 

their chairs, mounted under his desk. 

Mallory was subsequently charged with 60 

counts of sexual exploitation of children, 

invasion of privacy, and tampering with 

evidence. Mallory was found guilty in a 

jury trial and was subsequently sentenced by 

Troup County, Georgia Superior Court Judge 

Dennis Blackmon to 20 years on each of 50 

counts. Blackmon also ordered him to serve a 

concurrent sentence of five years for each of 

the remaining 10 counts. This amounted to 

1,000 years in prison on child pornography 

charges. It is believed that this sentence is 

the longest for any crime that has ever been 

handed down in Georgia history. 

As part of Lewis’s training at FLETC, he 

received a computer capable of digital forensic 

analysis and specialized digital forensic 

software. He learned how to effectively utilize 

them in a forensically sound manner, which he 

credits as having been critical in the successful 

prosecution of Mallory. 

The Case of Grand Theft and Forgery

Another digital evidence case was closed 

on July 28, 2011, when Danilo Santos pled 

guilty to grand theft and forgery in violation 

of Florida law. Santos was sentenced to five 

years of probation, and ordered to surrender 

all passports and pay full restitution and $603 

in special assessments. Santos immediately 

remitted $300,000 to the victim in court. 

This sentence is the result of a joint Office of 

Inspector General for the General Services 
38 FLETCJ Fall - Winter 2014 Volume 12 

Administration (GSA) and Miami Police 

Department investigation into allegations 

that Santos had been offering to sell luxury 

GSA Fleet vehicles (yachts) below market 

price. The complainant paid Santos for this 

supposed merchandise, and was defrauded of 

approximately $370,000. Subsequently, with 

the aid of digital forensics, two additional 

victims were identified who paid Santos 

$300,000 for a yacht he claimed he had 

obtained through a GSA Auction. Santos 

admitted to the fraud scheme, which he 

orchestrated by electronically altering federal 

documents to sell yachts that he did not own. 

Santos was subsequently charged in Florida 

state court with grand theft, organized 

scheme to defraud, forgery, uttering a forged 

instrument, and unlawful use of indicia of 

authority. 

The special agent who conducted some of the 

digital forensics in this case was a graduate 

of FLETC’s Seized Computer Evidence 

Recovery Specialist Training Program and 

the Digital Evidence Acquisition Specialist 

Training Program, during which officers learn 

how to acquire digital media as evidence. 

He also attended the Computer Network 

Investigations Training Program, FLETC’s 

introductory course on “live network” forensic 

investigations.

Each of the cases were investigated by officers 

trained by the Technical Operations Division 

of the Glynco Training Directorate, located 

on FLETC’s Glynco campus. FLETC teaches 

a wide array of digital forensic investigative 

techniques and technologies from “dead box” 

(where computers are not running at the 

time of seizure) forensics to live network 

acquisition to mobile device investigations 

to digital video recorder recovery to WiFi tracking, all with the intent of capturing 

and documenting the digital footprint for 

For more information on the digital forensic 

programs, contact Preston L. Farley, FLETC Senior 

Instructor, at 912-267-4871 or email Preston.

Farley@dhs.gov.

Preston Farley is 

currently the program 

coordinator for 

FLETC’s Seized 

Computer 

Evidence Recovery 

Specialist Training 

Program, and has 

been an instructor 

for FLETC since 

2004. He is a 

retired U.S. Armed 

Forces member with 

both active duty Air 

Force and active duty Army experience 

culminating in nine years of investigative 

experience with the U.S. Army Criminal 

Investigation Division Command as a 

special agent. He has served in Germany 

as a Digital Crime Lab Investigator, a 

General Crimes Agent and in the Balkans 

as a War Crimes Investigator. He also has 

specialized training in dignitary protective 

services, child abuse investigations, crime 

scene processing, death investigations, 

financial crimes, and digital forensics. He 

retired from the U.S. Army in June 2004.

probative purposes. As our society moves 

increasingly to “the Cloud” (generally this is a 

process where data is stored on the internet) 

and more and more of our lives become 

bound up with the internet and other digital 

technologies, investigating digital evidence 

will become increasingly imperative. 
Imagine this: 

Two federal law enforcement officers, Officer Kelly and Officer Smith, in the 

District of Columbia received a be-on-the-lookout for an armed robbery suspect 

and both began emergency vehicle pursuits. Their agency policy authorized 

pursuits of violent felony suspects after they activated their emergency lights and 

sirens. Policy also required them to slow down before entering an intersection, to 

stop if necessary, and to proceed only when it was safe. Officer Smith activated 

his lights, but not his siren. When he approached an intersection with a red light, 

he slowed to five miles per hour, but did not stop. Jill, who had the green light, 

drove through the intersection and her car was hit by Officer Smith’s car.

