Your First Look At The All New 2015 Writers’ Police Academy

First Look all new WPA

 

The 2015 Writers’ Police Academy will present new and exciting opportunities never before available to writers. Sure, we’ve offered some pretty darn cool workshops and sessions in the past, but this time we are taking you over the top. And I mean WAY over the top.

Attendees lucky enough to secure a spot at the 2015 WPA will attend one of the premier law enforcement, fire, and EMS academies in the country. The academy at Fox Valley Technical College is a combination of Quantico, FLETC, police and sheriff academies, SWAT school, and much, much more.

When the 2015 WPA class hits the academy floor in August attendees will quickly find themselves inside patrol cars conducting PIT maneuvers (Google it), firing live ammunition while at both indoor and outdoor ranges (AR-15’s and handguns), investigating crimes of various types inside commercial and residential buildings (this time, unlike our former building searches, the bad guys could be firing rounds at you while you search the dwellings (Simunition – again, Google it), and you’ll be returning fire, if the situation calls for it.

You and your instructor will drive onto a skid pad where you’ll see how it feels to lose control of your patrol car—yes, a real patrol car.

And, well, follow me for more…

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Crime scene evidence collection where attendees investigate a crime, collect the evidence (you’ll have to decide which evidence to collect), take it back to the police department, bag and tag it, and enter it into an actual property room using actual/proper procedures. Hands-on.

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CSI lab time – Touch DNA, bloodstain pattern investigations (the real deal), 3D crime scene mapping, fingerprinting, and more. Hands-on.

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All new patrol car simulator complete with computer terminal. You’ll receive the call, respond, and you just may find yourself on a foot pursuit that ends up in a standoff at the Firearms Training Simulator. This is all new and extremely exciting. It’s quite the realistic experience!!

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Suit up with a full outfit, from sidearm to Kevlar vest.

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Defense tactics will reach a new level this year with the addition of Redman protective gear. Suit up and play Whack-a-Mole with your partner!

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This course is sure to be a favorite. Your mission is to arrest a suspect, transport him/her to jail where you’ll drive into the Sally Port (Google is your friend), check your weapon, and then process (book) the bad guy. There are modern jail cells in the booking area where you’ll tuck away the crook of the day.

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Firefighting and EMS will be a big part of the 2015 WPA, and the training facility is Over. The. Top. I don’t want to give away too many details at this point, so for now…be very excited. Think zip lines, rappelling, arson, and lots and lots of FIRE…and firefighters.

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As I promised earlier, you will be firing live ammunition at moving and stationary targets, and you’ll be doing so indoors and out. However, this is not like the typical gun range where you stand still and shoot at bulls-eyes. There may be targets that shouldn’t be shot, but you won’t know which you’ll face until it pops up in front of you. Lots of very cool details and excitement packed into this course.

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So mark your calendars for August 20-23, 2015, and set your sights for Appleton, Wi.

We expect registration to sell out extremely fast, so please watch this site for details regarding registration (early to mid February). You should also sign up on the WPA website to receive news and announcements, all of which will start leaking out over the next couple of weeks.

By the way, the workshops listed above are just the tiny tip of the overall package. There is sooooo much more to the program. You’ll see.

The WPA truly is Disneyland for writers!!

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Sneak Peek Inside The 2015 Writers’ Police Academy Event Hotel

Sneak peek inside WPA

 

Yesterday Denene and I headed to Appleton, Wi. to officially start the ball rolling on the 2015 Writers’ Police Academy (August 20-23, 2015). We packed a few necessary items which, of course, included coats, gloves, and hats since the temperatures in the area were expected to be well below zero with wind chills dipping as low as 30 below.

Keep in mind I haven’t worn a coat or gloves in several years. In fact, just two short days ago I was in my backyard cleaning our pool while wearing shorts and a t-shirt. Not the case today.

But we were anxious to see the brand new facility at Fox Valley Technical Community College, and to meet with officials at the academy and at the hotel. So we departed from San Francisco with a stopover in Detroit, where our flight was delayed for quite a while due to weather in another part of the country. While waiting for departure we enjoyed a nice meal and a colorful walk to the gate afterward.

