Overview

This course provides officers, deputies, and detectives with the specialized knowledge and specific investigative techniques they need to conduct effective, ethical investigations that uncover the truth, hold offenders accountable, and protect communities. We teach a unique methodical approach and a relentless mindset – filling in gaps to build airtight cases and creating partnerships among officers, detectives, forensic specialists, and prosecutors. This is not a lecture-dominated “Death by PowerPoint” class. Participants will engage in whole-class discussions, individual assignments, breakout sessions, video analyses, case studies, and small group projects and presentations. Like the investigative approach we teach, the class stresses both individual accountability and group collaboration. Instructors Will Manion and Matt Irvine are retired detectives with a half century of investigative experience between them, in homicide, sex assault, fraud, narcotics, public corruption, and other crimes. Both instructors have worked on federal task forces, and have been honored with awards including California POST Investigator of the Year (for a murder investigation) and California Sexual Assault Investigator of the Year. Both are experienced police trainers, having taught at academies and agencies in California, Oregon, Washington, and Utah.