We are now only two weeks away from the most exciting event in the country for writers, the Writers’ Police Academy. Can you believe it’s almost here already?
August 20th marks the opening for the 7th annual extravaganza also known as the WPA, and this is the largest event we’ve ever produced. I know, I say that every year, but it’s absolutely true each time I say it!
Our brand new location and fabulous training facility—Fox Valley Technical College’s Public Safety Training Center—is one of the top, premier training academies in the entire country. Even the FBI sends agents there to train. The 75 acre, $35 million place is absolutely mind-blowing.
Here’s a peek at the grounds. Yes, that’s a full-size 727 jet and we will be using it during our training sessions!

– 75 acres of indoor and outdoor tactical training space filled with innovative props and simulation experiences to enhance training in law enforcement, firefighting, emergency medical services, forensic science, and wildland fire.
– A 30+ foot ‘ant hill’ for confined space drills.
– A 6-story burn tower for fire training and four firearms ranges for police training, including one that is 300 yards.
– River City, a simulated training village with a motel, homes, and convenience store, provides scenarios that simultaneously involve police, firefighters, and emergency medical service personnel.
– Everything from emergency response training to other related crisis scenarios will be taking place on a Boeing 727 aircraft.
– Three large train cars, dispersed in various positions, present a derailment that requires specialized, multi-disciplinary responders.
– Other areas include a spacious fire apparatus training bay, an expanded Emergency Vehicle Operator Course, a water rescue pond, and much more.
And, to answer the question many of you have asked, YES there will be actual firefighters there teaching workshops.
Now, here’s a copy of the 2015 WPA schedule of events. Workshop descriptions and details are at the bottom of this page. For all other details please visit the WPA website. www.writerspoliceacademy.com
*Due to unexpected cancellations we do have a couple of slots available!
Thursday
4:00 – 6:00
Registration/Check-in
5:30 – 5:50
Ride-Along and Jail Tour Orientation – Hotel (room TBA)
6:00
Ride-Along with on-duty patrol officers – Limited number of available slots filled by lottery. Sign-ups during online registration only. All participants must submit to a background check.
Jail Tours – Limited number of available slots filled by lottery. Sign-ups during online registration only. Participants may be required to submit to a background check.
Dinner – On your own.
The Radisson features a few very nice restaurants, and there are several restaurants and pubs within easy walking distance from the hotel. Many are within sight of the front doors.
7:00 – 8:00
Orientation – Hotel
8:30 p.m.
3D Crime Scene Mapping – The future of CSI is real and in use today! ~ Dr. Joe LeFevre – Hotel
Friday
8:00 – 8:45
Announcements ~ Dr. Joe LeFevre/Staff – Village
8:45 – 9:05
Late registration – PSTA Lobby
9:00 – ongoing
Milo (firearms training simulator)- Sign-ups during online registration only. 1st come/1st served.
Driving Simulator – Sign-ups during online registration only. 1st come/1st served. Requires extra fee.
Traffic Stops – Ongoing. Friday only. Walk up any time.
9:15 – 10:30
Espionage, Cons and the Anatomy of Betrayal ~ NYPD Detective Marco Conelli
Romance Behind the Badge ~ Secret Service Special Agent Mike Roche
Small Things Considered ~ Dr. Denene Lofland
Fingerprinting 101 ~ Staff
Crime Lab ~ Wisconsin Crime Lab Staff
Fire Fundamentals ~ Staff

Skid Pad – Sign-ups during online registration only. Participation by lottery. 3 participants per ride. ~ Staff.
Building Searches/Door Breaching – Sign-ups during online registration only. 3 shooters per 20 minutes. 1st come/1st served. ~ Staff
Firing Range (Pistol) – Sign-ups during online registration only. 1st come/1st served. 6 shooters per session. All participants must submit to a background check. ~ Staff
EMS Experience ~ Staff
Patrol: The Backbone of Law Enforcement ~ Mike Black
Basics of uniformed patrol and the issues faced by police officers in today’s society. This session addresses the functions and responsibilities of uniformed officers working the street, including tactics for de-escalating incidents to the use of deadly force. An examination of incidents such as the recent high-profile traffic stops gone wrong and the public perceptions of each. (Room PS157)
10:45 – Noon
An Insider’s View to the World of Women in Law Enforcement ~ Robin Burcell
Police Gunfighting ~ ATF Special Agent Rick McMahan
From Crime Scene to Autopsy ~ Deputy Coroner Les James
Bangs and Booms 101 ~ John Gilstrap
Crime Lab ~ Wisconsin Crime Lab Staff
Fingerprinting 101 ~ Staff
Skid Pad – Sign-ups during online registration only. Participation by lottery. 3 participants per ride. ~ Staff.