Some Legal Aspects of Federal

Emergency Vehicle Operations – 

“When things go wrong, who is liable...?”

By Tim Miller

www.fletc.gov 39
“When things go wrong, who is liable...?”

40 FLETCJ Fall - Winter 2014 Volume 12

Meanwhile, Officer Kelly drove on, undeterred by 

the accident announced over her radio. Dispatch 

told her that the robbery suspect was last seen 

on Michigan Avenue, driving a late model brown 

Camaro. Officer Kelly spotted a late model brown 

Camaro on Michigan Avenue, driven by Jack. 

With her lights flashing and siren blaring, Officer 

Kelly moved behind the suspect. 

 “I was shocked to learn that Officer Kelly was 

attempting to arrest me,” Jack would later testify. 

When Jack did not stop, Officer Kelly made a splitsecond decision to use a precision immobilization 

technique that caused Jack’s Camaro to spin out 

of control and crash. (The officer applied the front 

side bumper of her car to the rear side bumper of 

Jack’s Camaro.) Jack was later found not guilty of 

the robbery.

Now, who can sue whom - and for what? And 

when is the party sued liable for damages? 

Can Jill sue the United States?

The Federal Tort Claims Act allows an injured 

party to sue the United States for the actions of 

Officer Smith based on the laws of civil liability 

where the claim arose – or in this case, the District 

of Columbia.1 While the Tort Claims Act has some 

restrictions, those restrictions will not stop Jill’s 

suit.

Officer Smith must be within the scope of his 

employment. And he was. Officer Smith was 

authorized to arrest robbery suspects and was 

trying to catch one at the time of the accident. 

Granted, he violated agency policy. He failed 

to activate all of his emergency equipment and 

drove into an intersection when it was unsafe. But 

that does not put Smith outside the scope of his 

employment. Scope of employment determinations 

are made liberally in most cases. In the DC area, 

the test is whether the employee was performing 

a service in furtherance of his employer’s business, 

not whether the service was done in exact 

observance of the employer’s orders.2 

Here, the Tort Claims Act gives Jill a remedy 

against the United States. It also protects Officer 

Smith. Federal officers are immune from local tort 

law while within the scope of their employment. 

The law makes the United States the defendant, 

and if the officer was at fault, the United States 

pays the plaintiff ’s damages. 

Can the United States be sued for negligence?

Private parties are liable for simple negligence, 

and the Tort Claims Act makes the United States 

liable the same as “...a private individual under 

like circumstances.” If a private party can be held 

liable for negligent driving, so can the United 

States – even in a pursuit. That was the decision of 

the United States District Court for the District 

of Columbia in Lee v. United States.3 “Like 

circumstances” were interpreted broadly. Every 

motor vehicle operator owes a duty of care to other 

people sharing the road, regardless of the driving 

context. 

Furthermore, the defending United States in Lee 

could not hide behind the District of Columbia’s 

immunity statute for emergency runs. The Court 

would not allow it. The United States is liable like 

a private party, not the District. This broad/narrow 

interpretation of the law may make the United 

States civilly liable when other governmental 

entities are not. 

Like some states, the District of Columbia has 

chosen to statutorily immunize itself from all 

but gross negligence in an emergency run. The 

District cannot be sued for simple negligence. So if 

a Metropolitan Police Department officer crashed 

into Jill, she could not recover – again, not unless 

the officer was grossly negligent.4 Gross negligence 

1

Elizondo v. Green, 671 F.3d 506 (5th Cir. 2012) cert. denied, 2012 U.S. LEXIS 7560 (2012); see also Elizondo v. City of Garland, 2011 U.S. Briefs 1375 (2012). 