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However, it was snowing in Detroit and that called for de-icing…another delay. Yes, that’s snow and ice on the wing.

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When we finally arrived in Appleton (at midnight) the hotel had someone at the airport to meet us. A nice touch, by the way. The WPA event hotel this year is the Radisson Paper Valley in Appleton.

The Radisson is situated downtown near popular restaurants and a few pretty cool bars and pubs. It’s a college town. The hotel also features a few very nice bars and restaurants. First stop, though, the lobby.

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Next is a view of the grounds from our room.

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A quick walk around the place (remember, this was after midnight so the walk was brief, but we wanted you guys to see this).

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The pool area is quite nice, large, and heated. There’s the pool, a sauna, hot tub, weight and exercise room, arcade and play area for kids of all ages, ping-pong tables (we tried out the tables), air hockey, and more.

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There’s lots more to see, but we’re tired (it’s 3am). I’ll post photos of the academy tomorrow. For now…Zzzzzzzzzz.

By the way, the 2015 WPA is overflowing with really big surprises and more exciting things to see and do than ever before.

Please sign up to receive news and announcements. To do so go to the WPA website, scroll to the bottom of the page, and then click the link at the bottom right.

Registration will open in just a few weeks and, as always, space is limited. The 2014 WPA sold out in six hours, so watch closely for the date and time to begin registering. Believe me, this is the year you will not want to miss!!!!

 

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Madam Zelda’s Top 24 Predictions For 2015

Top 2017 Predictions

Madam Zelda did a reading for us this morning and she’s confident 2015 will be a fantastic year. Here’s a list of her top 24 predictions. Believe me, she’s always right…well, almost always.

1. Alafair Burke enrolls in a much-needed television repair and install course at a local community college.

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2. Michael Cudlitz actually wears pants during the filming of the next Writers’ Police Academy video. That’s right, he was indeed pant-less in the 2014 video. At least the Walking Dead star wore a shirt…

3. Good cop Melanie Atkins will be caught in steamy affair with Richard Castle. Beckett to file for divorce.

4. Sara Gruen arrested for construction of massive unpermitted gingerbread houses.

5. Katherine Ramsland purchases Bonaventure Cemetery and converts it to summer home.

6. Someone almost takes Hannah Schwartz seriously.

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7. Mike Roche, former Secret Service agent, officially changes name to Love Doctor after becoming THE most sought-after romance book cover model.

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8. Rick McMahan is appointed to head ATF. Rejects the offer in favor of a career as ballet instructor. His wife is not surprised. Not at all.

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9. David Swords sets sights on becoming the next Love Doctor.

10. Andy Russell, WPA instructor, moves to Florida and becomes shuffleboard king.

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11. Marco Conelli develops allergies to Italian food.

12. Dave Pauly, cold case expert, solves the Jimmy Hoffa mystery. Finds the missing mobster working as a server in a local Cracker Barrel restaurant.

13. Elvira files paternity suit against Oak Ridge Boys crooner Joe Bonsall.

14. Lisa Gardner appears on morning TV and announces, “My name is Lisa Gardner. Except most likely it isn’t.” A close friend, DD Warren, says the bestselling author fears nothing and will never crash and burn, no matter who she really is.

15. Marcia Clark (yes, that Marcia Clark) receives new pair of gloves as birthday gift. They don’t fit.

16. Steve Brown awakens from coma and learns he’s actually a local cop, not FBI. He cries nonstop from February through June.

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17. Jodie Renner reveals plans to write book on how to edit editing books.

18. Hazel Dixon Cooper predicts there’ll be more predictions in the future.

19. This one’s a stretch, but it’s believed that Hank Phillippi Ryan will embark on a book tour.

20. Jenny Milchman enters book tour Twilight Zone and is unable to exit the never-ending loop.

21. Les Edgerton is finally able to accept the fact that not all skies are blue.

22. Renee Paley Bain, AKA “Me,” reunites with her long-lost sisters, Coffee and Tea, who currently own and operate a small private school for wayward flight attendants.

23. Lee Child begins second career as a Billy Ray Cyrus tribute singer. He goes by the name “Achy Breaky Reacher.”

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24. Robin Burcell confesses to crime spree after realizing the composite sketch she drew was of herself.

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