Post Certified or Police Officer’s Continuing Education Training Approved in 36 States
All classes are taught by Peter F. Boyce, a lawyer with 30 years' experience representing police officers. Peter fully understands that police officers hate lawyers. Instead of reading boring cases from a book, Peter presents actual cases he has worked on to illustrate the subjects he is teaching. Through the use of video, powerpoint, and great passion for the work he does with police officers Peter gives powerful, entertaining, up-to-date, and informative information in each class that he teaches. Peter's classes have been approved for continuing education requirements in more than 36 states.
Different classes can be combined into a single block of instruction and generally tailored to meet your specific needs.
Contact Peter Boyce directly at 770-833-7503 to discuss or to schedule.
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A Word About Funding
Each agency and department faces significant challenges associated with obtaining funding to present first class training. Any of the classes listed below can be offered as a one day or two day class with the instructor assuming the risk of attendance if your agency can provide a training venue and help promote the class with your employees or members. The cost per student is generally less than $100.00 per day. Sponsorships to offset training costs are sometimes available and your instructor will work with you to examine that funding possibility.
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MOST POPULAR CLASSES
Narcotics Officers and Law Enforcement Departments confronting the rise of social unrest
George Floyd, Eric Gardner, Breonna Taylor, Michael Brown and a host of other critical incidents have given rise to cries of systemic racism, desmands to defund the police and demands that law enforcement be held accountable for nearly every critical incident no matter the circumstances. Narcotics officers, police officers, supervisors and chiefs face prosecution, the loss of jobs, and civil liability for protecting and serving law abiding citizens. This class will touch on de-escalation, proportionality, the use of force in 21st century policing and emphasize that the role of the narcotics officers and all of law enforcement is to act as guardians for the community and not as a warrior while at the same time continuing to protect and serve.
The community officers serve mostly fail to understand and realize the officer who confronts the drug addicted in crisis is often in imminent peril and that force is sometimes necessary to protect those in danger. While targeting, profiling and racial bias should never be a factor in constitutional policing, officers must confront the reality that a good portion of the minority community perceives officers as warriors. not as guardians.
Communities must work together to resolve poverty, crime, joblessness and drug abuse that are a root cause of social unrest. The media must be educated to the real life situations officers face and have an appreciation for the fact that officers have a right to return safely to their families after each shift. Officers must all be given appropriate and continued training on all aspects of constitutional policing and the appropriate use of force.
SEXUAL HARASSMENT/SEXUAL DIVERSITY
Politicians, business leaders, Hollywood icons are being forced from their seats of power, after being accused of sexual harassment. A January 2018 survey published in the Wall Street Journal indicated that 51% of women in the work force contend they have been harassed. Sexual Harassment claims will surely burden any company, law enforcement agency or governmental entity that does not take immediate steps to implement proactive policy and procedures to investigate, mitigate, train and discipline offenders and provide procedures for victims.
Sexual diversity is a new norm that confronts every organization in this changing social and cultural environment. Gay rights, transgender rights and a host of other protected interests all come within the protection of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the line of court decisions that have vastly expanded protection to victims of sexual harassment and sexual discrimination.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This is a 5 hour interactive class that will give you clarity on the following:
· The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and cases that expanded protections to victims of sexual harassment and sexual diversity
· The changing social and cultural environment
· A definition of sexual harassment and sexual diversity in today's society
· Hostile or offensive work environment
· Must victims show extreme distress to prevail in a claim?
· How to handle any complaint of sexual harassment stemming from sexual diversity
· How to investigate and discipline the wrong doer
· How to train all employees from the top executive to the mail room
· How to provide guidance and counseling to employees to mitigate potential claims
· When to terminate offenders
· Due Process Rights & Victim Protection
· How to create a system & environment that promotes protection for victims while ferreting out false claims.
OTHER TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION INCLUDE
- Anonymous reports of violations
- Anonymity to victims
- Preventing retribution
- Providing a mentor
- Transfers
- References
- Office social gatherings and alcohol
- Are offenders more likely at the professional or executive levels?
- Can females be the offenders?
- Harassment against members of the LGBTQ work force
- Legal discrimination, religious protections
- Anti fraternization policy
- Encouraging gender neutralizing at all levels of the organization
- Hiring discrimination
- Dealing with the provocative dresser or the hugger
- An outline of Policy & Procedures to confront issues of sexual harassment and sexual diversity discrimination
DE-ESCALATION, PROPORTINALITY, RISK AVOIDANCE
AND
THE USE OF FORCE IN THE 21ST CENTURY
This 8 hour class closely examines De-escalation, Proportionality, and 21st Century Constitutional Policing and the evolving legal trends that confront the law enforcement professional.