Building Searches/Door Breaching – Sign-ups during online registration only. 1st come/1st served. 3 shooters per 20 minutes. ~ Staff
Firing Range (Pistol) – Sign-ups during online registration only. 1st come/1st served. 6 shooters per session. All participants must submit to a background check. ~ Staff
EMS Experience ~ Staff
Patrol: The Backbone of Law Enforcement ~ Mike Black
Basics of uniformed patrol and the issues faced by police officers in today’s society. This session addresses the functions and responsibilities of uniformed officers working the street, including tactics for de-escalating incidents to the use of deadly force. An examination of incidents such as the recent high-profile traffic stops gone wrong and the public perceptions of each. (PS157)
Noon – 12:45
Lunch
1:00 – 2:15
How To Write a Killer Fiction Query
Learn to craft a compelling query that introduces your work and entices a literary agent to ask for more. Come away with a list of things to avoid, and a list of things to include. Opportunities for Q&A, of course. Bring your own query if you want it used as a class example (not required). Room PS101 A&B
Kids Who Kill and Why ~ Dr. Katherine Ramsland
Handcuffing and Arrest Techniques ~ Staff
An Insider’s View to the World of Women in Law Enforcement ~ Robin Burcell
Bangs and Booms 101 ~ John Gilstrap
From Crime Scene to Autopsy ~ Deputy Coroner Les James
Interview and Interrogation ~ Lt. David Swords
Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT Maneuver) – Sign-ups during online registration only. Participation by lottery. 3 participants per ride. ~ Staff.
Burning Building Search/Rescue ~ Staff
Building Searches/Door Breaching – Sign-ups during online registration only. 1st come/1st served. 3 shooters per 20 minutes. ~ Staff
Firing Range (Pistol) – Sign-ups during online registration only. 1st come/1st served. 6 shooters per session. All participants must submit to a background check. ~ Staff
2:30 – 3:45
Handcuffing and Arrest Techniques ~ Staff
Police Gunfighting ~ ATF Special Agent Rick McMahan
Bloodstain Pattern Investigations and Techniques ~ Staff
Alternate Light Sources ~ Staff
Arson Investigations ~ Dr. Joe LeFevre

Interview and Interrogation ~ Lt. David Swords
Tactics for Handling the Unruly Plane Passenger – Sign-ups at online registration only. 1st come/1st served.Limited to 25 participants at each session. ~ Staff
Drug Identification ~ Joe Keil
Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT Maneuver) – Sign-ups during online registration only. Participation by lottery. 3 participants per ride. ~ Staff.
Building Searches/Door Breaching – Sign-ups during online registration only. 3 shooters per 20 minutes. 1st come/1st served. ~ Staff
Firing Range (Pistol) – Sign-ups during online registration only. 1st come/1st served. 6 shooters per session. All participants must submit to a background check. ~ Staff
4:00 – 5:15
Arson Investigations ~ Dr. Joe LeFevre
Alternate Light Sources ~ Staff
Bloodstain Pattern Investigations and Techniques ~ Staff
Simunitions: Advanced Door-Breaches/Building Searches – Sign-ups during online registration only. Participation by lottery. ~ Staff
Robbery v. Burglary ~ Lt. David Swords
Drug Identification ~ Joe Keil
Burning Building Search/Rescue ~ Staff
Tactics for Handling the Unruly Plane Passenger – Sign-ups at online registration only. 1st come/1st served.Limited to 25 participants at each session. ~ Staff
The Mindset of Cops ~ Secret Service Special Agent Mike Roche
Kids Who Kill and Why ~ Dr. Katherine Ramsland
5:30
Buses depart for hotel
5:45 – 7:00
Dinner – On Your Own
7:00 – 7:30
Cash bar
7:30 – 8:30
Reception
9:00 p.m.
