PLET - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Instructor With the Texas Commission
- Special Investigator With the Texas Child Protective Services
Anita Seamans, Ph.D., recently retired as the director of the Southwest Regional Law Enforcement Academy, located in Southwest Colorado. Anita began her career with the Live Oak Police Department. She worked for the police department for 31 years and was a member of the criminal investigation's unit for 20 years.
Anita has investigated a wide range of criminal cases, including capital murder, sexual assault, robbery, negligent homicide, child abuse, credit card fraud, drug offenses, burglary, and theft. Anita has prosecuted persons in both state and federal courts.
Anita participated in a multi-jurisdictional SWAT team and has served that team as a combat medic, sniper, sniper team leader, assistant commander, and commander. Anita is a recognized expert in questioned document examination and handwriting comparison. Anita was assigned to the F.B.I. Taskforce "Innocent Images," where she served for 18 months. Anita was also assigned to a D.E.A. task force in 2014.
As a result of several major drug investigations, Anita and other narcotics investigators seized over $130,000 in United States currency and several pounds of synthetic marijuana. Anita has been featured on the television series "I almost got away with it," "Women Behind Bars," and "Dr. G Medical Examiner."
Anita currently serves as a special investigator with the Texas Child Protective Services. Anita is a licensed instructor with the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Education and has been an instructor with the Alamo Area Law Enforcement Academy for 32 years.
Sergeant Barry Ragsdale is a twenty-nine (29) year veteran of the Dallas Police Department who spent approximately two decades assigned to the Narcotics Division as an undercover officer/detective and supervisor.
For almost seven (7) years, Barry was assigned to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as a Task Force Officer (TFO) to investigate large-scale drug trafficking organizations.
Barry began his law enforcement career with the Dallas Police Department in February 1990. In early 1995, Barry transferred to the Narcotics Division "Street Squads" where he was assigned to work in an undercover capacity purchasing illegal narcotics from street level dealers throughout the city of Dallas.
While working as a TFO with DEA, Barry was the case agent and lead undercover officer on numerous federal investigations ranging from the "Texas Syndicate" prison gang to Iranian MDMA/Ecstasy traffickers While assigned to the DEA Task Force, Barry initiated and worked on numerous complex conspiracy investigations where he worked as an undercover officer, surveillance officer, cultivated and managed CI's, prepared search warrants, and assisted on Title III wiretap investigations. Barry has participated in numerous prosecutions of federal drug trafficking and money-laundering conspiracies.
After promoting to Sergeant, Barry was asked to supervise a uniformed Drug Task Force responsible for targeting chronic drug house complaints by conducting covert surveillance, "Knock & Talk" operations, and vehicle stops on suspected drug dealers. In 2012, Barry transferred back to the Narcotics Division where he supervised investigations until his retirement in 2019.
Barry is recognized as a hands-on type of leader, which was never more evident than during the tragic events of July 7, 2016, in Dallas, Texas when five uniformed police officers were killed by an armed gunman during a lawful protest. On November 1, 2016, he was recognized for his actions during that historic event at the Friends of the Dallas Police awards banquet when he was honored with the Dallas Police Department "Supervisor of the Year" award.
Barry has been an instructor and keynote speaker on narcotics related subjects and leadership over the past twenty (20) years.
Brian Coleman began his law enforcement career with the Philadelphia Police Department. After serving 2 years in patrol, Brian was selected to a Divisional Task Force which encompassed three of the highest crime/drug areas in Philadelphia. While in the Task Force, Brian had many opportunities to work plainclothes for many operations such as drugs sales, robberies, and burglaries. During this time Brian also worked with Philadelphia's Police Department's Narcotics Strike Force and Narcotics Field Units. In working with the Narcotics Strike Force and Field Units, Brian routinely was part of surveillance and take down team for open air drug sales in the North Philadelphia.
