Course Details
| Instructor: | Joel Hardin, Sharon Ward, Kathleen Decker, Rick Wyant | |
|---|---|---|
| Dates: | Friday, May 19, 2006, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. | |
| Notes: | There is no fee for this class. Often what begins as a missing person search turns into a case of criminal misconduct, with the search area being the crime scene. This class will explore search methods and strategies for solving major crimes using canine and tracking resources. It will include lectures and demonstrations on how both resources can work together to produce factual solutions through their joint examination of the incident. When conditions are ideal, canines don't need trackers and trackers don't need canines to find missing persons. However, when it is no longer a simple matter of finding the person, but rather one that involves criminal misconduct, canine handlers and trackers need to communicate - to work together -- to identify, collect and produce meaningful evidence of the misconduct. An example is the case wherein a parent, in full fury, strikes and kills a child, hides the body, then reports the child missing, stating that he has run off into the woods. In many cases, searchers resort to speculation regarding the incident. Canine handlers and trackers can work together, not only to find the child, but to produce evidence demonstrating the factual conclusion of misconduct. This class will include lectures on crime scene protocols from various points of view including law enforcement, the crime lab, trackers and canine handlers. Actual case profiles will be discussed and field demonstrations utilizing real life scenarios will be employed to illustrate the strategies discussed. Instructors:Joel Hardin About the Instructors:Joel Hardin, owner of Joel Hardin Professional Tracing Services, has been recognized for the past 35 years as an internationally-known leader and chief instructor of tracking training for SAR and law enforcement personnel. In addition, he is the Executive Officer of 1st Special Response Group.Sharon Ward is an attorney in Portland, Oregon. She is the Training Officer for Pacific Crest Search Dogs, a Senior Coordinator for Cowlitz County Search and Rescue, and a member of 1st Special Response Group. In addition, she is an Apprentice tracker. Kathleen Decker is a twenty year veteran with the King County Sheriff's Department, currently assigned as a Detective in the Major Crime Unit. She instructs crime scene investigation courses in Washington, Idaho and Montana. She is a Journeyman tracker and a member of 1st Special Response Group. Rick Wyant is a forensic scientist with the Washington State Crime Lab. He has been a scientist for 7 years. He instructs crime scene investigation courses all over the state. In addition, he is a Snohomish County Reserve Deputy and Search and Rescue Dog Handler. For more information, or to register, please contact:Sharon Ward |