When a Traffic Stop Goes Horribly Wrong ~ Joe LeFevre, all law enforcement staff, K-9.
Saturday
8:00 – 8:45
Announcements ~ Dr. Joe LeFevre/Staff – Village
9:00 – ongoing
Milo – Sign-ups during online registration only. 1st come/1st served.
Driving Simulator – Sign-ups during online registration only. 1st come/1st served.
9:15 – 10:30
Forensic Art and Witness Recall ~ Robin Burcell
Small Things Considered ~ Dr. Denene Lofland
Fighting Words: Martial Arts for Writers ~ Howard Lewis
Building Searches/Door Breaching – Sign-ups during online registration only. 3 shooters per 20 minutes. 1st come/1st served. ~ Staff
Firing Range (Rifle) – Sign-ups during online registration only. 1st come/1st served. 6 shooters per session. All participants must submit to a background check. ~ Staff

Crime Scene Photography ~ Staff
The Mindset of Cops ~ Secret Service Special Agent Mike Roche
Robbery v. Burglary ~ Lt. David Swords
The CSI Effect: Real vs. Reel ~ Mike Black
Workshop covers the approach and procedures for responding to a crime scene, taking attendees through the steps necessary to assess and safeguard the scene. This session also deals with procedures for processing the scenes and how real life situations are often misrepresented in books, television, and movies, and how these fictitious depictions often can taint the jury pool. Actual evidence that might be found at crime scenes will be present in the classroom.
10:45 – Noon
Fighting Words: Martial Arts for Writers ~ Howard Lewis
Introduction to Firearms ~ ATF Special Agent Rick McMahan
SWAT Experience ~ Law Enforcement
Forensic Art and Witness Recall ~ Robin Burcell
Advanced Fingerprinting (difficult, textured, and wet surfaces) ~ Staff
Overview of Forensic Psychology ~ Dr. Katherine Ramsland
K-9 ~ Staff
Crime Scene Photography ~ Staff
Concealed Carry ~ Staff instructor with John Gilstrap
Firing Range (Rifle) – Sign-ups during online registration only. 1st come/1st served. 6 shooters per session. All participants must submit to a background check. ~ Staff
Noon – 12:45
Lunch
1:00 – 2:10
How To Write a Killer Fiction Query ~ Janet Reid (Query Shark)
Learn to craft a compelling query that introduces your work and entices a literary agent to ask for more. Come away with a list of things to avoid, and a list of things to include. Opportunities for Q&A, of course. Bring your own query if you want it used as a class example (not required). Room PS101 A&B
Booking/Processing ~ Staff
SWAT Experience ~ Law Enforcement
Overview of Forensic Psychology ~ Dr. Katherine Ramsland
Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT Maneuver) – Sign-ups during online registration only. Participation by lottery. 3 participants per ride. ~ Staff.
Espionage, Cons and the Anatomy of Betrayal ~ NYPD Detective Marco Conelli
Building Searches/Door Breaching – Sign-ups during online registration only. 3 shooters per 20 minutes. 1st come/1st served. ~ Staff
Advanced Fingerprinting (difficult, textured, and wet surfaces)
Crime Scene Photography ~ Staff
JAWS ~ Staff
Gals with Guns ~ Staff
Firing Range (Rifle) – Sign-ups during online registration only. 1st come/1st served. 6 shooters per session. All participants must submit to a background check. ~ Staff
2:20 – 3:30
Booking/Processing ~ Staff
Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT Maneuver) – Sign-ups during online registration only. Participation by lottery. 3 participants per ride. ~ Staff.
