Training Courses

Meeting the Investigative Challenges for New Detectives by LLRMI

Date & Time:
  • March 15, 2027 – March 17, 2027
Location:
Stapleton, AL

Meeting the Investigative Challenges for New Detectives and Criminal Investigators

Instructor: Jake Sparks, Captain of Investigative Services, Ottawa County Sheriff's Office (Michigan)

Event Dates: March 15-17, 2027

Location: APOSTC, 15950 Mosley Road, Stapleton, AL 36578

Recommended Hotel: Holiday Inn Express Daphne, 29725 Woodrow Lane, Daphne, AL 36526

Registration Fee: $350

Course Overview

This comprehensive training program prepares newly assigned investigators to successfully transition from patrol operations into the sophisticated and analytical field of criminal investigations. The course builds essential competencies in understanding the detective role's mission, purpose, and professional obligations while cultivating the critical mindset required for sustained investigative achievement. Participants will acquire practical skills in caseload prioritization and administration, crime scene preservation, evidence chain-of-custody procedures, and protection of investigative integrity alongside personal well-being. Using both instructional methods and hands-on practical work, attendees will develop the ability to identify suspects, generate investigative leads, and evaluate cellular, digital, and physical evidence to advance cases systematically and within legal boundaries.

The program also addresses specialized investigative domains such as fatality investigations, sensitive offense cases, and serious violent crimes. Trainees will apply professional questioning and interrogation methodologies that adhere to constitutional standards, prepare legally sufficient written reports and search warrant applications, and implement optimal techniques for documenting scenes and managing evidence. Case analysis from actual investigations, experiential learning activities, and scenario-based exercises strengthen analytical abilities, judgment, and trial preparation. Upon completion, detectives will have the knowledge and skills necessary to combine investigative evidence, communicate findings clearly, and conduct thorough, principled, and legally defensible inquiries from initial scene response through case conclusion.

Course Objectives

By the end of this training, participants will be able to:

  • Articulate the detective profession's fundamental mission, purpose, and ethical obligations, and recognize the psychological transition from uniformed patrol to investigation work
  • Employ systematic approaches to case prioritization and administration while safeguarding case integrity and participant mental health
  • Execute varied investigative strategies for identifying suspects and cultivating leads via technological resources, strategic operations, and systematic witness interviews
  • Critically assess cellular, digital, and tangible evidence to generate productive investigative pathways
  • Compose thorough reports and warrant applications meeting applicable statutory and case law standards including Carson rulings and 404B evidence considerations
  • Properly handle and document crime locations to preserve evidence integrity and prevent contamination
  • Execute complete death scene investigations encompassing suicides, overdose fatalities, homicides, and accidental deaths with industry-standard documentation and assessment methods
  • Review and analyze authentic homicide case files to determine critical investigative actions and transferable insights
  • Engage in practical training simulating victim positioning assessment, wound analysis, and violent incident reconstruction
  • Demonstrate professional questioning and interrogation procedures that satisfy Walker/Jackson Hearing requirements, Miranda protections, and contemporary interpretations of the custody standard
  • Handle investigations of serious interpersonal offenses including sexual violence, child exploitation material, child maltreatment, intimate partner violence, and connected violations using compassion, thoroughness, and evidentiary rigor
  • Synthesize investigative findings and present them effectively by means of team evaluations, collaborative discussions, and trial-prepared documents

About the Instructor

Captain Jake Sparks brings extensive law enforcement experience to this course. He joined the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office in 1999 following his graduation from Grand Valley State University with a degree in Criminal Justice. Sparks earned recognition as Deputy of the Year in 2003 for his community policing contributions. From 2006 onward, he participated in a Michigan State Police undercover narcotics initiative focusing on street-level trafficking and gang activities, with emphasis on interdiction operations and conspiracy cases conducted in partnership with federal agencies targeting major drug distribution networks. After becoming a Detective in 2009, Sparks accumulated substantial investigative background in sexual assault cases, robbery investigations, homicides, and major criminal matters. He also served two years with a specialized unit investigating previously unsolved homicide cases. His 2017 promotion to Detective Sergeant was followed by advancement to Services Captain, where he oversaw multiple community safety programs and school-based resource initiatives. In 2018, Sparks received the Distinguished Law Enforcement Service Award for his role in peacefully resolving a barricaded armed subject situation. Since 2019, he has directed the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office Crisis Negotiation Team and currently supervises the Detective Bureau within the Investigative Services Unit.