NCJTC Sexual Assault Investigation Academy
This comprehensive four-day classroom training program equips law enforcement professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary to conduct thorough and trauma-informed sexual assault investigations. Participants will explore evidence-based investigative methodologies, victim-centered approaches, and best practices for managing sensitive crime scenes and preparing cases for successful prosecution.
Course Overview
The academy covers a broad range of critical topics essential to sexual assault investigations. Attendees will learn how to define sex crimes and their legal elements, examine current trends in sexual assault cases, and apply investigative strategies tailored to sensitive crime situations. The training emphasizes victim support and trauma-informed interviewing techniques designed to minimize further trauma while gathering reliable evidence. Participants will also develop skills in identifying and utilizing victim services, building multi-disciplinary team responses, and working effectively with specialized professionals such as Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE).
Key Learning Outcomes
Upon completion, participants will be able to:
- Define sex crimes, their legal elements, and relevant trends and patterns
- Review and apply investigative strategies specific to sexual assault and other sensitive crimes
- Identify victim services and methods to effectively support sexual assault survivors
- Develop investigative skills through case studies and examination of prosecution outcomes
- Master current evidence collection and storage protocols for sexual assault cases
- Build suspect profiles in stranger sexual assault investigations
- Establish effective multi-disciplinary team relationships to enhance investigation outcomes
- Understand the role and value of SANE nurses in sexual assault investigations
- Apply advanced interview and interrogation techniques that balance case effectiveness with victim protection
- Address special investigative circumstances including alcohol and drug-facilitated assaults, Title IX considerations, and PREA implications
Training Schedule and Duration
The academy runs for four consecutive days, with full-day sessions from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm CT each day. Check-in and registration begin at 7:30 am. The program provides 32 hours of instruction, including breaks and meals on your own. Multiple sessions are available at different locations and dates throughout 2026 and into 2027.
Curriculum Highlights
The detailed curriculum addresses the dynamics of sexual assault, reporting barriers and challenges, consent definitions, and initial law enforcement response protocols. Crime scene management, investigative evidence gathering, and search and seizure procedures are thoroughly covered. Special emphasis is placed on trauma-informed interview techniques and addressing concerns regarding recantations and false reporting allegations. The academy also covers Sexual Assault Forensic Examinations (SAFE) and SANE expert testimony, drug-facilitated sexual assault investigations, human trafficking indicators, cold hit investigations with genealogy requirements, and strategies for overcoming common defense arguments. The final day includes victim advocacy, victim services resources, secondary trauma awareness, and self-care strategies for investigators.
Target Audience
This training is designed for law enforcement professionals seeking to enhance their investigative capabilities in sexual assault cases and related sensitive crimes.
Instructors
Cordelia Coppleson is an Assistant Attorney General with the Illinois Attorney General's Office, assigned to the Criminal Enforcement Division. She serves as chief of the Law Enforcement Training Bureau and Training Project Coordinator for the Sexual Assault Incident Procedure Act. Cordelia has trained thousands of law enforcement officers in trauma-informed sexual assault investigation and hundreds of prosecutors nationwide on topics including trauma-informed prosecution and alcohol and drug-facilitated sexual assault cases. She has been selected to present at the End Violence Against Women International Conference (2019 and 2023) and the International Association of Forensic Nurses Conference (2020-2022).
James Pittman is a detective with the Milwaukee Police Department's Sensitive Crimes Unit. He is a veteran of the United States Air Force and entered law enforcement in 2002 as a civilian police officer with the Department of Defense in Minneapolis. From 2003 to 2014, he worked for the Great Lakes Police Department in Illinois, advancing through the ranks of patrol officer, lead police officer, and supervisory officer. After joining Milwaukee Police Department in 2014 and working in patrol, he was promoted to detective in October 2020 and now investigates sexual assaults, child abuse, infant deaths, and missing persons cases.
Cost and What's Included
The training fee is $650.00 per participant. This fee covers 32 hours of instruction, all program materials, and instructional costs. Participants are responsible for arranging and paying for their own meals, travel, and lodging.
Venue Information
The primary session takes place at the UW Madison Police Department, located at 1429 Monroe Street, Madison, Wisconsin 53711. Several nearby lodging options are available, including the Best Western Plus InnTowner, DoubleTree by Hilton, Hilton Garden Inn, and Wisconsin Union Hotel.
Contact Information
For questions or additional information, contact Jessica Heimann at (855) 866-2582 or jessica.heimann2274@fvtc.edu.
For information regarding continuing education units, please consult the NCJTC policies page.