INDIANAPOLIS -- Law enforcement agencies from around the state are in Indianapolis this week for the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department's annual homicide training school.
IMPD said the goal of the training is to make sure officers are up to date on national best practices and learn new techniques, with the ultimate goal being to solve crimes and get families justice.
FOX59/CBS4’s Jenny Dreasler got an exclusive look inside the training.
Nearly 80 people from about 16 different agencies around the state attended IMPD’s “Homicide and Major Case Investigation School” this week on Indy’s east side.
“In a real-time environment, the stakes are so high and it’s not a time necessarily to be learning,” said Lt. Bruce Smith with IMPD. “We can teach one-on-one or a couple new detectives at a time at a real scene, but to be able to get that base level training this is the best environment we think.”
On Thursday, detectives saw multiple different mock homicide investigation scenarios ranging from a domestic violence incident to a fatal shooting that led to a car crash.
In one training scenario, detectives were able to see firsthand how detectives investigate a homicide and discussed how to collect evidence and talk to witnesses.
But most importantly, IMPD said it lets detectives learn from their mistakes.
“You really learn in this training environment and these sort of scenarios when you do something wrong and it doesn’t come back and mean that we’re not gonna get justice for a family or something like that,” said Lt. Smith.
Smaller police departments like Westfield were also at this week's training and said it’s learning experiences like this that help build not only skills but partnerships.
“It’s the best detectives we even have in central Indiana, let alone statewide, who are active investigators taking time out to teach us and become a network for us,” said Detective LeeAnn Carter with the Westfield Police Department. “I’m here not only with Westfield, but Noblesville, Carmel and Fishers are all here. I already have relationships with these detectives. They strengthened this week and now I have partners at Indianapolis and ISP.”
And detectives said it’s mock training like this that will prove to be invaluable in the real world.
“I just hope from a personal level that I get to go back to work just feeling a little bit more confident and when we do have a call that may be is a first for us or we’ve never seen it. Instead of just anxiety, it’s okay not only do I know how to get started but I know exactly who I’m going to call,” explained Detective Carter. “And when it comes time for that to happen, you can’t put a price on that if we can help that family and bring them to justice and it’ll be probably because of this week.”
The training wraps up Friday with discussions about the legal process and how social media impacts investigations.