I'm a real straight-arrow so I never meet the "nose-picking, booger-eatin' morons" Sgt Derek Pacifico talked about in his Homicide Investigation school for Crime Writers last weekend in Covina, California.
For a long time I've been collecting "stupid criminal stories", but Derek topped them all. I just never meet AHs (figure it out) who shoot somebody in the face and think they don't die.
A group of us at the California Crime Writers' Conference in June 2011 heard him give a 4-hour presentation on Interview and Interrogation techniques and were spellbound. We wanted more and he dished it up for us.
Pacifico was funny, serious, thoughtful and thought-provoking. As a law enforcement trainer he's travelled the country teaching the same material to cops. He's worked Homicide Detail as well as all the other facets of police work and now is a Sergeant with the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office.
He liked us because we wanted to learn and didn't sit there, arms crossed, giving off testosterone fumes, and the attitude of "Yeah, dude, go ahead. Teach me something I don't know." He was honest and forth-coming about what really lies behind the crime scene tape.
We liked him because he's just plain likeable. From video clips we saw he's got a line of jokey, rapport-building bullshit with criminals in the interrogation room that got him a lot of confessions. I can see why.
The case studies were particularly interesting because they provided a reconstruction of what first just looked like confusion--and probably was. We learned the tedium of stringing a scene and blood, bugs and graves. It's not exciting the way it is on TV.
He's talking about setting up a conference of some length just for crime writers bringing in experts he teaches and works with. Where? To be decided.
I can't wait.
Check him out at Global Training Institute. http://www.crimewriters.globaltraininginstitute.com/HOMICIDE_SCHOOL.html See also Jude McGee's write-up for Ransom Notes. http://judemcgee.com/2010/05/homicide-or-murder-sgt-pacifico-tells-it-like-it-is/comment-page-1/#comment-37
PS Sorry I can't figure out how to link in this software.
I really appreciate the kind words and I'm thrilled you liked the seminar. Everyone in the class was fun to be around, asked great questions and made my time ever so fun. I thoroughly enjoy speaking and entertaining a room full of writers. Thanks for laughing at my jokes and listening so intently. I can't wait for the next opportunity for us to get together. I'll be sending out something as soon as I can lock down some firm dates for the next seminars. In the mean time, keep a look out at www.crimewriters.globaltraininginstitute.com.
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Derek Pacifico, President and Founder
Global Training Institute