This class is designed for Law Enforcement Training Officers, Legal Advisors, Supervisors and Vice and Narcotics Officers and highlights the changing environment that effects every police department.
The importance of Crisis Intervention, Special Operations, Supervisor Training, and Officer Safety will be discussed in depth. The recommendations of PERF and the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing will be examined. Current case law and national trends that effect police work will be reviewed with a view towards minimizing risk and maintaining officer safety.
Court Room Survival
This class is a 4 hour block of instruction designed to prepare officers to testify effectively and relate in a positive and professional manner to both judge and jury.
There is no question that both the judge and the jury are very much influenced by the performance and professionalism during an officers testimony. Testifying in court may be the most difficult and important task an officer faces and yet they often get little or no training in this important job skill.
From proper report writing to preparation for testifying and then ultimately the trial, this class highlights the skills necessary to effectively become a professional in the court room.
Learn defense lawyer tricks and traps, learn how to connect with the judge and jury and to tell your story in a simple but articulatable fashion and come away with an understanding of the key elements vital to a successful outcome.
21ST CENTURY POLICING
The President's Task Force on Constitutional Policing completed its study and issued its report in May 2015. This lengthy and comprehensive report sought to identify the best police practices and offer recommendations on how the practices can promote effective crime reduction. According to the task force report, community policing needs to be a way of doing business for every officer who should always act as a guardian for the community and not as a warrior.
This class examines the findings and conclusions of the President's Task Force Report and Recommendations and examines long standing issues and challenges faced by law enforcement in order to change the misconception that the police are engaged in a system of targeting certain racial and ethnic groups and/or engaged in unconstitutional Use of Force. Officers will acquire a working knowledge of the Task Force Report and Recommendations and will be given a road map in order to enable them to return to their departments and begin the process of implementing many of the report recommendations. Targeting, profiling, constitutional policing, and community policing programs will be discussed with an emphasis on what the law defines as "justifiable homicides" versus what the public perceives as police acting as warriors and not as guardians who's responsibility is to serve and protect.
The class is 4 to 8 hours and encompasses many of the topics covered in the class on Constitutional Policing and Use of Force.
CONSTITUTIONAL POLICING AND THE USE OF FORCE
This four to eight hour course of instruction focuses on Constitutional Policing and the Use of Force in the law enforcement community. While all officers understand that the law doesn't allow for unconstitutional action or discrimination in law enforcement activities, many do not fully appreciate that the perception of many in the minority community is that police do target minorities in disproportionate numbers and many believe that police efforts often skirt constitutional requirements. Strongly worded policies and procedures related to profiling and discrimination must be adopted where needed and officers from the top of the chain of command to the street level cops must consistently receive up to date training on issues related to Constitutional Policing. Too frequently issues related to the court's view on constitutional issues seem to be left unaddressed in any formal training. This class looks at recent high profile events and focuses on recent court decisions that have a direct impact on Constitutional Policing. The public and media perceive that there is a need for a better understanding by all law enforcement that its enforcement efforts must adhere to rigid constitutional standards and not on past practices and procedures. If state and local departments do not consistently update their officers with the latest constitutional cases and emerging trends, they expose their departments and officers to both criminal and civil liability.
How to Survive A critical incident
In Today's law enforcement climate this timely presentation examines strategies, necessary for the officer, supervisor the department and governing authority needs to survive a critical incident. The press seldom presents a fair and balanced view of a critical incident as clearly shown in recent news reports. This class reviews the correct way the officer, the supervisors, the department and the governing authorities should react to a critical incident.
A proactive program is vital to respond to a critical incident. This presentation which can take the form of a 1 hour keynote address or a four hour class details the steps each officer and agency must implement now so that the response to a critical incident is not simply "pending investigation" but clearly shows the community that an appropriate response to the critical incident is being made in a timely manner.
Two Day Class
Advanced Risk Avoidance & The Use of Force for Supervisors, Experienced Drug Enforcement Officers and Legal Advisors
This comprehensive two day (16 hour class) has been a huge success with many requests to present it throughout the country. Funding is a major problem for many agencies and organizations. If you can provide a venue and help promote the class to your members and nearby agencies then the instructor, who will charge each student less than $200.00 for the 16 hour of instruction, will bear the risk if the class does not generate the interest anticipated. To date, this two day Advanced Class has generated much interest and strong reviews from those that have participated and each class has had attendance well above the members anticipated.
Other Course Options
Risk Avoidance for Law Enforcement
This class is designed to assist law enforcement officers to keep and further develop skills necessary to prevent critical incidents or to reduce the risk associated with the inevitable lawsuits that arise from critical incidents in both everyday police work and in undercover narcotics work. The class examines liability issues related to the use of intermediate and lethal force. Students will become aware of the most current law related to search and seizure, surveillance, profiling, and other constitutional limitations that the courts impose on police officers. This block of instruction will empower officers, their supervisors, and upper level management to institute preventative measures to reduce risk by implementing a proactive approach for training, policy implementation and appropriate and lawful practices and procedures.
