Juvenile Justice Agencies

This course introduces analysts to the broader concepts of connecting the dots through link analysis. A critical portion of conducting a successful analytical investigation is the ability to link together and understand the complexities of the connectedness between people and organizations. Introduction to Link Analysis (ILA) expands on the basic principles of link and association analyses explored in the Foundations of Intelligence Analysis Training (FIAT) while building a framework for more advanced methods such as social network analysis.

Expanding basic knowledge of link and association analysis
Explaining the process of social network analysis
Understanding the visual mapping and mathematical components associated with link and social network analyses

This course provides students with the fundamental knowledge and skills they need to investigate crimes involving virtual currency. Instructors explain foundational concepts like the characteristics of money, virtual currency, and cryptocurrency. Blockchain technology, proof work, and proof of stake are covered; and students learn how industry-leading cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Monero) work and how they differ from each other. Finally, students learn investigative techniques for tracking and documenting transactions; and best practices for seizing and securing cryptocurrency.

*Virtual currency basics. History of money and of virtual currency. Categorizing virtual currency.
*Blockchain. History of the blockchain. Understanding different protocols.
*Cryptocurrencies in detail. Bitcoin, Ethereum, Monero and other privacy coins.
*Investigative techniques. Seizing virtual currency; tracking transactions through the blockchain; documenting investigative results.

This course provides the fundamental knowledge and skills required to acquire forensic backup images of commonly encountered forms of digital evidence (Microsoft Windows based computers and external storage devices) in a forensically sound manner. Presentations and hands-on practical exercises cover topics on storage media and how data is stored, the forensic acquisition process, tool validation, hardware and software write blockers, forensic backup image formats, and multiple forensic acquisition methods. Students will use third party tools, both free and commercial, that are currently used by practitioners in the field.

Online social media and emerging methods of electronic communication are changing how people communicate and interact with world around them. Increasingly, those contemplating engaging acts of spree violence express themselves in online social media. It is important that investigators, analysts, and those responsible for school, workplace, and public safety understand how this behavior plays a key role in predicting and interdicting the violence. Items of evidentiary value can now often be recovered from online communities. This evidence can provide indicators of planned violence and help to shed light on the thought processes and motivations that led to the tipping point of violence.
The training will explore the interaction between social media and spree violence through a historical examination of case studies ranging in time from 1927 to 2022. Police, prosecutors, probation officers, school and university administrators, and others responsible for workplace and public safety can all benefit from this training.

This course is designed to provide law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and asset forfeiture administrators with an understanding of asset forfeiture rules and regulations, and the impact state and federal asset forfeiture programs have on crime and criminals. This course gives students a better understanding of asset forfeiture procedures in order to dismantle the criminal organizations in possession of the assets. Students are provided with relevant state statutes, resources, and sample organizational documents. A combination of lecture, discussion, and interactive exercises illustrate the potential dangers and repercussions of asset forfeiture, as well as best practices and techniques for asset forfeiture investigations, prosecutions, and administrative management of each case.

This course prepares students to identify various artifacts typically located in property lists and SQLite databases on MacOS-based computers, as well as learn how to perform forensic analysis. Students gain hands-on practical experience writing basic SQL queries and using to analyze operating system artifacts that includes, but is not limited to, user login passwords, FaceTime, messages, mail, contacts, calendars, reminders, notes, photos, Safari, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox.

When the target of an investigation is a professional, like a doctor or lawyer, it can complicate the case. It can be even more complex when the target is pretending to be a professional. During the course of the investigation, you may have to navigate subpoena productions around privileges like the attorney client privilege or HIPPA. We will highlight some of the thorny issues that can arise during these investigations and discuss how certain strategies can positively impact your case by examining several case studies.

This course covers the acquisition, examination, and analysis of many types of financial records, including bank statements and checks, wire transfer records, and business records. Topics include recognizing and investigating common indicators of fraud, using spreadsheets to facilitate analysis and pattern recognition, and financial profiling. There is a strong focus on presenting financial evidence in multiple modalities: spreadsheet data outputs, graphic representations, and written/oral presentations.

*Introduction to analysis. Best practices. Finding patterns. Indicators of fraud. Presenting your findings.
*Financial records. Bank records. Business documents.
*Financial profiling. Methods of profiling. Reasons to create a profile. Creating a profile.
*Hands-on experience. Work a mock financial case as part of an investigative team.

This course builds on the concepts introduced in FC101 (FIPS) and FC105 (FREA), introducing investigators and prosecutors to emerging issues in financial crime. Topics include money laundering, analyzing large financial data sets, conducting effective interviews, and managing large amounts of financial evidence. This course consists of a mix of lecture, discussion, and hands-on exercises. Students conduct a mock investigation that includes interviews, data analysis, and the examination of various documents.

*Money laundering. Methods of laundering money. Tracing illegal funds. Emerging issues. FinCEN.
*Spreadsheeting skills. Spreadsheet architecture. Formulas and calculations. Pivot tables.
*Working with financial data. Benfords law analysis. Disentangling commingled funds.
*Hands-on experience. Work a mock financial case as part of an investigative team.