Marijuana Grow Investigations - Indoor Greensboro, NC Atlanta-Carolinas HIDTA Training Alert WHEN: October 17, 2014 *8:30AM – 5:00PM WHERE: Greensboro Police Department Training Division 1510 North Church Street Greensboro, NC 27405 Course Instructor: Greg Peckinpaugh Special Agent Drug Enforcement Administration Enroll online at www.achidta.org Upon completion of the course, the investigator will be familiar with cultivation trends in the United States and will be able to identify the signs that indicate the presence of an indoor grow operation. The course will emphasize the skills necessary to draft an affidavit for search warrants and give credible testimony in criminal trials. Further, the investigator will be taught investigative techniques to successfully disrupt and prosecute the violator. Course Objectives At the conclusion of this course, participants will be able to:  Gain awareness of US statutes related to marijuana use, manufacture and distribution along with additional federal codes that may be employed in the prosecution of such cases.        Understand the trends in marijuana use, its effects and social views over time. Identify the strains of the cannabis plant, grow factors and the plant life cycle. Identify the equipment used in the indoor grow operation and the probable cause generated by its use. Develop a working knowledge of indoor grow operations. Describe techniques for investigating structures suspected of indoor grow operations. Identify critical elements necessary for drafting an affidavit for a search warrant. Describe strategies for giving credible court testimony in marijuana cultivation cases. Overview of topics          Introduction and Laws Marijuana Use, Effects and Social Views Marijuana Basics Indoor Grow Equipment Indoor Grow Operations Indoor Grow Investigations Search Warrants and Legal Considerations Case File Preparation Case Examples ENROLLMENT: Open to federal, state and local sworn LEO’S, prosecutors and Intelligence Analysts. Enroll online at www.achidta.org. There is no enrollment or registration fee for this course. Direct questions to Albert “Skip” Latson by email at [email protected] or by phone to 404/569-7145. Follow all guidelines for outside training set by your department before enrolling in any HIDTA class. Greg Peckinpaugh is currently a Special Agent in the Atlanta Division Office, assigned as the Atlanta Field Division Domestic Cannabis Eradication Suppression Coordinator. In addition he is the Primary Firearms Instructor for the Division. In 1982, Mr. Peckinpaugh began his law enforcement career with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice – Institutional Division. He began his federal law enforcement career with DEA in 1998. After graduating from the seventeen week DEA Academy, he was initially assigned to the Nashville District Office. Mr. Peckinpaugh has worked in conjunction with various law enforcement entities throughout the United States and abroad, primarily focusing on the interdiction aspect and movement of illegal narcotics and currency. This work required close working relationships with international law enforcement, federal, state, and local law enforcement. His responsibilities also required close collaboration with commercial and private airlines, various parcel and mail delivery services, commercial bus, rail, and interstate trucking companies, which are being utilized by national and international criminals to facilitate the movement of drugs and money both nationally and internationally. This experience has enabled Mr. Peckinpaugh to teach Interdiction Training worldwide for the EPIC JETWAY program and for other state and local conferences on a national basis. Mr. Peckinpaugh is certified as a DOJ Instructor through the Instructor Development Course. Currently Mr. Peckinpaugh facilitates and provides oversight to the Domestic Cannabis Programs for DEA in the Atlanta Field Division. This program provides funding, training and partnership agreements with many federal, state and local groups to combat domestically grown marijuana both indoor and out. Additionally, Mr. Peckinpaugh is the Primary Firearms Instructor for the Atlanta Field Division and oversees the Divisions Firearms Instructors, facilitates weapons training and maintains a required level of qualification for all Agents and Task Force Officers assigned to the Division. Mr. Peckinpaugh earned a Bachelor Degree in Criminal Justice and a Masters Degree in Clinical Social Work, both from the University of Texas. Mr. Peckinpaugh has been married for 20 years. He and his wife have a twentythree year old daughter and a sixteen year old son.