Firing Range (Rifle) – Sign-ups during online registration only. 1st come/1st served. 6 shooters per session. Requires extra fee. All participants must submit to a background check. ~ Staff
Bloodstain Pattern Investigations and Techniques ~ Staff
K-9 ~ Staff
Introduction to Firearms ~ ATF Special Agent Rick McMahan
JAWS ~ Staff
Crime Scene Photography ~ Staff
Gals with Guns ~ Staff
Romance Behind the Badge ~ Secret Service Special Agent Mike Roche
Simunitions: Advanced Door-Breaches/Building – Sign-ups during online registration only. Participation by lottery. ~ Staff
The CSI Effect: Real vs. Reel ~ Mike Black
Workshop covers the approach and procedures for responding to a crime scene, taking attendees through the steps necessary to assess and safeguard the scene. This session also deals with procedures for processing the scenes and how real life situations are often misrepresented in books, television, and movies, and how these fictitious depictions often can taint the jury pool. Actual evidence that might be found at crime scenes will be present in the classroom.
3:45
Buses Depart For Hotel
4:15 – 5:30
How to “Get It Right” – The benefits of research and how to make them work for the writer. ~ Allison Brennan – Hotel Salons C and D
6:30 – 7:00
Cash Bar and Silent Auction
7:00 – 8:30
Banquet, awards, silent auction, and announcements. You must present your ticket to enter the banquet room.
8:30
An Evening with Karin Slaughter
*Book signings with featured guests and presenters immediately after the conclusion of banquet activities.
Sunday
10:00 – Noon
Debriefing Panel – All Available Instructors
The debriefing panel has often been described as the best session of the entire event. It’s where you have the opportunity to address the panel of experts, asking questions pertaining to your work in progress, about police officers, detectives, sheriffs, police chiefs, crooks, thugs, thieves, and well, pretty much anything related to the world of cops and robbers.
You’ll definitely want to bring your sense of humor and a tissue or two. You’ll need both.
Workshop Descriptions
Alternate Light Sources ~ Staff
An Insider’s View to the World of Women in Law Enforcement ~ Robin Burcell
Arson Investigations ~ Dr. Joe LeFevre
Bangs and Booms 101: Interactive session to teach the basics of projectile ballistics, explosives, and how they do damage to people and things. ~ John Gilstrap
Bloodstain Pattern Investigations and Techniques ~ Staff
Building Searches/Door Breaching: In this heart-thumping workshop you and your fellow SWAT team members are called in to service a search warrant at a residence. Your mission is to locate and apprehend the armed robber who’s barricaded himself inside. Be prepared for whatever could happen and, well, it probably will. So expect the unexpected. Good luck! ~ Staff (3 shooters per 20 minutes – 9 per hour)
Burning Building Search/Rescue: A burning building has filled with smoke and it’s up to you to enter and search for and save trapped or unconscious victims. Hands-on experience faced by firefighters every day. No actual fire and simulated smoke, but the experience is extremely realistic! ~ Staff
Computer-Aided Dispatch Systems: While seated at an actual dispatch terminal, you’ll check the database for a suspect’s criminal history and other vital records. Dispatchers will receive print-outs and issue tickets. ~ Staff
Concealed Carry: When cops and concealed carry citizens interact. How the objectives and tactics vary between civilians and LEOs. ~ Staff instructor with John Gilstrap
Crime Lab: How long do DNA results take? What does a Forensic Scientist do? Staff from the Wisconsin Crime Lab talk about their job and answer your questions.
Crime Scene Photography: Photograph crime scenes and crime scene evidence. Bring your cameras and your best investigative skills for this extremely realistic session. ~ Staff
Driving Simulator: You get the emergency call and respond in your patrol vehicle. This is definitely not a Sunday drive to Grandma’s house!
Drug Identification: Recognizing the signs of drug use and abuse and the paraphernalia related with various drugs. Discussion of current drug trends. ~ Joe Keil
EMS Experience: Learn about real EMS work using actual tools while inside an ambulance. Hands-on with many simple skills, and some people will get the thrill of delivering a baby via our human patient simulator. ~ Staff
Espionage, Cons and the Anatomy of Betrayal ~ NYPD Detective Marco Conelli
Fighting Words: Martial Arts for Writers: Demonstrations by a master and tips on writing scenes that don’t drive martial arts experts to the edge of insanity. ~ Howard Lewis
Fingerprinting: Lifting prints from a variety of surfaces, including those most difficult—wet, textured, and sticky areas such as duct tape. ~ Staff
Fire Fundamentals: This interactive workshop begins with a ride in a fire truck heading to a fire (a real fire) and ends with a hands-on session with equipment inside the fire station . Experience the sights, sounds, and smells associated with firefighting. ~ Staff
Firing Range (Pistol): Following a brief lesson on handgun safety and the 4 step process of the draw, participants will test their marksmanship on a real indoor police academy shooting range. Sign-ups during online registration only. 1st come/1st served. 6 shooters per session. Requires extra fee. All participants must submit to a background check.