2

See Rockwell v. Brown, 664 F.3d 985 (5th Cir. 2011).

3

Lee v. United States, 570 F. Supp. 2d 142 (D.D.C. Aug 14, 2008).
www.fletc.gov 41

is difficult to prove. It requires an extreme 

deviation from an ordinary standard of care. An 

example might be driving 80 miles per hour into 

an intersection during heavy rush hour. In that 

case, even the District could be liable. But the risk 

posed by Officer Smith, a federal officer, was not 

so extreme. Smith rolled through the intersection. 

Still, he demonstrated an absence of due care by 

not activating all of his emergency equipment, and 

like a private party, the United States is liable for 

simple negligence.

Where innocent victims are concerned, the United 

States’ potential for civil liability is great – greater 

than it might appear. For example, what if the 

suspect’s car crashed into Jill’s, not the officer’s? 

Following a suspect too closely at high speeds may 

act as a catalyst that pushes the suspect onward, 

thereby causing the suspect’s collision with another 

car – and liability for the United States.5 And what 

if an innocent passenger had been inside Jack’s 

car? The officer may have a duty to use reasonable 

force to seize the suspect, and due care not to 

injure the passenger.6 Federal officers are held to a 

“reasonably prudent officer” standard of care. This 

hybrid private party standard is consistent with 

holding private-party-professionals to a standard 

of care that is commensurate with their profession. 

So like a surgeon who must meet a certain standard 

of care to remove what is bad, and protect what 

is good in surgery, so must a federal officer in a 

chase.7 

Can Jack sue Officer Kelly – and the United 

States?

Yes, but to sue successfully, the law will place 

a higher burden on Jack than on Jill. The Tort 

Claims Act shields federal officers from local 

tort claims, not constitutional ones.8 Kelly 

intentionally terminated Jack’s freedom of 

movement. She “seized” him, which triggered the 

Fourth Amendment’s objective reasonableness 

test. The objective test requires the court to weigh 

the nature of Kelly’s intrusion on Jack’s liberty 

– the immobilization technique – against the 

countervailing governmental interest at stake– 

why she did it. The Supreme Court’s decision in 

Graham v. Connor lists several factors to consider. 

What was the severity of the crime, or basis for 

stopping Jack? Could Officer Kelly reasonably 

believe Jack posed an immediate threat to her or 

others? And were there facts to believe that Jack 

was actively resisting arrest or attempting to evade 

arrest by flight?9 Here, Jack was suspected of armed 

robbery; he did not stop at Kelly’s signal; and Kelly 

performed the immobilization technique with her 

car to force him to halt. 

Jack’s argument is predictable: “I was acquitted!” 

However, officers are not judged by 20/20 

hindsight. The objective test asks whether a 

reasonable officer could believe that Jack was the 

robber based on the facts at the time. Here again, 

Kelly had a be-on-the-look- out for a robber; the 

robber was reported to be driving a late model 

brown Camaro on Michigan Avenue; and, she saw 

a late model brown Camaro – on Michigan Avenue.

“But Kelly should have waited,” Jack may persist, 

“I would have eventually stopped.” That argument 

should not carry much weight, either. “You should 

have...” and “I would have...” often mark the 

beginning of subjective opinions that are based 

on hindsight and not the facts confronting the 

officer. The objective test asks, “Could a reasonable 

officer believe that Jack was the robber and that the 

immobilization technique was reasonable to stop 

4

See Lee, 570 F. Supp. fn. 12 at 151. 5

See District of Columbia v. Hawkins, 782 A.2d 293 (2001). 6

See Lee, 570 F. Supp. at 154. 7

Other federal courts have allowed innocent third parties to sue under a generous due care standard. See Lee, 570 F. Supp. at 151 citing Holthusen v. United States, 498 F. Supp. 2d

1236, 1240 (D. Minn. 2007); Schreiner v. United States, 2005 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 36641 (D.S.D. 2005); see also Stroh v. United States, 2012 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 131996 (D.Col 2012). The

Supreme Court has not applied the Act to a high speed pursuit, but has allowed novel and unprecedented governmental liability in other cases. United States v. Olson, 546 U.S. 43 

