Instructors

I worked in the Detention Bureau of the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department from 2002 to 2022. I was a jail deputy for seven years before being selected for the Detentions Investigation Unit where I worked as a detective for over three and a half years. I was promoted to Sergeant and sent to SD’s largest jail, where I worked for a little over a year before being selected by the Undersheriff to go to Internal Affairs. I was in that position for three years. I was then selected for the In-Service Training Unit and was there a little less than a year when I was promoted to Detentions Lieutenant. I went back to SD’s largest jail where I worked the line for two years and then was asked to work there as the Administrative Lieutenant. I was in that position for over a year and then was sent to SD’s low-level jail for about a year. After that I worked the downtown jail shortly before transferring to the new women’s jail. At the 20-year mark the opportunity to apply to be a BSCC field rep came up and I interviewed. I was offered a position with the BSCC, so I retired from the Sheriff’s Department and have been with the BSCC for three and a half years now.

SSG Spraktes is the recipient of numerous awards including the Air Medal with “V” for Valor, Army Commendation Medal with “V”, Combat Medic Badge, and Silver Star for Gallantry in Action. He also received an Army Aviation Association of America Award for “Medic of the Year – 2009” and “Rescue of the Year – 2009.
Spraktes is currently a Nationally Registered Paramedic (NREMT-P) and is currently and Assistant Government Program Assistant (AGPS) at the California Highway Patrol Academy as an associate academy instructor for the CHP Emergency Medical Services Unit and Advanced Officer Safety Training. Spraktes also successfully completed an arduous 600-hour Explosive Detection Dog Handlers Course through Work Dogs International and a 40-hour Explosives recognition Safety/Handling and IED Dangers course. He and his canine “Baby Doll” have worked numerous large events as a detection team.

Mike Henkle is a 35-year veteran of the Corrections and Law Enforcement fields retiring as a sergeant after 17 years with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Department. He was a sergeant for eleven years, serving seven as the Training Unit Supervisor. He was the Correctional Academy Coordinator for seven years and taught several subjects within the academy. He has been an adjunct instructor with the Fresno City College Police Academy since 2000 and recently retired after six years as the full-time STC coordinator. Mike was a team leader on the department’s Peer Support Team for eight years and has led or participated in numerous departmental and interagency stress debriefings and diffusings. He has taught the Trauma block in the JCO and PO Core courses since its inception into the curriculum.

He has been involved with financial investing and retirement planning for over 30 years. Several years ago, he began teaching new officers about multiple financial strategies to supplement their departmental retirements. These include investing as an individual or through a financial advisor; and different types of insurance policies, trusts and wills, legal documents, and homesteading.

Mike has been an instructor in Leadership Principles and Leadership Styles, along with Motivational and Assertive Leadership to staff in sheriff’s and probation departments from line staff to executives for over 20 years. This also includes teaching these subjects in the STC Supervisor Core Course.

He holds a B.S. degree in Criminology and minor in Accounting from CSU Fresno. He is one of two founding partners of American Training Academy, Inc. He is also the Corrections Division Director of D-Prep, Inc.

Todd Dearmore is a retired detentions sergeant with a distinguished career with a sheriff’s office in central California, demonstrating expertise across various domains including correctional security, administration, and training. Mr. Dearmore’s extensive experience notably includes operations with the Special Emergency Response Team (SERT), providing him with practical insights crucial for effective tactical training. He is not only STC-certified but also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management, underscoring his comprehensive educational background.

Currently, Mr. Dearmore is imparting his wealth of knowledge as a law enforcement associate professor at a reputable community college. His role there involves shaping the future of law enforcement through education, focusing on equipping staff with essential skills and knowledge.

His approach to training is deeply rooted in practical experience, ensuring that learners are well-prepared for real-world challenges. With his commitment to excellence and a comprehensive understanding of both the tactical and administrative aspects of law enforcement, Todd Dearmore is exceptionally well-equipped to provide high-quality training to law enforcement personnel.

With over 37 years of experience in the law enforcement field, Sergeant Brian Everett has dedicated 29 of those years to the Napa County Department of Corrections. Throughout his distinguished career, Mr. Everett has served as the department’s lead Defensive Tactics Instructor for more than 26 years, imparting essential skills and knowledge to his fellow officers.In addition to his role at Napa County, Mr. Everett has been the Senior Defensive Tactics Instructor at the Martinez Regional Criminal Justice Training Center for the past 25 years, further solidifying his expertise in the field. His extensive training background not only includes law enforcement tactics but also spans over 22 years of dedicated study in Filipino Martial Arts, with a primary focus on edge weapon techniques. Currently, Mr. Everett trains under Grand Master Michael Giron in Giron Escrima, a renowned Filipino martial art, and holds the rank of Maestro/Senior Teacher under Grand Master Jon Bais of the Bais Tres Manos System, further deepening his mastery in both empty-hand and weapon-based defense tactics. His decades of experience in both law enforcement and martial arts make him an exceptional instructor, committed to the continued development of tactical proficiency and personal safety for his students.

