Fundamentals of Gang Recognition

COURSE DESCRIPTION:  In the law enforcement arena of present day, law enforcement professionals in every capacity will encounter members of criminal gangs on a regular basis.  Whether you are a patrol officer, correctional officer, parole or probation officer, or any other member of the law enforcement community, you will be exposed to gang members and the threat they pose to our communities.  Students of this course will learn to:

Understand the threat of criminal gangs in the modern law enforcement era

Become familiar with emerging trends involving gangs nationwide

Identify and document indicators of gang membership and the presence of criminal gangs

Effectively document, articulate, and validate members of criminal gangs for investigation and prosecution.

The information contained in this course is designed to enhance the effectiveness of anyone in the law enforcement community.  Patrol officers, detectives, correctional officers, intelligence analysts, parole and probation officers, and prosecutors will benefit from this training.

INSTRUCTOR:  The founder and president of Blue Line Academy, Andrew Eways, has been a sworn police officer for nearly thirty years.  In his career, he has worked in various capacities including the investigation of Criminal Gangs, Transnational Gangs, and other Organized Crime groups.  He has conducted and supervised covert investigations, street-level gang and narcotic operations, proactive enforcement teams, intelligence operations, and Title III Wiretap Investigations.  

Eways began his career with the Maryland State Police, where he served in many capacities including Patrol, Detectives, Intelligence, Homeland Security, and Special Enforcement.  He has supervised both Patrol and Investigative units, as well as various specialized investigative or operational groups.  Following his career with the Maryland State Police, Eways became a sworn member of the Aurora Police Department in the Denver Metropolitan Area, where he currently holds the rank of Sergeant.

During his career, Eways has co-authored two non-fiction books about Sureño criminal gangs, as well as articles and columns too numerous to mention for various law enforcement publications and websites.  He is a member in good standing of several law enforcement professional associations and presently serves as a board member for the International Latino Gang Investigator’s Association.  He has provided expert testimony in cases involving various criminal organizations, and has assisted federal, state, and local authorities with investigations and enforcement operations.  He has years of hands-on experience cultivating, recruiting, and supervising confidential informants, gathering actionable criminal intelligence, and investigating criminal activity including pattern crimes, narcotics distribution, extortion, large-scale criminal conspiracies, and homicides.  He has investigated the activities of extremist groups, terrorist organizations, gangs both in prison and on the streets, and multi-jurisdictional drug organizations.

In addition to his extensive experience with gangs and organized crime groups, Eways also provides training programs specifically designed for patrol and operations personnel which allow them to conduct proactive enforcement effectively and safely.  The classes he has designed prepare patrol and investigative personnel for every aspect of their investigations from evidence collection to courtroom testimony.

TRAINING:  For a list of training classes offered by Blue line Academy, click here, or go to www.bluelineacademy.org and click on the courses tab.

REGISTER: Register for Fundamentals of Gang Recognition (bluelineacademy.org)