Since 2007, Brian has been employed by Haverford Township Police Department. While employed by Haverford Township, Brian
worked in the Detective Division, Special Operations Division, and is currently assigned to the Patrol Unit as a Sergeant. While assigned to the Detective Division, Brian had the opportunity to work in plainclothes in response to a high count of incidents of burglaries
Job Titles:
- Police Officer ( Retired )
- Retired Police Officer With the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department
Brian Grammas is a retired Police Officer with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, where he has worked for the past 25 years. He spent the last 14 years as a Detective assigned to the Narcotics Section before transferring to the Police Protective Association to fight for officers' rights. During his 14 years in the Narcotics Section, Brian was assigned to the Clandestine Lab / Street Level Narcotics Team and was a Training Officer for the Narcotics Section.
Brian ran hundreds of drug cases while managing several confidential informants. He has dismantled more than 100 meth labs and over 200 hydroponic marijuana grows. Brian is highly trained in tactical search warrant training as well as undercover officer rescue tactics. Not only did he carry out these tactics in live missions, but his expertise led to him training all detectives in these tactics.
In 2014, Brian transferred to the Training Section of the Narcotics Section and handled all aspects of narcotics related training that heavily emphasized scenario-based hands-on training. He has training numerous Narcotics detectives through a 40-hour Clandestine Lab Hazmat School which required long hours of preparation and coordination for the school's success. Brian is an Advanced Defensive Tactics certified instructor which was incorporated in several of the training scenarios. Brian earned his Intermediate and Advanced Training Instructor Certification through Nevada POST due to his extensive training hours taught and expertise in the subjects.
Brian was certified by the Force Science Institute which is the research and application of unbiased scientific principles and processes to determine the true nature of human behavior in high stress and deadly force encounters.
Brian has great passion for training law enforcement officers at all levels and sharing his knowledge to help others succeed.
Job Titles:
- Certified Instructor / Department Field Training Officer
Job Titles:
- Sergeant
- Instructor for Professional Law Enforcement Training
Harry Haynes began his law enforcement career with the Houston Police Department in 1994, where he served four years. In July of 1998, Harry was given the unique opportunity to serve with the Dallas Police Department. He started his career serving as a patrol officer and was quickly promoted to Senior Corporal. After his promotion, Harry was transferred to one of the cities toughest areas where he developed a knack for arresting violent criminals and drug dealers.
In 2006 Harry was selected as a detective to join a street-level narcotic team. For the next two years, Harry and his team would primarily investigate low-level drug dealers and conduct dynamic entry search warrants at "Trap and Stash Houses." To reinvent himself and to gain more experience investigating long term cases, Harry applied for and was accepted to the Vice Division. His primary duties were investigating and arresting prostitutes, pimps, and criminals responsible for human traffickers.
In 2009, Harry joined the Mid-level Narcotic Unit to conduct a longterm undercover operation. During that case, Harry and his partners
Harry has been an instructor for Professional Law Enforcement Training for the past eight years and has presented courses across
Howard Oberst is a retired DEA Special Agent with over 30 years of combined local and federal law enforcement experience. During his 22 years with the DEA, Howard served 15 years as a street agent in the Indianapolis, Indiana district office. While assigned to the IDO, he was involved in and initiated numerous complex drug conspiracy investigations that required extensive domestic and foreign travel to reach the source of supply.
During his career, he has worked undercover, conducted surveillance, prepared affidavit(s), executed warrants, planned raids, managed informants, seized evidence, and testified in federal and state courts. Also, he was designated as a Technical Agent, providing advanced technical support to other agents. He was a Certified Field Training Agent for DEA and taught drug-related courses at the Indiana State Police Academy.
In 2000, Howard was transferred to DEA headquarters, Office of Investigative Technology in Lorton, Virginia. While completing his headquarters assignment, Howard was promoted to grade 14 Supervisory Special Agent and took charge of the DEA Tracking/Sensor Unit. In that capacity, Howard was responsible for developing and deploying all of DEA's GPS tracking and Remote Sensor-based equipment and devices for foreign operations. During his tenure, Howard coordinated a complete overhaul of DEA's global
James Henning served over 31 years with the Denver Police Department and recently retired after attaining the rank of Commander. Working his way from Patrol to Command Staff, James worked assignments in Training, Communications, Vice/Drug, Administration, and served as the Commander of the Investigative Support Division.
