Special Investigators' Basic Course

This course fulfills the California Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) requirements for some California Special Investigators as specified in Commission Regulation 1005, including investigators for the State of California.  The Supreme Court of California, Welfare, Welfare Fraud, Social Services, Human Services and specified investigators of the District Attorney.  The courses focuses on preparing students for investigative positions through hands on experience, including weapons training, role-play scenarios, arrest and control, case management and surveillance.  The instructional techniques used focus on the modern science of learning.  Students are given several opportunities in the course to work through various learning domains and receive feedback on their performance.  Some of the course topics include Report Writing, Principled Policing in the Community, Firearms / Chemical Agents, and First Aid / CPR. 

There is a strong need for this course in Northern California.  All state investigative officers in California are required to attend an academy and there are currently no academies in Northern California being presented.  California Peace Officers Standards and Training has approved Yuba College to present this course.  The only such academy is currently located in Southern California.

Based upon assessing the local need, speaking to advisory board members, as well as training managers, Yuba College projects 40 completers per semester.  The college plans on just one presentation per year at this time.

The program goal centers around providing needed academy training specifically for Special Investigators in California.  This training differs slightly from regular Police Academy training that is currently being offered around the state.  The Special Investigator training focuses more on report writing, search warrants, investigative techniques more so than the more common police academy.

Yuba College will be able to provide this needed training for new hired State Investigators as well as aspiring investigators who will be working in the greater Sacramento area.  The State of California has a large concentration of State Investigators in the local area.

This program includes the following course requirements:

1. Identify proper strategies in Arrest and Control and Use of Force / De-escalation.

2. Recognize the proper methods for providing First Aid, CPR, and using an AED.

3. Describe the importance of Leadership, Professionalism and Ethics within law enforcement.

4. Define various laws and procedures within the Criminal Justice System, such as Crimes Against Children, Sex Crimes, Property Crimes, and Crimes Against Persons / Death Investigations, as well as General Criminal Statutes.

5. Apply proper surveillance techniques to track people involved in criminal activity.

6. Identify the significance of the concepts of Principled Policing in the Community, Cultural Diversity / Discrimination and communicating with People with Disabilities.

7. Understand the foundational concepts of Criminal Law, Laws of Arrest and Search and Seizure.  

8. Identify the basic principles of Juvenile Law and Procedures.

9. Define the basic principles of Victimology / Crisis Intervention.

10. Explain the proper standards for handing Crime Scenes, Evidence, Forensics and the Presentation of Evidence.

11. Recognize the importance of proficiently handling investigations of Crimes in Progress, Domestic Violence calls and Critical Incidents.

12. Apply proper techniques in the use of Firearms and Chemical Agents.

13. Explain resources available to assist in a variety of investigations, such as Controlled Substance investigations, Gang investigations, Weapons violations and Terrorism related crimes.

14. Recognize the proper techniques to complete a competent investigative report.

15. Explain the value of proper Case Management and follow proper Administrative Procedures.

16. Describe the procedures for handling an investigation of a Computer Crime.

17. Identify the proper procedure for the use of and dispersing information from Information Systems. 

18. Define the significance of displaying proper Vehicle Operations skills.