Investigating and Prosecuting Drug Cases

The Pennsylvania State Police, Pennsylvania District Attorney's Association, Pennsylvania Narcotic Officers Association, Philadelphia Police Department, and the Pittsburgh Police Department will co-sponsor a seven (7) day Top Gun training program. Top Gun is a drug enforcement training program designed for the investigator and prosecutor with 0-5 years experience. The course highlights various stages of a typical drug investigation from the time the initial information is received through the resulting search warrants.

Municipal Police Officers must be a member of PNOA to register for TOP GUN
How Does it Work?

Top Gun combines many mediums to enhance learning. The course is built around a straight forward fact scenario. You will hear lectures and mini-lectures from recognized experts in the area of both legal and practical aspects of conducting drug investigations. Following each classroom session, a practical workshop is conducted where you will have the opportunity to apply the knowledge you have just acquired.

The Classroom - Workshop Format

Participants are assigned to a squad at registration and interact within that group throughout the course of the investigation. Each squad is guided by a faculty coordinator who assists the squad during their skill-building workshops. Each squad is a diverse mixture of experience levels and includes both prosecutors and investigators.

Course Content

• CONFIDENTIAL INFORMANTS:
  You will pair up with one of your squad members and debrief a confidential informant. Faculty members will assist you in developing strategies for convincing the CI to 'come clean' and then for legally and ethically controlling the informant.
• WORKING UNDERCOVER: 
  You will learn both traditional and innovative techniques for safely and effectively operating undercover.
• INTELLIGENCE GATHERING:
  You will learn the value of intelligence as strategic and tactical resource while you develop investigative and warrant execution of plans.
• INTERVIEW AND INTERROGATION:
  You will learn the innovative methods of interviewing and interrogating to assist you in developing informants and interviewing suspects.
• INVESTIGATIVE PLANNING:
  You will learn to devise an investigative plan to penetrate a local drug dealers organization described in the fact scenario. A methodical investigative concept will be established giving the investigator a realistic framework from which to conduct drug investigations.
• SURVEILLANCE:
  You will work as a group in preparing a search warrant based on the factual information developed in the investigation and learn ways of countering attacks on searches with motions to suppress evidence.
• RAID PLANNING:
  You will learn to utilize intelligence information and investigative leads to develop a safe, effective operation. The squads will execute a series of raids during this program.
• ENTRY TECHNIQUES:
  You will learn safe, effective methods to use when executing search and arrest warrants. Ruse, dynamic and distraction techniques will be discussed.
• INTRODUCTION TO FORFEITURE:
  You will be able to recognize and identify circumstances where criminal conduct may give rise to asset forfeiture litigation.