Firing Range (Rifle): Following a brief safety lesson and fundamental of rifle fire (AR-15), participants will test their marksmanship on a real indoor police academy shooting range. Sign-ups during online registration only. 1st come/1st served. 6 shooters per session. Requires extra fee. All participants must submit to a background check. ~ Staff
Forensic Art and Witness Recall: How investigators reach inside someone’s head to see what the witness sees. Have you ever wondered why so many people can see the same incident, and yet have a completely different description of what happened or who they saw? Sketch artists have to learn the art of interviewing in order to get the clearest picture of a suspect from a witness’s description. Witness memory is fragile and easily swayed. Examples from real cases, and demonstration of techniques will be used in this course. ~ Robin Burcell
From Crime Scene to Autopsy ~ Deputy Coroner Les James
Gals With Guns: Concealed Carry For Women – How to carry. How not to carry. Where to carry. And how to draw. ~ Staff
Handcuffing and Arrest Techniques ~ Staff
Interview and Interrogation: Learn tactics and techniques used by investigators, and the mistakes often made by writers. ~ Lt. David Swords
JAWS: Hands-on session using the emergency lifesaving tool. ~ Staff
K-9: Narcotics searches and suspect apprehension. See the dogs doing what they do best and learn why they do it. ~ Staff
Kids Who Kill and Why ~ Dr. Katherine Ramsland
Milo: Shoot/don’t shoot interactive training. Extremely realistic. Will you make the right decisions?This session is hands-down one of the most popular workshops of the WPA. Sign-ups during online registration only. 1st come/1st served. Requires extra fee.
Police Gunfighting ~ ATF Special Agent Rick McMahan
Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT Maneuver): Sign-ups during online registration only. Participation by lottery. 3 participants per ride. ~ Staff.
Robbery v. Burglary ~ Lt. David Swords
Romance Behind the Badge: Examining the love tendencies of law enforcement officers. From scandalous infidelity to office romance and the sparks ignited while answering calls. We will rip the sheets off the mattress and expose the inside world of love in the cop world. ~ Secret Service Special Agent Mike Roche (AKA “The Love Doctor”)
Simunitions ~ Advanced Door-Breaches/Building Searches: SWAT team members will suit up in protective gear and then conduct their search for the armed robber. SWAT members and bad guys will be armed with Simunition (similar to paintball). Sign-ups during online registration only. 1st come/1st served. Requires extra fee. ~ Staff
Skid Pad: Fishtailing around a corner during a high-speed chase. Teetering on the edge of losing total control of your car. Sound exciting? Well, if you’re up for it, so are we. Climb inside one of our patrol cars and hang on for the ride of a lifetime. This is actual police training. Sign-ups during online registration only. Participation by lottery. 3 participants per ride. ~ Staff.
Small Things Considered: An up-close look at microscopic creatures and how they can be used to commit murder.~ Dr. Denene Lofland
SWAT Experience: See, touch, and try on actual SWAT team gear. Tour SWAT vehicles, and learn SWAT operations from the experts. ~ Law Enforcement
Tactics for Handling the Unruly Plane Passenger: You’ve boarded the plane, buckled in, and made sure your tray table is locked in the upright position. Suddenly the passenger in 12B does the unthinkable and it’s up to you, the responding police officer, to control the situation. Yes, we have a full-size Boeing 727 passenger jet onsite! ~ Staff
The Mindset of Cops: Examine the psychological mindset of cops. What are their cultural backgrounds, their psychological tendencies, and what draws officers to a career in law enforcement. Take a look at the camaraderie of the Thin Blue Line and the caustic nature of the career. ~ Secret Service Special Agent Mike Roche
Traffic Stops: Side-by-side role playing with PSTA police recruits as they conduct practical exercises. Walk up anytime to participate. This is actual police academy training in real time. Have your questions answered while interacting with police recruits.