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Training Program Services Bureau
(916) 227-4885

Larry Ellsworth
ICI Program Manager
(916) 227-4895

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Robert Presley Institute of Criminal Investigation

The POST Robert Presley Institute of Criminal Investigation (ICI) is designed to improve the effectiveness of individual investigators through the use of a contemporary curriculum and excellence in instruction.  The Institute is dedicated to training law enforcement follow-up investigators in the practical skills and knowledge necessary for today’s rapidly changing world.

This Program is useful for all investigators regardless of their experience level.  The Core and Foundation Specialty courses use the adult experience-based techniques of learning.  By no means do students in the ICI Program sit and passively listen to lectures.  Each student, with an invaluable background and perspective, plays a key role in the ICI course.  Courses are taught by specially trained investigators and subject matter experts – though the real teachers are the students themselves.  Students are immersed in a learning environment that closely mirrors their real world.  Role play, simulated crime scenarios, major case studies, the use of professional actors, and a small class size all ensure an active and practical learning environment.

More Information

Contact the POST ICI Program Manager at (916) 227-4895, or any participating presenter for more information regarding the ICI program and available courses.

ICI "Investigative Excellence" Awards Recipients

POST congratulates the following recipients of the Robert Presley Institute of Criminal Investigation (ICI) "Investigative Excellence" Award:

2012

  • Detective Kevin Pappineau - Elk Grove Police Department: Child Sexual Predator / Child Abuse Investigation
  • Detective Robert Rand - Los Angeles Police Department: Attempted Homicide (Gang Related) Investigation
  • Gilroy Police Department - "Operation Garlic Press": Storefront Operation
  • Rocklin Police Department - Multi Agency Investigation: Rape & Flight to Avoid Prosecution Investigation
  • Santa Clara County REACT Task Force: Robbery Takeover Investigation 

2011

  • Detective John Skaggs - Los Angeles Police Department: Gang Related Homicide Investigation
  • "Steve Lo" Task Force - Sacramento Police Department: Officer Involved Homicide Investigation
  • Special Assault Section, Robbery-Homicide Division, Los Angeles Police Department: Serial Sexual Predator Investigation
  • Valley Division Investigative Services Unit - California Highway Patrol: Officer Involved Murder-For-Hire Investigation
  • Detective Steve Goard - Livermore Police Department: Child Homicide Investigation
  • Detective Webster Wong - Los Angeles Police Department: Cumulative Robbery Investigative Excellence

Certification Requirements

The ICI Program is presented in three phases and includes approximately 200 hours of training for certification in each specialty.  The phases include a Core Course, a Foundation Specialty Course, and three related Elective Courses (doc).  All courses must be taken within a seven-year period.  Students can certify in multiple specialties.

  • Core Course: Student must attend – no equivalent
  • Foundation Specialty Course: Student must attend one of the following ICI Courses – Arson/Explosives, Burglary, Child Abuse, Computer Crime, Domestic Violence, Fraud/Forgery, Gangs (new!), Homicide, ID Theft, Narcotics, Robbery, Sexual Assault, Vice, or Vehicle Theft – No equivalent
  • Elective Courses: Student must attend at least one elective course - electives (doc)– must be directly related to their foundation specialty
  • Universal Courses:Student must attend a total of three elective/universal courses, but may attend two from the univerals category – must be investigative related

    Graduates receive a special POST Robert Presley Institute of Criminal Investigation certificate which designates their fields of study (foundation specialty).

    • Elective/Universal Courses must be at least 24 hours in length.  A total of three courses must be taken from this category.  Once a course has been applied toward a certificate, including the foundation specialty course, it is not reusable toward another certificate.


Instructions for Obtaining an ICI Certificate

  • Complete the ICI Certificate Application Form (doc) and upon completion, fax, mail, or email to:

    POST ICI Program Manager Larry Ellsworth
    1601 Alhambra Boulevard
    Sacramento, CA 95816
    Desk: (916) 227-4895
    Fax: (916) 227-4011
    • If you need to verify your records and get details on courses you have attended please contact your agency training officer/manager who can verify this information from records using the Electronic Data Interchange system.
       
    • For each course please specify:
      • Course Title
      • Course Hours
      • Presenter (Agency Name)
      • 15-digit POST Course Control Number
      • Date course was completed

Who Should Apply?

ICI courses are open to all full-time follow-up investigators with approximately one-year experience conducting follow-up investigations. The ICI Program requires only a firm commitment from both students and their respective agencies that all courses will be completed.

Cost

POST Plan IV(tuition free, travel/per diem reimbursement) is used for the Core Course and most foundation specialty courses to those agencies eligible for POST reimbursement.

Core Course

The Robert Presley Institute of Criminal Investigation (ICI) Core Course is the prerequisite for all subsequent ICI Foundation Specialty Courses within this program.  The core course is designed to enhance the effectiveness of the individual criminal investigators skills in performing the multi-disciplined, multi-leveled tasks necessary to successfully conduct comprehensive criminal investigations.  Instruction in this course is provided through a coordinated, experience-based adult learning approach which addresses crime scene management, interviewing and interrogation skills, search and seizure issues, search warrant preparation, surveillance techniques, case reporting, informant management, media relations, case reporting and courtroom testimony.  Students will engage in practical application exercises throughout this course and be required to satisfactorily complete case work and a search warrant.