In 2012, James became Lieutenant of the Vice/Drug control unit. That same Fall, Colorado was the first state to legalize the production, sale, and possession of recreational Marijuana. In his role as lieutenant, James took the lead in developing the Denver Police Department's policy, procedure, and implementing Municipal Code and State Law to address the complicated issues created by the new law. James was a founding member of the Denver Marijuana Policy Team and worked collaboratively with other city agencies, state agencies, and community organizations in the development of these polices and trained and presented to DPD and every other city agency on their roll out and implementation. James has made countless presentations concerning the impact of marijuana legalization to Law Enforcement, law makers, judges, legislative aids, prosecutors, media, and other interested parties from across the State of Colorado, the United States, and the world.
As the Commander of the DPD Investigative Support Division from 2016 - 2020, James lead the DPD Vice/Drug Unit, Excise and Licensing team, Gang Unit, Intelligence Unit, Human Trafficking Team, various task forces, and created the Real Time Crime Center. James created the first collaborative human trafficking team with the Denver Police Department, the Denver District Attorney's Office, and victim service providers. In his various roles, James also assisted with the application and administration of numerous state and federal grants totaling more than $10M.
When he is not teaching, James enjoys fishing, woodworking, reading, and spending time with his family and granddaughter.
Jamie Chesna has served 17 years in law enforcement with the Chicago Police Department. For the past seven years, she has been assigned to the Bureau of Counterterrorism/Narcotics Division as an undercover officer working joint missions with the DEA, ATF, and FBI.
Prior to serving as an undercover officer, Jamie was assigned to work the most dangerous areas of the City of Chicago in the Bureau of Organized Crime/Gang Enforcement, Area Central Gun Team, and several high-crime patrol districts.
During her patrol career, she was faced with multiple challenging situations, two of which led to police involved shootings. In one particular incident a male offender attempted to overpower Jamie by repeatedly striking her in the head and attempting to retrieve her holstered weapon. Utilizing her training, Jamie was able to gain control of the situation, discharge her firearm, and fatally shoot the offender to stop the attack.
Jamie currently is assigned as an ATF Task Force Officer. She also specializes in conducting covert surveillance, enforcement operations, and participating in hundreds of tactical narcotic raids.
Over the course of her career, Jamie has received advanced training in tactical entry, undercover rescue techniques, and active shooter. She assists with training new undercover officers assigned to the unit.
Jamie is currently furthering her education at Calumet College of St. Joseph for a B.S. in Public Safety Management.
Jessica Brittain has served 15 years in Law Enforcement. She is currently serving with the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office where she is assigned as the Training Academy Coordinator. Prior to her current assignment, Jessica was assigned to the Human Trafficking/Child Exploitation Unit as an undercover Detective and Decoy.
Before arriving at Tarrant County, Jessica spent almost nine years with the Randall County Sheriff's Office in Amarillo, Texas.
Over the course of her career she has had the opportunity to further her education in investigations and training. Jessica attended the Texas Forensic Science Academy where she received certifications for Major Crime Investigator and Forensic Investigator.
Jessica was named Deputy of the Year for the Tarrant County Sherriff's Office in 2018 and Supervisor of the Year in 2021. She has also received two Sheriff Commendations and the Medal of Merit from Sheriff Waybourn for her work with Human Trafficking.
Jessica has a passion for being on the front lines of the fight against Human Trafficking and has been involved in multiple undercover operations as the decoy or the case agent of such operations. Jessica has been responsible for more than 300 "sex buyer" arrests and more than 100 online solicitation of a minor arrests.
Joe Garza began his law enforcement career with the Dallas Police Department in January 1989. In January of 1992, he was selected to join the Narcotics "Street Squad" Unit. This unit tasked with making cases on street-level drug dealers. While assigned to the Narcotics Street Squad, Joe worked undercover and executed hundreds of dynamic entry search warrants as the point entry member of the warrant team.
