Debby Giusti here!
Today, I’m giving a shout out to Lee Lofland, a former
police detective turned writer, who started the Writers’ Police Academy. In
2007, Lee spoke at a Sisters in Crime forensics conference, and after seeing
the enthusiasm and interest of those who attended, he started working on a way
to bring writers and law enforcement personnel together. Lee said his goal was to
provide “lectures on law enforcement and forensic topics with hands-on training
to give writers a chance to try on gear, train with firearms, and perhaps take
part in simulated emergency response exercises.”
For the last six years, Lee has done exactly that. His Writers' Police Academy, or WPA, is currently held on the campus of the Guilford Technical Community
College, in Jamestown, North Carolina. The school has its own Police Academy as
well as programs in Basic Law Enforcement Training, Criminal Justice, Emergency
Medical Science and Fire Protection Technology. Experts in all branches of criminal justice from around the
country travel to North Carolina each September to offer their expertise, along
with local law enforcement agencies that provide additional personnel and
equipment.
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| Lee welcomes us Thursday night. |
This year’s event ran from Thursday evening, September 4,
to Sunday, September 7. Registration opened at noon, on January 26, and the
course filled up within 12 hours. Talk about in demand! Lee said he hopes to
take the WPA on the road in the future. To learn more about the academy, visit the
WPA web site: http://www.writerspoliceacademy.com/
Check out Lee's blog, The Graveyard Shift, and his Writer's Digest "Howdunit," Book of Police Procedure & Investigation.
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| Eli Jackson (L) demonstrates disarming techniques with her sister (R). |
Thankful to be part of this year’s class, I left my house
at 9 AM on September 4 and picked up a friend and fellow Georgia Romance Writer
Connie Gillam en route. We arrived at the Marriott Hotel in Greenboro at 5:30
that evening, in time to take our bags to our room, grab some food and then
find a seat for the orientation and welcome by Lee and the faculty.
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| Debby (R) and Lisa Carter (L) pose for a picture in front of the crime scene quilt! |
Following the opening program, Eli Jackson, a Third
Degree Mixed Martial Arts expert, demonstrated various ways to disarm an
assailant. We broke into small groups to practice her techniques and laughed at
our clumsy attempts to mimic the takedowns that had looked so simple and effortless.
When asked about personal safety, Eli said surprise is the best defense and
always fight back when attacked. In an effort to help writers get it right when
doing fight scenes, Eli is hosting the first annual Authors Combat Academy,
April 17-19, 2015, in Nashville, TN. Information is available at www.AuthorsCombatAcademy.com.
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| Firemen working at the mock crash site. |
Friday morning, we boarded buses at 7:30 AM that took us
to the Police Academy. A mock accident demonstration had been set up in the
parking lot, and we gathered around as the first patrol car arrived on the
scene. The police officer assessed the injuries, applied tourniquets to stop
bleeding and escorted those less severely injured away from the crash site. Firemen
were the next to arrive. They used air bags and Jaws of Life to lift a car and
extract a victim. Two ambulances brought EMTs who quickly treated those with life-threatening
injuries. Following a SMART Triage technique, color-coded tags were attached to
each victim’s arm. Red tags indicated immediate need for medical care. Yellow
tags meant less severe injuries, such as fractures. Green tags were for the
least injured, and gray was for anyone who had perished from their injuries. Instructors were on hand to answer questions
as the emergency response teams carried out their jobs. Once the accident scene
was cleared, we headed inside.
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| Bill Queen, undercover ATF agent |
With so many workshops, it was hard to choose which ones
to attend, and many writers return each year, knowing there’s always something
new and interesting to learn. I attended “Deep Undercover,” presented by Bill
Queen, a retired special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and
Firearms. He talked about the two-plus years he spent infiltrating the Mongols,
a violent motorcycle gang in California. Their motto was “Respect few. Fear
none,” which included law enforcement. “Billy St. John,” as he was known to the
gang, had to walk a fine line between fitting in with the gang and ensuring he
didn’t step over his own personal line in the sand as a sworn officer of the
law. His story was at times heart wrenching, and he was extremely frank about
the sacrifices he made going undercover, to include having little contact
with his wife and children. After he left the gang, his story was told on “20-20 Downtown,” and he’s written two books that detail his life with the Mongols: Under and Alone, and Armed & Dangerous.
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| The jacket Bill wore when he was undercover with the Mongols. |
My roommate and I are both medical technologists so we
wanted to hear Dr. Denene Lofland, Lee’s wife, discuss “Microbial Forensics: Using
Microorganisms as Weapons.” Denene has a PhD in Pathology and presented case
studies of rare diseases seen in the US, including Lassa Fever and the Marburg
virus. She discussed bioterrorism, the anthrax scare after 9/11 and the current
Ebola outbreak. In her opinion, the initial spread of the Ebola virus was
due, in part, to the African custom of washing, dressing, caressing and kissing
the bodies of the dead. In some regions, drinking the blood of the deceased is
still a part of their death ritual.
