Narcotics Investigations for Patrol Officers

Training for Uniformed Officers and New Narcotics Investigators

This course is built for uniformed officers conducting proactive patrol and for new narcotics investigators tasked with building drug cases from the street up. If your role puts you on the front lines of interdiction, traffic stops, knock-and-talks, or motel checks — this course gives you the legal foundation and tactical confidence to turn street encounters into solid cases.

We focus on the vehicle stop as a launching point, covering the major warrant exceptions, common pitfalls, and articulation strategies you’ll need to keep evidence admissible. You'll review state-specific case law, dissect critical Supreme Court rulings, and walk through real-world investigations that highlight both successes and courtroom failures.

From plain smell to probable cause, and from pill presses to motel takedowns, this course teaches the practical, courtroom-ready methods officers need to detect, investigate, and document narcotics cases that start on the street.

Instructors: 

Tanner Jenkins and Scott Courrege, J.D. (See "About Us" for bios.)

Topics:

• Crime Detection & Drug Interdiction on Patrol

• Legal Standards Refresher:

  • Reasonable Suspicion vs. Probable Cause

  • Consent Searches

  • Plain View & Plain Smell Doctrines

  • Search Incident to Arrest (SITA)

  • Vehicle Search Warrant Exceptions

• Case Law Deep Dives:

  • Rodriguez v. United States

  • United States v. Villafranco

  • Key State-Level Precedents

• Drug Identification & Recognition

• Vehicle Search Techniques & Tactics

• Knock-and-Talk Procedures

• Hotel/Motel Interdiction Strategies

• Search Warrants:

  • Elements, Scope, Drafting & Execution

  • Residential Search Considerations

• Evidence Collection & Documentation

• Pill Press Case Study: From Traffic Stop to Major Seizure

What You’ll Leave With:

• Practical tools for spotting, stopping, and articulating street-level drug activity

• A better understanding of what holds up in court — and what gets tossed

• Confidence in running searches, writing warrants, and building foundational cases

• Field-tested techniques for interdiction in cars, motels, and residences