In April 2000, Joe was promoted to Senior Corporal and worked in the Drug Interdiction Unit of the Southeast Patrol Division. In April 2001, he was selected to join the Robbery Unit of the Crimes Against Persons Division as a detective. During his time as a detective in the Crimes Against Persons Division, Joe investigated hundreds of cases, often relying on interview and interrogation skills to obtain confessions from suspects.
In June 2005, Joe was promoted to Sergeant. In June of 2006, he was selected to join the Public Integrity Unit as one of two-unit supervisors. This unit criminally investigated city employees, public officials, and police officers. In 2010, Joe was selected to join the Homicide Unit as a supervisor. As a supervisor, Joe has led hundreds of murder investigations along with suicides and unexplained deaths and officer-involved shootings.
On July 7, 2016, Joe supervised the interviews and interrogations on the worst day in Dallas Police history when four Dallas officers and one DART officer were guns downed in downtown Dallas. Today Joe was one of three Homicide sergeants in the Dallas Police Department. Joe's career has been very diverse and has gained the knowledge and experience and expertise to lead many different investigations with the Dallas Police Department.
Joe retired in April 2018 after serving nearly 30 years with the Dallas Police Department. Joe is certified by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) as an instructor.
Job Titles:
- Director of Training
- Retired Police Officer With the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department
Joe Pannullo is a retired Police Officer with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, where he worked for 22 years. He spent the last 18 years as a Detective assigned to the Narcotics Section. During his 18 years in the Narcotics Section, Joe was assigned to the Clandestine Lab Team and Street Level Narcotics Team, was a sworn Federal Task Force Officer (TFO) assigned to a DEA Task Force for five years and was a Training Coordinator for the Narcotics Section.
Joe worked undercover for ten years both on the Street Team dealing with low & mid-level dealers as well as working undercover on the DEA Task Force dealing with mainly Cartel Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTO). He is a certified expert witness by the courts for clandestine drug labs, undercover operations, and general narcotics-related operations.
At the beginning of 2012, Joe was selected to become one of only 12 members (2 teams of 6 negotiators) of LVMPD's Crisis Negotiator Team and served on that team until his retirement.
During his tenure as a Narcotic Investigator and a Crisis Negotiator, Joe learned various methods to exploit social media websites and smartphone applications to quickly gather intelligence on the targets of his investigations or the subjects that he was negotiating with. Based on these experiences, Joe began teaching Social Media Investigations for LVMPD and other agencies in the surrounding area.
Joe retired from LVMPD to pursue his passion for teaching and training other law enforcement personnel. He believes his training and experiences working for one of the top police departments in the United States, will greatly benefit other police officers and agencies to learn different police concepts that can improve the way some do police work and possibly prevent a tragedy from happening.
Joe received numerous awards and accommodations to include the Medal of Honor, Meritorious Service Award, and the Life Saving Award. In 2014, Joe was chosen for the Red Ribbon Narcotics Detective of the Decade Award, which is named in honor of DEA Agent Kiki Camarena killed in the line of duty.
Joe is currently a Level 1 Reserve Deputy with the Gem County Sheriff's Department where he joined in 2019. Joe's passion and commitment for still serving the community allows him to apply his skillsets that he currently teaches to officers all over the country.
Jon Britton began his law enforcement career with the Shelby/Panola County Adult Probation and District Attorney's Drug Task Force in 1991.
For the past 26 years, Sgt. Britton has worked with the Plano, Texas Police Department, completing various assignments that included patrol officer, narcotics detective, K-9 supervisor, field training officer, Criminal Investigations Division Property Crimes supervisor, Crime Prevention and Recruiting Supervisor.
Britton was instrumental in the formation of the Plano Police Departments' first Criminal Interdiction unit and the Hotel/Motel Interdiction position for the Narcotics Unit. He currently serves as a supervisor for the Patrol Division of the Plano Police Department.
Sgt. Britton has trained Criminal Interdiction techniques to hundreds of local, state, and federal officers across the United States. He is a graduate of Stephen F. Austin State University and holds a BA in Criminal Justice and Pre-Law. He is also a United States Marine Corps Veteran.
Sgt. Britton holds a Master Peace Officer Certification and Instructors certification through Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE).
