Hundreds attend 13th law officer seminar in Ozark

Investing in local law officers is part of the reason the district attorneys from six Wiregrass Counties have sponsored an annual, day long educational training conference for more than a decade.

Nearly 200 municipal and county law officers from Dale, Geneva, Coffee, Pike, Henry and Houston Counties attended the 13th Annual Wiregrass Law Enforcement Conference held Dec. 17 in Ozark.

Billed as one of the largest training programs for law enforcers in the state, the 13th annual conference is possible due to the commitment and pooled resources of the local district attorneys and sheriffs.

The conference is hosted by Dale and Geneva County District Attorney Kirke Adams, Houston and Henry County District Attorney Pat Jones and Pike and Coffee County District Attorney Tom Anderson in order for law enforcement to get up-to-date with information regarding their profession.

The training covered included the use of DNA in criminal investigations and new submission protocols, firearms and tool marks, criminal law updates and an update on the new procedures on civil forfeiture. Speakers included Joseph Lee and Adam Grooms from the Alabama Department of Forensic Science, Assistant Attorney General Marc Starrett and Thirty Third Judicial Circuit County Assistant District Attorney Emmett Massey.

“One of the biggest requests we have in the district attorney’s office is for training for law officers,” said Adams. “Typically it costs these small (law enforcement) agencies a lot of money to send their officers and investigators to quality training.

“So a few years ago former Twentieth Judicial Circuit District Attorney Doug Valeska and I decided to put a regional training program on and it’s been a hit from the beginning,” Adams said. “We knew there was a need for good, quality training at no cost for local law enforcement.

“We’re able to bring in speakers that law enforcement wants to hear from,” Adams explained. “When we start deciding who we want to speak at the conference, we start by asking our local guys what they want to hear about and we talk among ourselves to discuss the questions that we each are getting from law enforcement.

“It costs no money for these agencies to send as many officers and investigators as they want to,” Adams added. “We are excited to bring in nationally known, quality speakers.”