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| Lisa Gardner provides tips for writing thrillers. |
Greensboro Police officer Emily Mitchum explained
prostitution stings. Unlike Julia Roberts in the movie “Pretty Woman,” most
hookers aren’t flashy dressers or attractive women. They’re druggies or
down-in-their-luck women who need cash. The Internet has cut down on the street
prostitution with many hook-ups made over the Net, but the problem still
exists, especially in certain neighborhoods. According to Emily, a female
officer doing a sting needs to act out a part, be adaptable and prepare
mentally. She also has to use the street language. Once an agreement is reached—money
does not have to change hands--between the undercover cop and the john, an
arrest can be made.
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| He's not real! We had to find evidence located near the dummy's body. |
“Researching Exotic Crimes” was presented by Dr.
Katherine Ramsland, director of the Master’s program in Criminal Justice at
DeSales University in Pennsylvania, where she also teaches forensic
psychology. Dr. Ramsland is an
intriguing women who loves her work and boasts of having a personal collection
of chain saw suicide cases—36 to date--that includes photographs.
She is an expert on serial killers and psychopaths and has appeared on 20/20, 48 Hours, and Nancy Grace. Dr. Ramsland discussed bizarre crimes,
such as necrophilia, cannibalism and dismemberment, with detailed information
about the crimes and photos of the killers and their victims. Needless to say
her class was not for the faint of heart. Information about her books,
including The Forensic Psychology of
Criminal Minds, that I bought, and a discussion of unusual crimes can be
found on her Psychology Today blog, "Shadow Boxing," which she notes is “A blog that probes the mind's dark secrets.”
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| Connie Gillam (R) and Debby during the ambulance ride-along. |
Friday concluded with a talk by Lisa Gardner, who was
attending the class for the second year in a row. In her presentation, “From
Fact to Fiction: How to Turn Chilling Research into a Thrilling Novel,” Lisa
discussed using secondary sources (textbooks, true crime novels), primary
sources (interviews with cops, docs and lawyers) and hands-on exposure
(firearms training, self-defense classes, the WPA) to write authentic stories. She
suggested scheduling interviews for an hour and asking for follow up contact information.
Always send a thank-you note, and include higher-ups if appropriate. Offer to acknowledge
those who helped, but ask before including their names in your book.
When doing an interview, inquire about the funniest case or the scariest or
their favorite to get that nugget of information that can make your story even
more special.
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| The Driving Simulator |
Saturday was filled with more great workshops. The day
started with a breaching demonstration. I took an ambulance ride-along and “drove”
my own ambulance in a Driving Simulator, complete with lights and sirens. Crime
scene investigator, Alison Hutchens explained “Crime Scene Processing and
Evidence Packaging,” and former Secret Service agent Mike Roche showed us the man
behind the badge in his talk on “Real Cops for Real People.” I also attended “Underwater
Evidence Recovery,” given by the local sheriff’s department Dive Team at a nearby
pool. The divers do not use lights and feel their way along the bottom of ponds
and quarries to recover anything from a gun to a body. Former DA, Alafair
Burke, daughter of author James Lee Burke, discussed criminal law before we
headed back to the hotel. That evening we enjoyed a lovely banquet with guest
speaker, Michael Connelly, who always gets it right when talking about law
enforcement. His book, Crime Beat, A Decade
of Covering Cops and Killers, is a must read for suspense writers.
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| Diver demonstrates underwater evidence collection. |
This year’s WPA ended with a Q&A Sunday morning that
provided even more insight into the brave men and women in blue. Their sense of
humor and love for the job were evident, and I’m sure those who
attended the academy came away with a new appreciation for law enforcement.
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| Two writers. Which one is Michael Connelly? |
Knowledgeable writers pen stories that accurately portray
those in uniform. Lee Lofland’s goal was to help writers understand not only
law enforcement, but also the men and women behind the badge. In my opinion, he
succeeded.
Will I go back next year? You bet. Maybe I’ll see you
there!
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| Love my WPA Writer T-shirt and tote bag. |
Share your own favorite true crime stories or intriguing
law enforcement cases or just leave a comment about the guys and gals in blue
to be entered in today’s drawing. I’m giving away a copy of HOLIDAY DEFENDERS, that features my story, “Mission: Christmas Rescue,” along with military
suspense novellas by Susan Sleeman and Jodie Bailey.
The breakfast buffet is open. Scrambled eggs, hash
browns, sausage and ham, biscuits, assorted muffins, fresh fruit and grits. The
coffee’s hot. Tea and colas are also available.
Happy writing! Happy reading!
Wishing you abundant blessings,
Debby Giusti
THIS HOLIDAY SEASON, THREE MILITARY MEN OF HONOR MUST DO
EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO SAVE CHRISTMAS
Mission: Christmas Rescue by Debby Giusti
On the run from
a killer, Elizabeth Tate must accept U.S. Army Captain Nick Fontaine’s
protection for the sake of her young niece and nephew. Now her life is in the
hands of the very man who broke her heart years ago.
Special Ops Christmas by Susan Sleeman
Researcher Claire
Reed’s top secret project is stolen, putting her at risk of being kidnapped to
unlock it. Her undercover bodyguard—her former love, Green Beret Travis
Chapman—is on his most dangerous mission yet.
Homefront Holiday Hero by Jodie Bailey
When someone tries
to kill the daughter of a military official, U.S. Army major Tyler Rainey must
keep Kelly Walters from harm…while guarding his own heart against very
unexpected feelings.