Job Titles:
- LVMPD 's Crisis Negotiation Team As an Ancillary Team Member
Keith Parenteau is a twenty-two (22) year veteran with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and is currently the only fulltime Crisis Negotiator Team member assigned to the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Section. Before that, he spent over 17 years in the Narcotics Bureau, where he worked as an undercover detective, case agent, and a member of the clandestine laboratory team. For 15 of those years, he was assigned to a DEA/HIDTA Federal Task Force, as a Task Force Officer (TFO). This task force investigated mid to high-level international drug trafficking organizations with ties to the Las Vegas area.
This task force was also assigned as a wiretap group and conducted long-term wiretap/Title III investigations. These wiretaps involved traditional cellular phone interception as well as interception of email accounts, Blackberry's, Facebook, as well as other social media platforms. One of Keith's wiretap cases involved a negotiation between an undercover detective and the FARC in Columbia for the exchange of 400 kilograms of cocaine for assault rifles and RPGs. He has authored or co-authored over 750 state and federal wiretaps/Title III's. He has also drafted over 1000 Pen Register / Trap and Trace Affidavits with GPS precision location.
Based on his investigations, Keith earned the 2012 Nevada Narcotics Officer Associations (NNOA), Narcotics Officer of the Year. Keith and his partners also won a National HIDTA Award from the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) for Outstanding Investigative Effort.
In 2014, Keith joined the LVMPD's Crisis Negotiation Team as an ancillary team member. The team was comprised of 18 auxiliary members. Keith has responded to over 200 hostage/barricaded related calls.
In 2018 Keith was selected to become the first full-time officer and was promoted to Assistant Team Leader (ATL). Keith is currently assigned to the LVMPD CNT/SWAT Section. Keith oversees the LVMPD's 40-Hour CNT certification school as well as creating training scenarios and debriefs for the team and in-service training. Keith also trains the LVMPD's CIT Officers during the initial CIT training and the recertification classes.
Job Titles:
- Instructor
- Adjunct Instructor at the University of Houston - Downtown Criminal Justice Training Center
- Chief Deputy
Kirk W. Bonsal is a TCOLE licensed instructor with an extensive background in criminal investigations. He has more than 30 years of Law Enforcement experience. He is the Chief Deputy at Harris County Precinct 3 Constable's Office; whose responsibilities include overseeing the Office of Professional Standards and chairs the Use of Force Review Board. Kirk is a former Lieutenant Investigator with the Harris County District Attorney's Office, the third-largest prosecutors' office in the United States. He was assigned to the District Attorney's Office Unit responsible for investigating police officer-involved shootings and in-custody deaths.
He was the lead investigator for the District Attorney's Office, responding to more than 110 officer-involved shooting scenes. Kirk is a veteran, having served in the U.S. Coast Guard. He is a retired Detective Sergeant from the Pasadena Texas Police Department, where he supervised the Persons Crimes Unit. During his career, he has investigated, supervised, reviewed, and assisted on more than a thousand cases
He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy Session 270. The academy offers a comprehensive course of study for law enforcement leaders with an emphasis on preparing leaders for complex issues. This 10-week leadership training program is one of the most prestigious leadership training available to law enforcement.
Kirk is an adjunct instructor at the University of Houston-Downtown Criminal Justice Training Center. Kirk is also an adjunct professor at San Jacinto College, Criminal Justice Department, teaching criminal justice topics including Intro to Criminal Justice, Legal Aspect, Criminal Investigations, and Criminal Procedure.
Kirk received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Organizational Leadership from Mountain State University and a Masters' Degree in Criminal Justice Leadership & Management from Sam Houston State University.
Larry D. Villalobos began his law enforcement career during college studies in Washington DC, where he was a Fingerprint Technician for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Continuing to pursue a college education, Larry returned to Texas, where he worked for the Texas Department of Public Safety as an analyst and communications operator.
In 1983 he joined the Drug Enforcement Administration as an analyst at the El Paso Intelligence initiative to dissect and document the activities of Mexican Cartels. In 1997 he was promoted and installed as the regional Field Intelligence Manager for Mexico and Central America at the US Embassy in Mexico City, Mexico and directed the DEA's intelligence initiatives for 11 DEA Offices in Mexico and 7 countries in Central America (Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama).