(2007); Rayonier v. United States, 352 U.S. 315 (1957)(U.S. sued for negligent failure to control a forest fire); and Indian Towing Co. v. United States, 350 U.S. 61 (1955). 8

Bivens v. Six Unknown Federal Agents, 403 U.S. 388 (1971). 9

See Graham v. Connor, 490 U.S. 386 (1989).
42 FLETCJ Fall - Winter 2014 Volume 12

“When things go wrong, who is liable...?”

him?” And what could be going on in a reasonable 

officer’s mind - if Kelly waited? How about 

an ensuing high speed chase over the streets of 

Washington, D.C., threatening the lives of innocent 

people? The Supreme Court cautioned that the 

calculus of reasonableness must embody allowance 

for the fact that police officers are often forced to 

make split-second judgments– in situations that are 

tense, uncertain, and rapidly evolving – about the 

amount of force that is reasonable.10

Can Jack Sue the United States? 

Jack has one more chance. The Tort Claims Act’s 

enforcement proviso also allows him to sue the 

United States under the local tort law. Assault and 

battery, false arrest, and false imprisonment are 

foreseeable, local tort claims that suspects make 

in cases where officers search and seize them. As 

a result, suspects may sue the United States under 

the local law and the officer for a constitutional 

violation. But to decide the local claims, the courts 

still apply Fourth Amendment principles. 

To be fair, not every federal judge agrees with 

that; specifically, that the objective test for judging 

police officers is consistent with the law’s private 

party analogue. Writing for the United States 

Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, Judge A. 

Wallace Tashima made a logical argument that if 

the law means what it says, namely, that the United 

States is liable like a private party, the local law for 

citizens’ arrest should apply.11 Jack would certainly 

like that. Officer Kelly would have no authority to 

seize him unless the crime was committed in her 

presence.12

But the courts generally hold that a pure private 

party analogue does not recognize the extraordinary 

obligations of law enforcement and would lead to 

the absurd result that an arrest, effected lawfully 

under federal law, could still subject the United 

States to tort liability under the local law.13

To sum up . . .

It may seem obvious – that a suspect’s tort claim 

is likely to fail, if it based on a seizure that was 

effected lawfully under federal law. It should 

be just as obvious, however, that trying to seize 

suspects in a chase involves more than just cops 

and robbers. The FLETC staff includes experts in 

the area of emergency driving who teach students 

how to reduce the United States’ potential for civil 

liability and protect the public. They teach students 

to consider such factors as the seriousness of the 

originating offense, the volume of traffic, road 

conditions, and speeds. Most important, they teach 

them to weight the need to apprehend the suspect 

against the risk that the pursuit poses to innocent 

parties. And when the risk outweighs the need, 

they teach: Terminate the pursuit.

10Id. at 397. 11In Tekle v. United States, 511 F.3d 839 (9th Cir. 2007), the Ninth Circuit was unable to reach a majority opinion on how to dispose of FTCA claims arising out of a federal search and

seizure. On remand, the lower court applied Fourth Amendment principles. See Tekle v. United States, 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 39091 (C.D.Ca 2009). 12D.C. Code § 23-582(b) 13See Arrington v. United States, 473 F.3d 329, 335-336 (D.C.Cir. 2006); Villafranca v. United States, 587 F.3d 257, 261-264 (5th Cir. 2009); Washington v. DEA, 183 F.3d 868, 874 (8th

Cir. 1999); Ting v. United States, 927 F.2d 1504, 1514 (9th Cir. 1991); Denson v. United States, 574 F.3d 1318, 1336-1337 (11th Cir. 2009); see also Tekle, 511 F.3d 839, 857 (Fisher, 

R.C., concurring). 

Tim Miller is the Subject Matter 

Expert for Use of Force for 

the Federal Law Enforcement 

Centers Legal Division. Mr. 

Miller joined the United States 

Marine Corps in 1984 after 

taking the Illinois state bar 

exam. He served as a prosecutor, 

defense counsel, military judge, and staff judge 

advocate. Mr. Miller received a Bachelor of Science 

Degree and Juris Doctorate from Southern Illinois 

University at Carbondale, Illinois. He received his 

Master of Laws from the Army Judge Advocate 

General’s School in Charlottesville, Virginia. 
www.fletc.gov 43

TSA Administrator John S. Pistole envisioned a TSA 

center of learning excellence. The center would focus 

on training standardization and improving employee 

performance and professionalism while building an 

organizational culture that helps instill the understanding 

of TSA’s role as a member of the Department of 

Homeland Security team.

