Webinars On Demand

Every year, children are unlawfully taken from the United States into Mexico, leaving behind devastated families and launching complex international investigations. This webinar will identify critical steps in the law enforcement response to these cases. Through case studies examine the initial investigative response, cross-border coordination, and identify the key actions needed to navigate both U.S. and Mexican legal systems. Also, analyze Mexico's investigative process, compare it with U.S. procedures, and evaluate strategies to strengthen recovery efforts.

Join us for an interactive class designed for AMBER Alert coordinators and emergency management personnel where participants engage with realistic missing child scenarios. Collaborate to assess whether the facts support activation, making critical decisions as situations evolve dynamically to mirror real-world challenges. This popular course is updated annually to reflect current cases, trends, and activations, fostering in-depth discussions that enhance decision-making skills and improve response strategies for locating missing children.

Unsolved child abductions are among the most complex cases in investigative work. This webinar will explore key factors that shape these cases, providing essential tools for navigating their challenges. Gain a deeper understanding of key terminology, examine seven pivotal case factors that can shift an investigation, and identify common hurdles that hinder case resolution. Join us for an insightful look at investigative techniques, case complexities, and strategies for making progress in these difficult cases.

911 Telecommunicators are the first line of response in urgent high-stakes situations and few scenarios are as critical as missing children calls. This webinar will guide participants in identifying key details from calls, understanding the different types of missing children incidents, and recognizing the vital role of 911 Telecommunicators in the investigative process. Through the analysis of real 911 calls, attendees will enhance their ability to quickly gather crucial information and respond effectively to one of the most significant calls a 911 Telecommunicator can handle.

911 Telecommunicators are the FIRST responders. They take the call for help and ensure officers are dispatched armed with information and a sense of urgency. This webinar will increase comprehension about the hidden nature of child sex trafficking (CST) and provide a better understanding of the crime of CST and other crimes which intersect with it. The types of calls a dispatcher will receive related to CST will be examined with clear steps which should be taken. The vital role 911 telecommunicators play in identifying CST victims and ensuring they are rescued will be assessed.

Our Mexican border sees children crossing into the U.S. from Mexico, and children taken from the U.S. into Mexico. Explore the dynamics of how and why children are taken across the border, in both directions. Recognize current crime trends identified by subject matter experts from border jurisdictions. Identify investigative techniques and partnerships described by those experts as being crucial when a cross-border abduction occurs. Examine a case study of a cross-border abduction and identify takeaways and lessons learned.

Comprehend the prevalence of CST and examine its hidden in plain sight nature. Identify risk factors which lead children to become CST victims. Explore the methods traffickers use to lure children and their business model with which they sell them. Compare proactive responses to reactive responses by the system.

Seconds count when a child goes missing. A Child Abduction Response Team (CART) is a critical tool law enforcement agencies use to provide an effective and efficient response to a missing child incident. The CART Certification Program ensures CARTs operate at a level of excellence in both their structure and operational ability and are practiced, tested, and ready. Walk-through the process of certification and pinpoint the resources necessary to ready a team. Identify next steps to bringing a CART to full certification.

Learn about the challenges associated with being a PIO during one of the most important and time-sensitive law enforcement events that can occur, a child abduction, and consider how PIOs can meet the expectations and challenges presented by modern forms of communication. Identify the different types of audience members that receive the information during an AMBER Alert and recognize best practices and common missteps which can happen during an AMBER Alert.

A child abduction forever impacts the child, their family, and the community. Distinguish the dynamics of the different types of child abductions which are perpetrated by strangers, acquaintances, family members, and child sex traffickers. Identify the motivation for each type of abduction and assess risk factors in children's routines and lives which could leave them vulnerable to exploitation by those who abduct children. Discover strategies you can employ, and you can share with community members to employ to prevent a child abduction.

Discover the history of the AMBER Alert and the roles and responsibilities of AMBER Alert Coordinators in each state. Examine the guidelines for issuing an Alert and comprehend why alerts are and sometimes are not issued. Explore tools and resources which can improve and support the AMBER Alert process.

Abductions involving family members may be one of two scenarios; a family member abducts the child, or the family member is involved in the death of the child and then falsely reports the child as missing. Compare and contrast specific characteristics of different types of family member involved child abductions. Identify crucial initial steps in a Family Member Abduction which can aid in quick recovery of the child. Delve into the False Report of Child Abduction by a family member. Identifying patterns and response recommendations to assist in discerning a false report, then the investigative steps to thoroughly investigate family members and either focus investigative efforts upon them or eliminate them quickly. Examine several case studies of false reports and identify risk factors that indicate possible false reports.

Learn about the mission of the Ashlynne Mike AMBER Alert in Indian Country Act of 2018 and the ongoing efforts of the AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program (AATTAP) to support this Act.

