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Frequently Asked Questions

 

What is SEARCH High-Tech Crime Training Services?

SEARCH's High-Tech Crime Training Services is comprised of a team of experts who provide technical assistance and training to local, state, and federal justice and public safety agencies nationwide. Through training classes, technical workshops and hands-on assistance, SEARCH trains and assists investigators in methods to prevent, detect, and investigate the rising tide of computer crime, which is sometimes also referred to as eCrime, cyber crime, or high-tech crime. These crimes include: fraud, email threats, online stalking, identity theft, phishing, drug trafficking, cyber terrorism, and child exploitation.

Training courses are offered at facilities near SEARCH headquarters in Sacramento, and at other sites nationwide through SEARCH's outreach training program. These efforts focus on systems security, digital data recovery, and investigations involving the Internet, social networking sites, local area networks, and online child exploitation.

SEARCH's team of experts develops resource materials to assist investigators who conduct computer-crime investigations. These resource materials include a cell phone investigation toolkit, digital forensics guides, and information security tools that provide critical operational guidance to practitioners on emerging technological issues in the area of high-tech crime.

Our team of computer crimes investigators and information systems security professionals have conducted hundreds of high-tech investigations and have assisted agencies with hundreds more. They are widely recognized for developing unique, cutting-edge high-tech crime investigative and forensic courses.

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What is your outreach training program?

SEARCH provides trainers, training materials and, if needed, a mobile computer lab to criminal justice agencies anywhere in the country wishing to host one of our high-tech crime training courses.

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How much does outreach training cost?

The cost varies by course, location, and a variety of other factors. SEARCH provides numerous courses throughout the year that are grant funded, allowing for no charge to the student. If grant funding is no longer available, however, SEARCH must charge a fee for the training. SEARCH sponsors a number of regional outreach training events each year. For regional events, SEARCH provides a certain amount of the needed resources while regional host partners provide the remainder of the resources. Each regional event will vary depending on the number of partners, courses desired and so forth.

Besides regional events, SEARCH can provide training through either fee-based courses or through a contract with individual agencies or associations wishing to sponsor outreach training. Agencies and associations wishing such training are encouraged to use available grant funding for training and/or seek out regional partnerships so that costs are shared. The cost or fee for these courses is negotiated on a case-by-case basis.

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If my agency hosts a course, what are our responsibilities?

Although responsibilities vary depending on a number of factors, a host agency is generally responsible for the following:
  • Supplying a site or classroom that will meet the requirements for the course being offered. For example, the site must accommodate a minimum of 20 students including sufficient room for computers, seating, and any other equipment associated with a particular class, as well as unrestricted, high-speed Internet access for students and instructors.
  • Providing classroom equipment, including an overhead projector, 8-foot-wide screen, white marker board, and table space for training materials.
  • Sending out training announcements to criminal justice agencies in your local area (when necessary).

At the time a specific course has been identified for your agency, SEARCH will provide a "specification sheet" that will identified stipulate all responsibilities and requirements for the course.

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What type of computer laboratory do we need to set up for training at our site?

Computer laboratory requirements vary depending on the course being offered. Course specification sheets explaining the minimum requirements are available by emailing our Administrative Assistant, Diane Chin, at diane@search.org.

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How do I register for your Sacramento courses?

You must complete a registration form, and submit it to SEARCH along with a purchase order or credit card information. We offer online registration, or you may print a hard copy registration form and send it to us via mail or fax. Detailed instructions for registering are available on each training course page. You may access these pages through our course calendar or training courses overview pages.

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How can I tell if a course is POST-certified?

POST certification is listed in the course description on the training calendar; a notation can be found next to the course fee amount. This notation will include which POST Plan the course has been certified under. SEARCH submits most all California courses to the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) for certification. Although POST certifies courses under different plans, SEARCH seeks to obtain certifications under plans that are most beneficial to students and their respective agencies.

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If I am not affiliated with a California POST agency or my POST agency is not eligible for reimbursement - will SEARCH waive my registration fee?

No.

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Does SEARCH offer a scholarship program for students who do not have the ability to pay the registration fee?

SEARCH does not have a scholarship program at this time.

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What if my agency is interested in a training course that isn't currently offered on your website?

SEARCH is always sensitive to the training needs of law enforcement agencies and will consider requests for specialized training courses on a case-by-case basis. Please contact Diane Chin with these requests.

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Can I reserve a slot in one of your courses until my agency completes the paperwork?

No. Classes are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Therefore, registration fees (if required) must accompany the online registration. If you are paying for the course with a department purchase order, please contact Diane Chin.

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Are credit cards accepted for payment of training course fees?

Yes. SEARCH accepts VISA, MasterCard, Discover and American Express.

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What is your cancellation and refund policy?

Cancellations will only be accepted if received in writing 30 days prior to the class offering. Please submit cancellation requests in writing postmarked or faxed no later than 30 days prior to the first day of class. Cancellations received within 30 days of the course will not be refunded. Registration may be transferred, however, to another member of your agency at any time. Refunds will be made in the same form of payment as originally received. Please submit any request for refund or attendee change via email to Diane Chin.

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What is your waiting list policy?

If a particular class is full, you may request to be placed on a waiting list. In the event of cancellations, people on the waiting list will be contacted in the order they were placed on the list and given the opportunity to attend the class. Anyone on the waiting list who is unable to attend the class will be referred to subsequent course dates.

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What should I wear to the training in Sacramento?

Business casual attire is encouraged. But regardless of the outside weather in Sacramento (which can range from 30 degrees in the winter to 110 degrees in the summer), students typically tell us that our classroom is "chilly" and we therefore recommend students bring a light jacket or sweater to class.

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Do you have any lodging recommendations for students coming to Sacramento?

Yes. For lodging recommendations and directions to SEARCH, please see our travel information section.

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