Established in March of 2012, the TSA Academy at 

the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers’ Glynco 

facility gave life to that vision. The Academy has graduated 

more than 5,500 TSA employees through a variety of 

courses offering leadership, professional development, 

and technical and operational training, and has created 

a learning environment conducive to developing and 

strengthening a sense of unity and common interests.

The initial course delivery at the TSA Academy, 

entitled Essentials of Supervising Screening Operations 

for the Supervisory Transportation Security Officer, 

provides front-line supervisors with the knowledge and 

skills to contribute to TSA’s success in critical areas such 

as employee integrity, responsibility and performance. 

TSA partnered with FLETC to incorporate a personal 

assessment tool into the supervisor course and has been 

able to establish a common performance and feedback 

language using the tool, which will be included in future 

courses for other members of TSA’s field leadership team. 

During the two-week supervisor course participants 

receive three days of leadership training taught by FLETC 

Instructors. TSA Academy instructors are then reinforcing 

those leadership lessons in the technical, administrative 

and professional development components of the course.

The TSA Academy focused on delivery of the course 

to 4,350 Supervisory Transportation Security Officers 

in just under 18 months by opening classes for 90 new 

supervisors each week. At the conclusion of a recent TSA 

Academy visit to address the final class in this focused 

effort, Administrator Pistole stated, “I couldn’t be more 

pleased with the course and the positive feedback I have 

heard from our supervisors. The TSA Academy is helping 

to change the culture of TSA, one employee at a time.”

In April 2014, the subsequent offering of the “Essentials” 

platform, Essentials of Leading Screening Operations 

for Lead Transportation Security Officers, opened at the 

TSA Academy. The Essentials of Leading course employs 

the same personal assessment tool and leadership topics 

that are at a level appropriate for the Lead Transportation 

Security Officers’ role within the leadership team, and 

includes enhanced skills training, again focused on the 

TSA Academy – Center of Learning

By Dan Furlong

Since the ribbon cutting ceremony in March of 2012, the TSA Academy at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers’ Glynco facility has graduated 

more than 5,500 TSA employees.
44 FLETCJ Fall - Winter 2014 Volume 13 

responsibilities unique to the position. Leveraging the 

FLETC facilities, the course also includes practical 

exercises that are conducted at the Glynco International 

Transportation Center. 

The TSA Academy delivers a multitude of technical 

skills training courses. Leveraging integrated training 

opportunities has allowed TSA to offer courses designed 

specifically for its Transportation Security Inspectors and 

Security Training Instructor and will soon include courses 

for our Transportation Security Specialists for Explosives 

and Behavior Detection Officers. The TSA and FLETC 

partnership goes beyond the logistics associated with 

the delivery of training; it allows TSA and FLETC 

professionals to team up in the design of curriculum, and 

for the first time approximately 30 percent of the newly 

revised Transportation Security Inspectors’ basic training 

course will be delivered using a combination of current 

FLETC curriculum, instructors and facilities.

To accelerate its evolution to a high performing 

counterterrorism organization, TSA is planning to conduct 

pilot Transportation Security Officer new hire training at 

the Academy beginning in the fall of 2014. The New Hire 

Training Program is currently delivered locally at airports, 

and includes both classroom and on-the-job training 

components. Establishing an Academy delivery of the 

Dan Furlong has been 

with the Transportation 

Security Administration 

since 2006, and in 

October 2011 was named 

the first branch manager 

at the TSA Academy 

located on the FLETC 

Glynco campus. Dan 

previously was assigned 

to TSA’s Office of Global Strategies, serving 

in several positions both at headquarters and 

at a number of international locations. He 

began his federal government career in 1978 as 

a member of the U.S. Air Force Security Police, 

joining the civilian side of federal operations in 

1984 as an air traffic controller, and each step in 

his career has prepared him for his most recent 

role of standing up the TSA Academy. Dan 

graduated with a bachelor of science degree in 

business management from Oklahoma City 

University.

classroom portion of security basic training will introduce 

officer candidates to the TSA culture at the earliest 

opportunity.