Child Protective Services (CPS) case workers encounter child sex trafficking victims during and following missing events in which extensive exploitation is occurring or has occurred. Examine when CPS has jurisdiction and a duty to investigate trafficking cases, along with why and how children go missing from care. Identify vulnerabilities and recognize factors which indicate sex trafficking. Often these recovered missing or abducted children do not disclose their exploitation when recovered or encountered by CPS. Analyze the bond the victim has with the trafficker and discover why disclosing is difficult for children. Identify approaches to protect children when you suspect trafficking but have no disclosure from the victim. Lastly, develop opportunities to collaborate with law enforcement and other professionals to identify and support CST victims.

Explore the partnership and collaboration between the United States and Mexico in combatting child abductions. Examine takeaway information garnered from an SBI meeting with subject matter experts regarding cross border abductions. Identify current trends and motivators in abductions, recognize legal complexities of cross border crimes, and examine a cross border case study which demonstrates the vital collaborative effort necessary for the safe return of children to their respective countries.

Child abductions present legal issues which often must be resolved quickly. Explore common legal challenges which arise related to search and seizure in the cases. Gain critical information to make key legal decisions when a child has been abducted and their recovery may depend on it. Examine Fourth Amendment parameters for cell phones, GPS tracking, and scent dogs in the search for abducted children.

Exposure to missing and exploited children's trauma can take a toll on the team of criminal justice professionals it takes to recover and treat the child, as well as investigate the case and prosecute the suspects. Examine how this exposure can impact your mental wellness and discover ways to recognize the signs of mental distress for yourself and your teammates. Identify ways to implement self-care and understand when you should seek out care. Explore the impact of trauma on child victims and identify best approaches to supporting them.

Child Sex Traffickers are formidable opponents for law enforcement in the interview room. Explore how to recognize their manipulative personality types and not let it derail your interview. Acquire a step-by-step process to dismantle their defenses and use their words to tell the story of their exploitation of child victims. Identify their most common defenses and obtain full confessions from traffickers.

Investigating a child sex trafficking case while recognizing the need for advocacy throughout the process can be a challenge both for law enforcement and for advocates. Explore the different perspectives each bring to their contacts with victims. Identify 5 core values of partnership which will enable you to have a successful and productive team as you serve the most vulnerable of victims. Examine a victim’s perspective of a law enforcement-led advocacy team and hear how it impacted her life.

Law Enforcement Officers and Telecommunicators are AMBER Alert First Responders during the critical initial stage of a child abduction. This webinar will review the criteria for an AMBER Alert and identify tools and resources which enhance first responder capabilities in cases of endangered missing and abducted children, with detailed considerations for those where AMBER Alerts are issued.

One of the most important and pivotal components of a child abduction response is the ability to effectively manage information during an incident. Learn the importance of using a leads management system and provide guidance regarding the implementation, organization, and dissemination of leads using various systems.

AMBER Alert Essentials for Community Members will enable members of the public to recognize the history and essential components of the AMBER Alert Program. The criteria for an AMBER Alert will be examined as well as how to support law enforcement efforts during an AMBER Alert activation.

How important it is that everyone working these cases understands roles and responsibilities? Discuss having a plan in place, ahead of time, to outline what will happen and who will do what -- and why that's important. Time is the enemy in these cases; a seamless initial intake with a clear understanding of what is needed will ultimately make the difference when seconds matter.

Today when a child or adult goes missing, there are many digital avenues of follow-up that are necessary in a timely recovery. During this webinar, we will address follow-up items that are often time sensitive and crucial if the case becomes a long-term investigation. Learn how to follow-up on Internet activity, social media accounts, device usage, application data, important “usage” on cell phones or tablets and more.

Examine effective strategies and best practices for the reinvestigation of cold and historical child homicides, unidentified human remains and long-term missing children investigations when there is no body. This webinar illustrates how children can be the perfect victim, and as such, how their cases can become historical and unresolved. Investigative strategies for establishing that a crime has been committed, identifying those responsible for the crime, and for proving or disproving facts and circumstances in the original unresolved investigation will be discussed. Learn how an MDT response can result in a successful resolution.

Examine proven methodologies associated with the management and supervision of those responsible for the investigation of unresolved child homicides, identification of unidentified human remains and the location of long-term missing children. Explore the critical administrative and supervisory strategies necessary for the resolution of these cases. Demonstrate the importance of a multidisciplinary approach using innovative methodologies and current forensic capabilities to achieve resolution on cases.

AMBER Alerts are activated in the most serious child-abduction cases. The goal of an AMBER Alert is to instantly galvanize the community to assist in the search for and safe recovery of a missing child. These alerts are broadcast through radio, TV, road signs, cellphones, and other data-enabled devices. During this webinar, law enforcement will understand the importance of what criteria needs to be met to request an AMBER Alert activation. Demonstrate and recognize the importance of having a plan or policy in place. Explain how critical it is to train and prepare in advance of an AMBER Alert activation to be able to respond quickly, as time is of the essence in every child abduction case.