During 2003 he was transferred to Tucson, Arizona, where he directed DEA's intelligence program for 3 DEA Officers in Southern AZ (Tucson, Sierra Vista, Nogales). In 2008 he was promoted to Chief Intelligence Officer and directed the Analytical wing of the El Paso Intelligence Center, consisting of over 150 Special Agents and analysts in a multi-agency effort that includes Federal, State, Local, Tribunal, Military, and IC Personnel.
LD Villalobos is recognized as a Subject Matter Expert on Mexican Organized Crime and is only one of two Law Enforcement professionals to have interviewed world menace and transnational drug trafficker, Joaquin 'Chapo' Guzman in Mexico and before his extradition. He has testified in Federal Court as a subject matter expert on violence in Mexico and Central America. Since his
retirement in 2013, he has continued working as a mentor and trainer to law enforcement initiatives in Mexico and Central America
Larry Gordon started his career with the Dallas Police Department in 1995. In June of 1997, Larry was selected to be a part of the Dallas Police Department's Specialized Crime Unit. After several productive years with the Specialized Crime Unit, Larry transferred to the Narcotics Division. Larry was the lead Detective on countless narcotic investigations. His duties included, but not limited to, executing dynamic entry search warrants, conducting undercover drug buys, and training new detectives that joined the unit.
In 2004, Larry transferred to the Dallas Police Department's coveted SWAT Team. Larry's duties on the Swat team consisted of crisis/hostage negotiations, executing high-risk search warrants, providing motorcades for current and former Presidents of the United States, and distinguished dignitaries afforded a motorcade. He also acts as a counter-assault team (CAT) for those dignitaries and current and former presidents. Larry served as one of the lead negotiators for the SWAT team for several years. He has successfully negotiated peaceful resolutions to armed barricaded subjects.
Larry has also negotiated operations where a sniper/Tactical resolution had to be used to bring the volatile situations to an end. On July 7, 2016, Larry faced his most challenging negotiations as he spent hours negotiating with an individual who killed five police officers.
After (13) years in SWAT, Larry transferred to the Criminal Intelligent Unit where he was assigned for 2 years until his promotion to Sergeant.
Larry currently is assigned as a Sergeant over a Street-level Narcotic Unit. Larry is also responsible for training swat officers and certifying them in tear gas/less-lethal munitions and distraction devices. He is also an Active shooter/ALERRT (advanced law enforcement, rapid response training) instructor, firearms instructor, and Munitions Instructor.
Job Titles:
- National Training Supervisor
Matt Cresta was a sworn law enforcement officer for twenty years. After serving as an Infantryman with the 101st Airborne Division and
8th Infantry Division, he was hired by the Lower Merion Police Department (139 officers), where he spent over fifteen years. While
with the LMPD, he had extended assignments in the Patrol Division, Special Investigations Unit (Narcotics), Special Operations Unit, and
Emergency Response Team (E.R.T.). In 2011 Matt was recruited and assigned to the Delaware County Criminal Investigations Division. With the C.I.D., he served in Economic Crime, Crime Scene, and the Hazardous Device Unit (Bomb Squad).
While assigned to the S.I.U. Matt was attached to the Countywide Narcotics Task Force, where he managed and supervised numerous
narcotics investigations throughout the county in both urban and suburban environments. He worked in an undercover (U.C.)
capacity during 'buy/bust' and extended multi-purchase studies. Matt Cresta was sworn onto the D.E.A.'s Regional Diversion Investigations Team, where he assisted with high-level surveillance and investigations of organized burglary/prescription narcotics groups operating in the Northeast United States. Matt also served several task forces responsible for the research and surveillance of burglary groups operating up and down the east coast.
Job Titles:
- Instructor
- Sergeant
- Narcotic Supervisor
Norma Massu began her Law Enforcement career with the Detroit Police Department in 2001. She spent five years working as a patrol
officers in one of the most active areas of the city. Norma transferred to a covert unit where she worked in a plain clothes capacity searching for fugitives and violent offenders as well as responding to shooting calls to attempt to locate suspects.