The TSA Academy has experienced rapid growth and 

continually earns positive feedback from both internal 

and external sources on its efforts to facilitate the highest 

levels of job proficiency. Increasing in size, the number of 

available training opportunities, and student throughput, 

the TSA Academy is working towards receiving Federal 

Law Enforcemrnt Training Accreditation for its basic 

training courses, and ultimately, certification by the 

American Council on Education for undergraduate or 

graduate credit.

FLETCJ

“The TSA and FLETC partnership goes beyond the logistics associated with the delivery of training; 

it allows TSA and FLETC professionals to team up in the design of curriculum, and for the first time 

approximately 30 percent of the newly revised Transportation Security Inspectors’ basic training course 

will be delivered using a combination of current FLETC curriculum, instructors and facilities.” 

The TSA Academy conducts many of its practical exercises at the 

Glynco International Transportation Center. 
Need to learn a foreign language? Find someone who speaks that particular language and learn from them. Easy! Or, is 

it? While they may know how to speak it, do they truly know how to teach it? Most people understand how 54 x 11= 594, 

but how many could easily explain it to an 8- or 9-year-old? 

Given a gun, ammunition, and a suitably large area for shooting, many people could learn the fundamentals of 

marksmanship through trial and error (barring any unfortunate accidents due to a lack of firearms safety instruction). To 

develop true skills and shorten the time and expense (not to mention any possible periods of hospitalization) versus what 

would be needed for the trial and error method, people and agencies turn to firearms instructors. 

Firearms instructors are not born, but are developed through instilling skills in a wide range of firearms, topical areas, 

practice teaching, and a host of other experiences that add to the credibility and proficiency of instructors. The old adage 

that “those who can, do – those who can’t, teach” is disproven by the firearms instructor students at the FLETC.

For agencies looking for training curriculums for new firearms instructors or refresher training for current ones, FLETC 

offers two stellar programs among its long list of advanced firearms programs, the Firearms Instructor Training Program 

FLETC

Trains the Trainer

Ed Sizemore

www.fletc.gov 45
46 FLETCJ Fall - Winter 2014 Volume 13 

and the Firearms Instructor Refresher Training Program. 

The Firearms Instructor Training Program is accredited 

by the Federal Law Enforcement Training Accreditation 

Board, which is the accrediting body for all federal 

law enforcement training and support programs. The 

programs are also available to state, local, tribal, military 

and international students. As long as the prerequisites are 

met, any credentialed law enforcement officer or agent or 

active duty military may qualify for a seat in these classes. 

When considering the Firearms Instructor or the 

Firearms Instructor Refresher training programs for their 

new or current instructors, agencies will realize that neither 

of these programs are schools for learning how to shoot. 

While the students do get ample opportunities to shoot 

during the course, it is expected that all students are already 

excellent marksmen. For those who can, it is strongly 

urged that they bring their assigned/issued weapon (if 

permitted by their agency) as well as their leather/web 

gear. It should be noted that certain types of holsters are 

not permitted. Trigger finger manipulation, cross-draw, 

shoulder, or thigh holsters are not allowed in training. 

If the students require weapons or leather/web gear, 

FLETC will provide these items for participants to use 

during the training. Once accepted for the training, a 

letter will be forwarded to each student detailing what 

they will need to bring with them and what they should be 

prepared for upon arrival. 

In the Firearms Instructor Training Program, the 

students face a qualification course that requires shooting a 

standardized course of fire and achieving a score of at least 

255 points out of a 300 possible points (85%). A copy of 

the course of fire is included with the student information 

letter. This qualification course is shot on the afternoon of 

the first day of the two-week class and, for those that fail 

to meet the required score, there are no opportunities for 

remediation or additional attempts at qualifying. Students 

who do not qualify can reapply to return to later classes 

and would have to meet the same standards.

For the Firearms Instructor Refresher Training Program, 

the students must have already graduated from an accepted 

firearms instructor development program (FLETC staff 

can advise interested parties on those programs that 

qualify). Further, they must be serving or have served as 

a firearms instructor (either full-time or collateral duty) 

within their agency. 

