Writers Police Academy 2012

[a_belletrist]

Com­ing into Greens­boro, North Carolina

What do Greens­boro, human traf­fick­ing and foren­sic inves­ti­ga­tion have in com­mon?  The always awe­some Writ­ers Police Acad­emy, that’s what!

Last week, I returned to the south­east to learn what it is cops, EMTs, and foren­sic anthro­pol­o­gists do.  Research, research, research.  And what fab­u­lous research it was!  The sun was shin­ing, unlike this time last year when we had the fall­out from a trop­i­cal storm and a ver­i­ta­ble del­uge.  We couldn’t have asked for bet­ter weather, or bet­ter people.

Friday’s sem­i­nars included:

• Human Traf­fick­ing
• Cold Cases and the Real­i­ties of Investigation
• Build­ing Searches (we got to suit up for this one)
• Inter­views and Investigation
• Foren­sic Iden­ti­fi­ca­tion, by Dr. Eliz­a­beth Murray

And in the evening:

• The Sis­ters In Crime Reception
• Mind­ful Inves­ti­ga­tions, by Dr. Kather­ine Ramsland

All of this is on the first day.

Saturday’s sem­i­nars included:

• A re-enactment of a felony stop com­plete with car chase and shoot-out.
• Sui­cides, Hang­ings and Auto-Erotic Death Investigations
• Police Gun­fight­ing
• EMS and the Crime Scene
• Crime Scene to Court: Evi­dence Han­dling and Chain of Custody
• Work­ing the Court­room into Your Thrillers, by Mar­cia Clark

Sat­ur­day night was the ban­quet, com­plete with a spe­cial appear­ance by Mayberry’s favorite deputy, and spe­cial guest speaker Lee Child.  He was an incred­i­ble, gra­cious speaker, and it was a plea­sure to hear him talk about our type of sto­ries … the thriller … the proto-story.

More detail on var­i­ous sem­i­nars to come, includ­ing a bit about my tour of Guil­ford County’s jail.  Stay tuned .…