At the conclusion of the course, the student will be able to:

  • Manage and reconstruct a crime scene
  • Organize and employ the skills involved in case management
  • Demonstrate the ability to work with victims and witnesses through the effective application of interviewing and interrogation techniques
  • Identify and access useful sources of information
  • Validate their work through documentation and case presentation


Number of Hours: 80

ICI Core Course Presenters

California State University, Sacramento (CSUS)


Presenter
Babette Jimenez
Phone: (916) 278-6108

Registration
Phone: (916) 278-4433 option 2
Email: cceinfo@csus.edu


Administrator
Maril O’Shaughnessy
Phone: (916) 955-5202
Fresno City College Police Academy - (FCCPA)

Presenter
Fred Johnson
Phone: (559) 442-8277

Administrator
Gary Fief
Phone: (559) 250-9582
Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD)

Presenter
Detective III Amira Smith
Phone: (323) 223-6959
Fax: (323) 223-6993

Administrator
Detective II Sterling Fields
Phone: (323) 223-6959
Fax: (323) 223-6993
San Diego Regional Training Center (SDRTC)

Presenter
Mike Gray
Phone: (858) 550-0040
Fax: (858) 550-0131
Register Online @ SDRTC


Administrator
Phyl Peltier
Phone: (530) 521-8044
 

 
San Francisco Police Department  (SFPD)

Presenter
Nathaniel Steger
Phone: (415) 401-4721
Fax: (415) 401-4747

Administrator
Henry Hunter
Phone: (415) 218-0530
 
South Bay Regional Public Safety Training Consortium

Presenter
Ernie Smedlund
Phone: (408) 270-6458

Administrator
Gary Fief
Phone: (559) 250-9582

Foundation Specialty Courses

A Foundation Specialty is an area of investigative specialization. There are 14 Foundation Specialty courses, and each student is required to complete at least one. Additionally, each student must complete at least one related specialty course, among a subset of designated courses within the specialty. For example, a student pursuing a Foundation Specialty in Homicide would need to take the Homicide Foundation Specialty course, plus one foundation specialty Electives listed under "Homicide," e.g., "Cold Case Investigation."

The Foundation Specialties and Electives provides a listing of all the approved courses. After satisfying the Foundation Specialty requirement and completing an additional two Universal or Elective courses (each at least 24 hours in length), then investigators may apply for ICI Certification.

The 14 Foundation Specialties are:

Arson and Explosives

Burglary

Child Abuse

Computer Crime

Domestic Violence

Financial Crimes (Fraud/Forgery)

Gangs

Homicide

Identity Theft

Narcotics

Robbery

Sexual Assault

Vehicle Theft

Vice

Universal Electives

Universal Elective courses provide instruction that supports the Foundation Specialty areas. Two electives (from the pool of designated "Universal Courses"), beyond the Foundation Specialty Elective, must be taken to meet the requirements for an ICI Certificate. The electives should relate to the specialty chosen. All electives must be at least 24 hours in duration. Two courses of lesser length may be combined to constitute an elective, as long as their combined length is at least 24 hours. Electives (doc) provides a listing of the approved Universal Elective courses.

History

During a budget briefing session in the mid-80s, State Senator Robert Presley commented that there seemed to be something missing in the POST training: a training program for criminal investigators.

Then POST Executive Director Norm Boehm directed a needs assessment to determine if such a program was necessary. The training needs assessment confirmed the need, and actions to design an investigative training program began.

There were several planning meetings in 1988, and the core course curriculum was created in 1989 and subsequently piloted. A key feature of the pilot presentations was the inclusion of fictitious criminal cases which students worked on throughout the course.

In addition to the core course, foundation specialty courses were developed. To receive an ICI Certificate, a student is required to complete the core course, one foundation specialty course, and three investigative elective courses relating to the specialty.

A decision was made in 1993 to train all of the instructional cadre and course administrators in experience-based learning in order to maximize skill development and retention. The facilitators for the ICI instructor training program are all POST master instructors.

In 1994, the Institute was formalized via P.C. 13519.9 which states "the Robert Presley Institute of Criminal Investigation will make available to criminal investigators of California's law enforcement agencies an advanced training program to meet the needs of working investigators."

Throughout the growth of ICI, there was no organized effort to revise the core course curriculum. Additionally, individual presenters implemented modifications that were based upon student evaluations and discussions with course instructors. The result of these changes was that the curriculum varied statewide. The effect of this variance was the possibility that officers from the same agency might get a different training experience by attending the core course in different locations. These concerns led to the decision to conduct a formal study examining the training needs of follow-up investigators.

In April 2002, the process of updating the core course curriculum began. In May, POST staff conducted a series of focus group meetings with follow-up investigators and investigative supervisors to determine current training needs. Ten focus group meetings were conducted involving a total of 104 individuals from 18 sheriff departments, 35 police departments and 4 other law enforcement agencies. The focus groups contributed valuable suggestions for updating the core course curriculum. The core course currently in place reflects these enhancements.

Since its inception, the motto of the ICI Program has been "Excellence in Instruction, Contemporary Curriculum." This operational philosophy is the driving force of the program because it focuses on providing an instructional cadre equipped with the knowledge, skills, and tools to deliver training using methods that maximize understanding and retention. These skills are coupled with cutting-edge courses and a developmental process that is necessary for keeping abreast of rapidly changing criminality. The end goal is a highly trained and competent investigator who is able to meet the investigative challenges of the new millennium.

 

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