In 2006, Norma joined the Dallas Police Department and was assigned to patrol the South-Central area of Dallas. Based on her
proactive style of policing, Norma was selected to join the plains clothes Deployment Unit where she conducted surveillance in high
Norma has been a law enforcement instructor since 2018 and has presented various courses with exceptional reviews.
Job Titles:
- Intermediate and Advanced Training Instructor Certifications
Job Titles:
- Police Officer With the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department
Opal Deeds is a Police Officer with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
Opal started her investigative career working as an undercover detective in the Vice Section. Opal conducted hundreds of undercover operations, including street level and casino prostitution stings, pimp reversals posing both as a juvenile and an adult, juvenile decoy investigations, adult bookstore operations, and massage parlors involved in international sex trafficking. Throughout her career Opal has worked with the Narcotics Section in undercover operations in night clubs, day/pool clubs, and the Electric Daisy Carnival.
Opal was a sworn Federal Task Force Officer assigned to the Southern Nevada Human Trafficking Task Force. As a part of this task force, Opal investigated adult sex trafficking cases.
In 2018, Opal became a Defensive Tactics Instructor and Advanced Officer Safety Training Instructor. Opal regularly instructs officers in current defensive tactics and yearly scenario-based training. Opal is active in training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and is a purple belt.
In the beginning of 2020, Opal was assigned to the Special Victims Section. Opal investigated cases of child abuse & neglect and all child deaths as a result of abuse and/or neglect, suicide, and overdose.
Opal is currently assigned to the Homicide Section and is one of twenty-four detectives. Opal has investigated over seventy-five homicides and worked cases with numerous homicide detectives throughout the country.
Paul Gifford is in his thirteenth year as a law enforcement officer specializing in narcotic-related investigations. He has received
Job Titles:
- Chief
- Director
- Lieutenant & Director / Collin College Law Enforcement Academy
Career Highlights
Regional Representative for the National Criminal Justice Association (West Region)
Scott Donaldson is Director and Chief Administrator of the Collin College Law Enforcement Academy in McKinney, Texas. Before joining Collin College, Scott served for ten years as a Training Coordinator for the Tarrant County College Criminal Justice Training Center in Fort Worth, Texas and served on the Tarrant County Disaster Management Task Force. Scott served on the Department of Homeland Security Action Team and as Coordinator of the TSA Office of Law Enforcement/Federal Air Marshal Service Crew Member Self Defense program. Scott has over 20 years of policing experience including 15 years of teaching as both a national police training instructor and a college professor lecturing on Police and Court Systems and Practices, Ethics in Policing, Criminal Investigations and Law Enforcement Leadership and Administration.
Scott began his career in 2000 as a Correctional Officer supervising inmates classified as high risk, under special precautions and protective custody. In 2001 he started as a patrol officer, field-training officer, certified crime prevention inspector, property crimes detective, and major crimes/homicide investigator.
Scott worked with the International Association of Chiefs of Police Global Policing Division and served as a consultant and course facilitator for the International Association of Chiefs of Police Academy Train-the-Trainer: "Considerations for Small Agency and Rural Response to Violence Against Women". Scott directed one of six training academies in the United States to be selected by the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training as a research partner for the Academy Innovations Project. Because of his vast experience, Scott has been asked to speak in front of the Texas Legislature regarding legislatively mandated police training and has been invited to participate on national and international panels on many topics associated with modern policing and law enforcement training.
Scott is a recognized International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training Nationally Certified Subject Matter Expert Instructor. Scott is an Emotional Intelligence Learning Systems facilitator and an experienced Franklin Convey "Leading at the Speed of Trust" & "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" instructor. Additionally, Scott has served as a "Gold Shield" presenter for the University of Kansas - Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center. Scott is the first law enforcement officer to be elected Class President for both the Institute for Law Enforcement Administration's School of Police Supervision (Class 107) and School of Executive Leadership (Class 58). Scott has a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Washburn University and a Master of Science in Criminal Justice from the University of Cincinnati.