The Use of Force
Civil verdicts against police officers are increasing in numbers and damages being awarded are at times staggering. The Courts send mixed messages to officers regarding what constitutes excessive use of force and the press criticizes police officers on Monday afternoon after the officer makes a split second decision on Saturday night. This four to eight hour block of instruction looks at the most up to date Court decisions and applies them to the practical, on-the-street scenarios that police officers face on a daily basis in an informative and entertaining fashion.
Profiling, Search & Seizure, Risk Avoidance
This 4 hour block of instruction examines in depth the Supreme Court's view on racial profiling and gives the street level cop a clearer picture of what the Courts consider to be unconstitutional profiling versus appropriate police procedure. Search and seizure and no-knock warrants are discussed in depth with practical real life cases used for illustration. Issues related to surveillance, the use of cameras, GPS's and other hidden high-tech devices and the Court's view on same are examined. Current cases are discussed and digested.
TASERS AND LESS LETHAL FORCE
Tasers and chemical weapons when used appropriately save lives and reduce injuries to officers, yet litigation about the use of tasers is increasing dramatically. Some departments have taken tasers away from officers. This four to eight hour class explores the liabilities of tasers and chemical weapons with real life case examples and is a must for any department using such non-lethal force. Current cases are discussed and digested.
ETHICS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT
A bland subject is brought to life with an evaluation test taken before the class is taught. This half day class looks at the perception of an ethical police officer versus the reality in a light-hearted way that, nevertheless, drives home the point since police officers are under constant scrutiny by the public and the press, they must act lawfully and ethically both publicly and privately. Real life ethical problems are discussed and the officers come away with an understanding that ethical issues are very often not black and white, but very murky in character. The class learns the primary factors they must examine when they confront ethical problems. Current cases are discussed and digested.
Basic/ Undecover Drug Enforcement
This four to eight hour block of instruction on police civil liability and risk avoidance, takes an in-depth look at drug enforcement work. Real life, on-the-street scenarios are utilized to keep the class up-to-date on the legal requirements involved in doing drug enforcement work. Street level cops will learn the benefits of asset forfeiture, understand the liabilities associated with forfeiture, come away with the knowledge of how to successfully seize property involved in a criminal enterprise. Risk avoidance and undercover buy-busts and the importance of training and properly equipping street-level officers are emphasized all through an interactive approach. Recent court decisions that apply to drug enforcement work are discussed so that the class members come away with a working knowledge of the case law as pertains to the drug enforcement work they do on a daily basis.
Advanced/ Undercover Supervisors and Experienced Drug Enforcement Officer Training
This four to eight hour block of instruction is designed for the experienced drug enforcement officer and supervisor and covers issues related to critical incident survival, supervisory liability, profiling, surveillance, search and seizure, asset forfeiture, interdiction, and the use of lethal and less lethal force. Police ethical standards are discussed and experience drug enforcement officers come away with a better understanding of how to institute preventative measures to enhance risk avoidance, as well as how to implement a proactive approach to training, policy implementation, and appropriate and lawful practices and procedures. Current cases are discussed and digested.
AIRPORT INTERDICTION SCHOOL
Utilizing the expertise of a former narcotics police officer who is now head of security for a major international airline, this class in Airport Interdiction is intended for Drug Enforcement Officers who regularly work airport duty. The class will look at hidden compartments in airplanes and methods used by drug dealers to trans-ship illegal narcotics and money. Legal issues associated with the Use of Force, Search, Seizure, and Surveillance are discussed in depth with real life cases used as teaching examples.
CONSPIRACY/HIGHWAY DRUG INTERDICTION
This class in highway drug interdiction is designed for patrol officers at all levels of experience, as well as narcotics investigators assigned responsibility for post seizures and arrests initiated by patrol officers on routine patrol. The relationship between interdiction stops and the Fourth Amendment are discussed in detail. Participants come away with a working knowledge of the case law as pertains to vehicle stops and seizures. The class is brought up-to-date on the latest Supreme Court decisions related to search and seizure, profiling, the use of force, and the potential liabilities associated with the use of police dogs. Officers are shown through real-life scenarios how simple and routine drug busts can, through proper utilization of resources available to law enforcement, elevate into a large-scale highway drug interdiction case resulting in substantial asset forfeiture, and the dismantling of criminal enterprises. Current cases are discussed and digested. Conspiracy investigations are an invaluable tool for drug enforcement officers. Officers will learn the elements of a conspiracy, the liability involved in a conspiracy investigation, federal and state resources available to investigate, and how to prove the conspiracy case in both the state and the federal courts.