AMBER Alerts are activated in the most serious child-abduction cases. The goal of an AMBER Alert is to instantly galvanize the community to assist in the search for and safe recovery of a missing child. These alerts are broadcast through radio, TV, road signs, cellphones, and other data-enabled devices. During this webinar, tribal community members consider law enforcement's response to missing and abducted children, and when an AMBER Alert is an effective tool. The importance of bridging the gap between law enforcement and the community is discussed, as are ways community members can assist during and before a missing or abducted child situation.

When a child goes missing, those most impacted are the ones closest to them. Each year, family members are brought together to participate in a Family Round Table discussion. The discussion includes everything from their case and the response from law enforcement, prosecutions of the offender, working with the media and many other areas. Through this process, many lessons are learned which are critical to improving the total system response for the victims and their families. This invaluable insight from the families provides a guide to adjust training, policies and procedures to make continuous improvements to the overall response.

Improve response and recovery for endangered missing, child abduction and exploitation investigations during disasters and emergencies. Through case studies, review past disasters to explore and develop response strategies for protecting children during periods of restricted movement, social distancing or shelter in place.

Explore how to take the CART concept and bring it to life in your department. Is there a standard template for gaining acceptance from stakeholders? Does my department need CART? Is it feasible? What if my CART doesn’t look like other programs? This webinar will address these questions and provide clarity on how to form an effective CART tailored to the specific needs of the agency/jurisdiction/region it serves.

Examine resources that are crucial to implement during a missing child incident. Hear about the importance of accumulating these resources before a call comes in for a missing or abducted child. The successful recovery of a missing or abducted child is dependent on organization and team work. Understand at the end of this webinar, how important a Child Abduction Response Team is in these high priority, time sensitive cases.

The AMBER Alert Best Practices – Law Enforcement Field Guide is a companion to the AMBER Alert Best Practices Guide and is aimed at law enforcement agencies and first responders. It is designed to provide administrators with a document on what to expect in the event of an endangered missing or abducted child investigation, as well as provide their personnel with a reference manual to help jump start an effective response and investigation. The webinar focuses on raising awareness of areas that are consistently shown to be relevant and have an operational impact in these types of cases as well as how the guide can assist.

This webinar provides law enforcement and service providers with information on how technology (cell phones, phone chat lines, social networking sites, and internet advertisements) are used to seduce, lure, and control child victims of sex trafficking. The presenter discusses how to develop successful investigative techniques to proactively identify and locate child victims and corroborate the technology facilitated commercial sexual exploitation investigation. Case studies are used to facilitate the discussion. Pitfalls and challenges to these investigations are also discussed to help agencies identify them within their strategies and approaches to combating this crime.

Explore the importance of an immediate search and canvass when a child goes missing. Statistics show that the quicker responders can organize a search and canvass, the more likely that the child will be recovered. In addition, this webinar will examine the most effective search and canvass strategies. Demonstrate examples of actual cases, which will compare and contrast an effective versus a flawed response where search and canvass was utilized.

Learn how a team approach to investigations allows all members of a multidisciplinary team to work together to investigate cases involving child sex trafficking, and to gather the evidence necessary to make a successful case. The presenter will discuss charging decisions, trial preparation, accomplice testimony, defense strategies, and witness preparation.

Criminal records of sex trafficking victims are known barriers to exiting sex trafficking situations. The link between committing crime while being a victim of sex trafficking, called forced criminality, has received little research attention. One aspect of forced criminality in sex trafficking situations includes ‘trick rolls’ which are the robberies of sex buyers. With the purpose of exploring forced criminality, this study examined 467 trick roll cases which are robberies conducted in a prostitution situation perpetrated by the sex seller, during one year in Las Vegas, Nevada. Using crime databases and working knowledge of the LVMPD Vice and Sex Trafficking Investigations Unit, 36 percent of the identified suspects in the trick roll cases were found to be known victims of sex trafficking. Trick roll cases involving sex trafficking victims were found to be more likely to involve multiple suspects (including their sex trafficker), begin at a bar/club or casino floor,...

Prosecuting sex trafficking of minor cases is difficult, in part because victims are unstable. Join us for this webinar to discuss building an investigation that allows the prosecutor to go to trial, even if the victim is unable to testify.

During this webinar, you will learn how to prepare child sex trafficking cases for trial and how to effectively work with witnesses, including issues of delayed disclosure and complicity. Working with victims, witnesses, and accomplices requires an understanding of the recovery process and bridging gaps with people who have little trust for law enforcement or the prosecution process.

Thinking of starting a Child Abduction Response Team (CART) in your jurisdiction? Learn how building a CART can assist in the search and recovery of an abducted or endangered child. During this webinar, you will learn about the guidelines for developing, implementing and sustaining a CART program within your community, and examine the CART certification process for agencies and CART programs pursuing formal certification.

When activating an AMBER Alert, the investigating agency relies upon their partners and stakeholders to share the abducted child's information to the public and assist in locating the child. During this webinar, you will learn about the multiple partners, stakeholder groups, and resources available to law enforcement during the AMBER Alert activation process and how they may be able to assist.