Shane Bush began his professional career in 1995, serving as a police officer with the Bryan Police Department in Bryan, Texas. He has experience as a patrol officer, field-training officer, K-9 officer, negotiator, and as a narcotics/vice officer. As a sergeant, he has supervised patrol teams, the narcotics and vice/gang units, the K-9 unit, and the Crisis Negotiation team.
Shane retired from the Bryan Police Department in 2015 and moved to the Kansas City area, where he worked as a police officer for the Raymore Police Department in Raymore, Missouri. Shane has Planned and executed numerous vice-related stings and operations, including prostitution, street-level narcotics trafficking, and alcohol stings. He has conducted one of the department's longest and most successful narcotics trafficking organization investigations partnered with state and federal officers culminating in three separate organizations being dismantled with over a dozen defendants being charged with federal trafficking charges.
Shane has been recognized as a subject matter expert in DWI enforcement, narcotics, and vice unit operations. Shane helped to develop and create the vice unit still in place at the Bryan Police Department, and he also implemented and conducted the Online Solicitation of a Minor investigation and acquired the needed equipment and training to be successful. Shane has held several instructor certificates, including Mobile Video Instructor, Police Emergency Driving Instructor, PPCT Instructor in defensive tactics, Spontaneous Knife Defense (SKD), and Ground Avoidance Ground Escape (GAGE). Shane also holds a certificate for Instructor in Standardized Field Sobriety Tests (SFST) Instructor. Shane has been the recipient of many police commendations and accolades for his service in the community, including two meritorious service awards and being named supervisor of the year. Shane also volunteered as a board member for the Sexual Assault Resource Center and as a member of the DWI Law Enforcement Advisory Group.
Shane holds a POST certification, a TCOLE Master Peace Officer license, and an Advanced Instructor Certificate. He has graduated from the ILEA School of Police Supervision, LEMIT Leadership Command College (LCC) #59, and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy (FBINA) #248. Shane currently works for Lee's Summit Police Department.
Stephen "Steve" Junker spent 34 years with the Irving Police Department, retiring on April 30, 2019. Steve spent 5 years in Patrol with 4 of those years being a Field Training Officer. Steve then spent 5 years on the SWAT team, during this time he was involved in executing high risk search warrants, barricaded persons, hostage situations, suicide by cops and assisting patrol on high crime areas. Steve was then assigned to Narcotics where he spent 23 years.
Steve spent the first 4 years in narcotics working undercover posing as a drug dealer or a drug addict. During this time Steve was responsible for purchasing street and mid-level amounts of narcotics, while working up to the major dealers.
Steve spent 20 years assigned as a Task Force Officer assigned to the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Waco Treasury Task Force. Steve worked on 12 Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) cases to include cases against the Los Zetas and Gulf Cartels. These cases were complex money laundering investigations resulting in the seizure of millions of dollars of cash and assets.
Job Titles:
- Digital Media Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Director of Digital Media
Troy Looney, Ph.D., began his career in Akron, Ohio, with the Akron Police Department in 1992. He is currently serving as an active police detective in his 27th year with law enforcement. Having served 20 years in uniform patrol and now in his 8th year as a detective in the Major Crimes Against Persons Unit, he investigates all Major Crimes such as Capital Murder, Homicide, Overdose Deaths, Sexual Assaults, Felonious Assaults, Burglaries, Kidnapping, Officer-Involved Shootings, Suicides, and Robberies.
Troy Looney is a subject matter expert in several disciplines under the Criminal Justice field, such as Internet Investigations, Digital Forensics, Cybercrime, Marketing, and understanding the lived experiences of people through phenomenological and philosophical theories of research. Troy Looney, Ph.D. holds a doctorate in Organizational Management/Leadership, a Master of Science in Internet Marketing, and a Bachelor of Arts in Business/Marketing. Dr. Troy Looney is currently a Senior Lecturer at the University of Akron, teaching several courses in the College of Applied Sciences Department. Courses include Digital Forensics, Cybercrime, Digital