The Writer’s Police Academy

For those of us writing mysteries in whichever sub-genre, learning the technical police procedures and lingo can be a daunting experience. I just spent five days as part of the volunteer staff at The Writer’s Police Academy. For the fifth year in a row, retired cop Lee Lofland rounded up a fantastic roster of writers, law enforcement, forensic specialists, psychologists, pathologists, explosive experts, firefighters, paramedics, agents from the ATF, FBI, Secret Service, and every other specialist related to crime you could think of. In addition, bestselling authors, Michael Connelly, Lisa Gardner, Alafair Burke, Robin Burcell, and John Gilstrap either gave classes or talks.

Polly with Michael Connelly

One class I took, conducted by William “Billy” Queen, recounted his two years undercover with a biker gang. I found it particularly interesting because I have two undercover officers in my soon-to-be-released book, Backlash (which is now available for pre-order). When you hear truth is stranger than fiction, this man’s story definitely falls into that category. I can’t imagine the daily stress he was under, never knowing whether one of the bad guys—and they were really bad—would find out who he really was and kill him.

Robin Burcell’s class on forensic art and witness recall interested me in particular since I spent twenty-five years as a commercial artist. I sat there wondering if I could have been any good in that profession. Robin was already a police officer before she started doing the sketches, and she was good enough that many criminals were caught solely on the basis of her drawings.

I monitored a Meggitt session which, along with a few others, were classes allotted on a first come, first serve basis. Meggitt poses live action shoot/don’t shoot scenarios, using real firearms specially tooled for simulation training. It’s tense but fun. I didn’t get a chance to try it myself. Maybe next time. Other lottery courses were aviation and aerial surveillance, building searches, a six-session investigation of felony murder with a defense/prosecutor/judge conclusion, underwater recovery, and driving simulator, which I did try.

Another class I took was Broken Bones, Ballistics, & Backdrafts: Technical Stuff that Writers Get Wrong, given by John Gilstrap. Besides being a New York Times bestselling author, Gilstrap spent years as safety expert with extensive knowledge of explosives, hazardous materials, and fire behavior. He was entertaining as well as informed.

Dr. Kathryn Ramsland’s class on exotic crimes offered a touch of the macabre when she went through some bizarre serial killers and their murderous obsessions. This wouldn’t be a class for the faint of heart. Those of us writing harder crime fiction were riveted to her talk and slide screen presentation.

Police Chief Scott Silverii’s class covered special ops, K9, water/dive, SWAT, & more. Silverii, besides having experience in almost every facet of police work, has a PhD in anthropology.

One of the panels at WPA

The presenters of all the classes I had a chance to take—remember, I was on staff—were interesting and amusing. I missed some classes I wanted to take, but so many things were going on at once, I realized why some people come back year after year. There’s no way to take all the classes you want. I missed Dr. Denene Lofland’s class and former Secret Service agent Mike Roche’s classes. Anyone interested in more information, check out this year’s website. If you’re interested in coming next year, check back for the 2015 schedule.

Novelists Inc and Sisters in Crime are major supporters. SinC supplements part of the fee if you’re a member. It’s worth every penny.

Polly Iyer is the author of six novels: standalones Hooked, InSight, Murder Déjà Vu, Threads, and two books in the Diana Racine Psychic Suspense series, Mind Games and Goddess of the Moon. A Massachusetts native, she makes her home in the beautiful Piedmont region of South Carolina. You can visit her website for more on Polly and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.