For organizations that have a need for training a 

significant number of firearms instructors, FLETC can 

export either program. Some agencies combine their need 

for training instructors with conferences or by inviting 

other agencies to share in the expense of an export class. 

Since much of the cost of training consists of the travel 

expenses of the student, by exporting the training to their 

site the organization is able to pay the travel expenses and 

per diem of the FLETC instructors (three or four) versus 

the expenses of sending large numbers of students to a 

FLETC site. Also, if the agency provides the weapons, 

ammunition, and other needed supplies for the students, 

even greater savings can be realized. The FLETC can 

work with the requesting agency to configure an export 

class that will meet its needs.

What will the students receive when they arrive for 

training? One thing that they will receive that is truly 

priceless is the benefit of the diverse backgrounds of 

the instructor staff. From a wide range of backgrounds 

with federal, state, and local agencies as well as military 

experience, the instructors are dedicated to providing their 

students with the best possible instructional training to 

meet the needs of their organizations. During the course 

of their training, the instructor students have opportunities 

to interact with FLETC students in various basic law 

enforcement training programs and act as instructors on Developing the shooter – the ultimate goal of the professional firearms instructor.
www.fletc.gov 47

the firing line under the guidance of experienced firearms 

instructors. 

The training in the Firearms Instructor and the 

Firearms Instructor Refresher training programs cover 

a broad spectrum of topics. First and foremost is the 

importance of safety for instructors – both on the firing 

range and at home. Stories of unintended shootings of 

officers and agents during what should have been routine 

training exercises abound in law enforcement circles. For 

example, a child finds Mom or Dad’s duty weapon at 

home and either shoots himself or someone else. It is the 

responsibility of all firearms instructors to ingrain firearms 

safety in their students and demonstrate proper safety at all 

times. Being a good example strengthens the learning. 

When it comes to firearms safety, it is life - not liability – 

that is the primary concern. 

During the Firearms Instructor Training Program, the 

students receive exposure to handguns, shotguns, rifles, and 

submachine guns. The instructor students learn how to 

pass the information and methods along to their students. 

These classes are not focused on developing shooting 

skills, but, rather, on properly training agents and officers 

in effective instructional techniques. Other topics covered 

include handgun and shotgun stress, officer down and 

disabled officer courses, judgment pistol shooting, officer 

survival, situation response exercises, and use of cover drills.

In Firearms Instructor Refresher training (a one-week 

program), students have opportunities to shoot while 

designing, participating, and coaching other students 

through various live-fire stress courses. The trainees 

are also organized into teams during the development 

of interactive training exercises and cover drills using 

non-lethal training ammunition. Some of the other 

areas covered are reduced light shooting with flashlights, 

shotgun drills, and situational awareness. Again, the 

emphasis is on instruction, not shooting. 

Graduates of the Firearms Instructor Training Program 

have provided some compliments to FLETC staff. An 

Australian Federal Police Agent stated that “the program 

(Firearms Instructor Training program) contained a mix 

of theory and practical sessions that were structured as 

building blocks to ensure increasing knowledge, skills and 

abilities of students. A significant difference between the 

program and other similar programs conducted by other 

organizations/agencies was that the program was focused 

as an instructor development program and was not focused 

as a shooting course.”

Whether an experienced firearms instructor or a newly 

selected instructor candidate, law enforcement officers 

seeking professional training will find FLETC has 

programs just right for them. 

Ed Sizemore, M.A., 

M.S., CPP, is a Senior 

Instructor at the Federal 

Law Enforcement 

Training Centers at 

Glynco, Georgia, where he 

has served for fifteen years. 

With graduate degrees 

in security management 

and counseling as well as postgraduate work 

in homeland security, he currently serves in 

the Firearms Division, and previously served 

as a Senior Instructor in the former FLETC 

Management Institute. Ed is a 2011 graduate 

of the FLETC Future Leaders Program. 

A retired Coast Guard officer and a former 

Special Agent of the Coast Guard Investigative 

Service, Ed is a true believer in providing 

quality professional law enforcement training 

to all of FLETC’s students. 

Sight picture, trigger control – the fundamentals always apply!
Training Excellence Through Partnerships

Homeland

Security

Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers

U. S. Department of Homeland Security

1131 Chapel Crossing Road

Glynco, Georgia 31524

www.fletc.gov

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