Crime Scene Track Investigation Course
| Duration | 40 hours (4 hours classroom, 36 hours field) |
|---|---|
| Class Size | 15 students maximum |
| Prerequisite | Patrol Tracker |
| Target Personnel | Law enforcement officers, crime scene investigators |
| Certification | Worldwide Trackers certification upon completion |
| Cost | Contact for details |
Tracking Evidence That Holds Up in Court
A crime scene does not end at the tape line. Suspects arrive on foot, flee on foot, and leave a continuous record of movement that most investigators are never trained to read. The Crime Scene Track Investigation course gives your detectives and crime scene technicians the skills to recover, document, and present tracking evidence with the rigor that prosecutors and defense attorneys demand.
This is not a general tracking course. It is a 40-hour investigative specialization — applying mantracking skills in evidentiary contexts — for officers who have completed the Patrol Tracker course and are ready to work with tracking evidence — homicide scenes, sexual assault cases, missing persons recoveries, and any investigation where suspect movement is a question of fact.
The Evidentiary Problem This Course Solves
Tracking evidence exists at virtually every outdoor crime scene, but it is routinely destroyed by first responders who do not recognize it, or dismissed by investigators who lack the vocabulary to document it. Your officers will learn to identify, preserve, photograph, measure, and articulate tracking evidence in formats that meet courtroom standards for expert testimony.
Fernando Moreira has personally provided expert witness testimony on tracking evidence in criminal cases in both California and Nevada courts — one of very few tracking instructors in the world with that credential. The documentation methods taught here have been tested under cross-examination.
What Your Investigative Unit Gains
- The ability to extend crime scene analysis beyond the perimeter into approach and escape routes
- Standardized documentation protocols for tracking evidence that align with existing forensic workflows
- Officers qualified to provide tracking-related testimony, backed by a 40-hour certification from a recognized expert witness
- A specialized skill set that no competing agency in your region is likely to have
This course is typically scheduled back-to-back with Patrol Tracker as an 80-hour training block. Class size limited to 15 investigators.
Skills You Will Develop
Crime Scene Track Protocols
- Approach and enter a crime scene without compromising trackable evidence
- Observe and integrate with existing crime scene protocols and chain of custody
- Sign in on attendance logs and document your activities for the investigative record
- Coordinate with detectives, coroners, and crime scene technicians already on scene
Forensic Track Analysis
- Differentiate "positive person" tracks (first responders, investigators) from "negative person" tracks (suspects, unknowns)
- Identify and classify civilian footwear impressions left by investigators versus boot prints from initial responders
- Reconstruct suspect entry and exit routes from ground sign evidence
- Determine number of individuals present at a scene from track evidence
Evidence Documentation
- Complete a track report for each unique set of tracks at a crime scene
- Photograph, sketch, and measure track evidence to courtroom standards
- Prepare tracking evidence for inclusion in criminal case files
- Present tracking findings in formats that withstand cross-examination
Scene Search Methods
- Apply systematic search techniques appropriate for contaminated crime scenes
- Process the scene perimeter for entry and exit tracks before working the interior
- Locate evidence that may have been overlooked by non-tracking-trained personnel
- Identify attempts to conceal evidence or alter a scene based on ground sign
Schedule Training
All courses are conducted at your facility. Worldwide Trackers will provide a travel estimate upon request.
Contact: fernando@tacticaltrackingschool.com
Phone: 775-338-0882