Course Description

This 3 day course of instruction is designed for the veteran narcotics Investigator. This course of instruction is intended to provide veteran narcotics Investigators with information and practical skills utilized to conduct complex narcotics investigations in today's ever changing environment. Students will be provided with various methods to conduct complex narcotics investigations in a rural and urban setting. Students will be exposed to telephone exploitation methods, pen-registers, mail covers, financial investigation, undercover operations, confidential sources, conspiracy (complex/dry) and other secrets of the trade. This course provides a formal understanding of how to conduct a complex narcotics investigation from the case initiation to the sentencing of the defendant. Students will be exposed to various modern methods of narcotics investigation.
 

Instructor:

Kyle D. York is currently an Investigator with the Durham Police Department in Durham, North Carolina. Investigator York has been in law enforcement for approximately 15 years, with 11 years in the Durham, NC Police Department, and 8 years in Narcotics enforcement. Investigator York has been assigned as a sworn Task Force Officer with the Drug Enforcement Administration's Raleigh Resident Office for the past 5 years. Investigator York has been involved in hundreds of narcotics related investigations for local, state, and federal agencies across the United States. Investigator York has participated in over 15 state and federal Title III investigations. Investigator York has been the lead case agent for 2 of the largest cocaine seizures in the State of North Carolina. Investigator York has also been the lead case agent in numerous long term investigations involving Mexican and Vietnamese Drug Trafficking Organizations resulting in the seizure of millions of dollars in cash, vehicles, and real estate.

Conducting Drug/Narcotic Investigations

Class Agenda & Outline

DAY 1

1. Registration 8:00 - 8:30 AM
    
2. Introduction 8:30 - 9:30 AM
    
3. Class experiences and discussion 9:45 - 10:30 AM
    
4. Outline and course objectives 10:45 - 11:30 AM
    
5. LUNCH 11:30 - 1:00 PM
    
6. Practical team formation
    
7. Case Initiation (goals and objectives) 1:00 - 3:00 PM

a. Type of Target(s)
b. Time to develop case
c. UC and CS concerns
d. Monetary investments
e. Personnel concerns

   8. Role of the Supervisor and Case Investigator 3:00 - 4:00 PM

DAY 2

   1. Officer Safety 8:00 - 12:00 PM
                   a. Know Your Targets
                   b. Short term investigations
                   c. Long term investigations
                   d. Other officer responsibilities
                   e. Surveillance duties
                   f. Counter-surveillance
                   g. Electronic, audio, and video surveillance

   2. LUNCH 12:00 - 1:00 PM

   3. Motivation and Use of Informants 1:00 - 4:00 PM
                   a. Types of Informants
                       1. Mercenary
                       2. Revenge
                       3. Good Samara tin
                       4. Defendant
                   b. Use of Informants in Your Investigation
                       1. Coordination with UC
                   c. Informant Documentation
                       1. Know your informant (trust, confidence, reliability)

   4. Conducting Successful Surveillances
                   a. Operations Plans

DAY 3

   1. Case Management 8:00 - 10:00 AM
                   a. Report assignments
                   b. Case file organization

   2. Search Warrants 10:00 - 12:00 PM
                   a. Knock and Talks
                   b. Consent Searches
                   c. Trash Pulls
                   d. Controlled Deliveries (Parcels)
  
   3. LUNCH 12:00 - 1:00 PM

   4. Complex Conspiracy Practical

   5. Legal issues/Trial Preparation 1:00 - 3:00 PM
                    a. Use of UC's and CS's
                    b. Search of CS and vehicle
                    c. Recording serial numbers
                    d. Audio and Video Tapes

   6. Liability for Supervisors 3:00 - 4:00 PM
                    a. Safety issues for the CS
                    b. Operation Plans
                    c. Officer safety
                    d. Command Responsibility