Supervising An Investigative Unit

Most investigative units are led by supervisors who were promoted for their skill as investigators, not for any training in how to manage one. That gap shows up quickly: cases assigned by habit instead of a defensible system, personnel problems handled inconsistently, and no structure for tracking what the unit is actually working. Left unaddressed, it produces case backlogs, morale problems, and exposure when a case falls through the cracks.

Supervising the Investigative Unit is a live online course built to close that gap. Participants leave with usable systems for case assignment, case tracking, and investigative case review, along with practical frameworks for the personnel and interpersonal issues that consume a supervisor's time, from difficult employees to difficult victims and citizen complaints about open cases.

The course is led by Richard Dean, a 25-year veteran of the U.S. Secret Service whose career spanned the Presidential Protective Division and cyber-enabled financial crime investigations. Dean built the course around the operational reality of running an investigative unit day to day, not abstract management theory, and draws on his own experience standing up a multi-agency task force to illustrate how structure and accountability translate into a stronger unit.

What You Will Learn

• Supervising different types of investigative units, including all-in-one, major crimes, property, and specialty assignments, and adjusting management approach to fit the unit's structure and caseload demands

• Building and applying case management and case tracking systems that give supervisors real-time visibility into caseload distribution, aging cases, and investigator workload

• Conducting structured investigative case reviews, including how to evaluate caseload balance and distinguish cases that should be actively investigated from those that should be filed as no-file

• Running investigative unit meetings that produce results, including maintaining meeting notes, using sign-in sheets for accountability, and getting case updates to investigators who were not in attendance

• Handling difficult employees, including obtaining proper documentation for disciplinary actions, applying corrective actions, managing civilian employee performance issues, and correcting chronic time and case management problems

• Applying investigative case assignment models, including categorical, zone, skill-based, rotational, and on-call assignment systems, and knowing which model fits which unit type

• Building innovative team cohesion through structured projects, unit lunches, and outings, while recognizing the practical limitations on off-duty team building for sworn personnel

• Managing difficult victims, defendants, and families, including addressing complaints about how long a case has been open, explaining case closures, defending unfounded determinations, and correcting perceptions of a "lazy" or improper investigation

• Handling citizen complaints about investigators and providing case status updates without compromising the investigation

• Reviewing search warrants, arrest warrants, and case reports before they leave the unit, and building strong investigators through promotion criteria, performance review processes, investigator selection, and ongoing training

Who Should Attend

This course is built for newly promoted investigative sergeants and lieutenants, veteran investigative supervisors who have never received formal supervisory training, and senior investigators being groomed for a supervisory role. Agencies that promote from within the investigative ranks without providing supervisory training create a gap between technical investigative skill and unit management competency, a gap that shows up in inconsistent case assignments, unresolved personnel issues, and case backlogs that draw scrutiny from command staff and the public alike. Sending a supervisor to this course closes that gap before it becomes a liability.

Your Instructor

Richard Dean is an educator, consultant, and advisor to the International Association of Financial Crimes Investigators, specializing in virtual currency investigations, asset forfeiture strategy, and financial crime disruption. Prior to his retirement in 2025, Richard completed a 25-year career in the U.S. Secret Service, holding positions with the Presidential Protective Division as well as the Washington, DC and Tampa Field Offices, where he became an expert in cyber-enabled investigations and served as a spokesman for cybersecurity awareness on cases that drew national media attention. He established the Tampa Bay Cyber Fraud Task Force, a collaborative initiative uniting law enforcement, academia, and the private sector against technology-based financial threats, and later launched the Tampa Bay K12 Cyber Outreach Program. His approach blends operational field experience with strategic context, ensuring investigative practices align with organizational priorities and evolving regulatory requirements.

Cost $199 per person.

Payment Options Credit card online, purchase order, or check. Invoice will be generated prior to class but is not due before. Checks payable to Training Force USA, 7769 McClure Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32312.

Cancellations and Substitutions Registrations are confirmed upon submission and participants are responsible for payment regardless of attendance. Substitutions are welcome at any time by phone, email, or online. If minimum enrollment is not met, the class will transition to an on-demand format and all registered participants will be notified. A full refund is also available.

Questions Phone: 850-556-4544 | Email: contactus@trainingforceusa.com | www.trainingforceusa.com