David graduated from New York University as a University Scholar with a double major in Economics and Classics. He pursued his legal studies at Fordham University School of Law and, upon his graduation, passed the New York State Bar in 1987 (Massachusetts State Bar in 1988 and the California State Bar in 2005). For the past thirty years, he has been a prosecutor in New York, Massachusetts, and California, where he has handled a wide array of felony cases (Crimes against Police Officers). For most of his career, he has been a use of force expert for various law enforcement and military agencies (state and federal) throughout the country (U.S.Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Marine Corp, U.S.

Department of the Army, U.S. Secret Service, New York Police Department, Massachusetts State Police, Boston Police Department, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Border Patrol, California Highway Patrol, California Department of Justice, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Los Angeles Police Department, San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department, Orange County Sheriff’s Department, Nevada State Police, Las Vegas Metro Police Department, San Francisco Police Department, Oakland Police Department, Washington State Police, Hawaii State Police, and many more agencies). His area of expertise is in use of force by law enforcement and military personnel. He has taught on defensive tactics and use of force throughout the world and is published on the topic. David is also a sworn member of a large law enforcement agency where he oversees the defensive tactics training and use of force instruction. He continues his military service as a Captain assigned to the Judge Advocate General’s Office. For the past forty years, he has trained in judo, aiki-jujitsu, and kyokushin-kai karate. He holds a black belt rank in all of these disciplines.

I have been employed with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) since 2015. Throughout my career, I have conducted and assisted with gang investigations, varying from illicit gang activities to gang related assaults, batteries, and homicides. My experience has generally been focused on general population prison gangs including the Nuestra Familia, Northern Structure, Mexican Mafia, Black Guerilla Family, and the subservient street gangs to those organizations. I was assigned as an Assistant Institutional Gang Investigator (AIGI) for two years during which time I gained knowledge and experience conducting gang investigations within a prison setting. I have been assigned as a Sergeant in Gang Intelligence Operations (GIO) for one year where I have been able to continue conducting and assisting with gang investigations both in prison settings and in the community. While assigned to these positions I have documented various gang information such as gang affiliation status, tattoos, paraphernalia, communications, activity, and motives. Much of my knowledge has been derived from the debrief process which has allowed me to conduct numerous interviews with high level gang affiliates who are disassociating from gang activity. This process provides knowledge on current trends, safety and security concerns, and ongoing investigations. I have been a part of numerous large scale gang operations within state prisons and county jails, for the purpose of identifying and documenting gang affiliates and activities. I am an instructor for CDCR, and I have provided training on prison gangs both within CDCR and to outside agencies.

I began my career with the California Department of Corrections (CDCR) in March 2015, reporting to Pleasant Valley State Prison (PVSP). The majority of my initial time at PVSP was spent working on a General Population (GP) facility, which housed Mexican Mafia (EME), Aryan Brotherhood (AB), Nuestra Familia (NF), and Northern Structure (NS) members and affiliates. During this time, I had daily contact and interactions with numerous NF members and affiliates, during which I began to familiarize myself with their tactics, culture, and activity. On October 1, 2019, I was accepted into the PVSP Investigative Services Unit (ISU) where I conducted investigations, in both a custody setting and within the community, of which included, but were not limited to, the following: Gang assaults/attempted murders/murders; assorted gang activity; narcotics trafficking; fraud; and a wide array of contraband interdiction. On July 1, 2024, I accepted my current assignment within Gang Intelligence Operations (GIO) where I continue to conduct investigations into gang activity, while working hand-in-hand with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. I have also debriefed numerous NF/NS affiliates, of which included high ranking members of both gangs, yielding invaluable intelligence, of which includes new trends, activity, historical events, membership, and leadership/hierarchal structure. I am also tasked with assisting with gang validations as well as assisting in gang operations conducted within both custody and community settings. I have also delivered gang related training to both CDCR and other assorted law enforcement personnel, most recently instructing at the California Gang Investigators Association (CGIA) and the San Jose PD Basic Gang Investigations Academy (GIU).

Sergeant David Rodriguez started his career with the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) in February of 2017 and has been involved in gang investigation for the past 6 years. Through my interactions and countless interviews with gang affiliates, a strong rapport was built, which resulted in my gaining sensitive gang intelligence. As a liaison for CDCR, I have utilized these resources to identify persons under departmental control who have been involved in criminal gang activity and have worked in conjunction with other law enforcement agencies to solve gang-related crimes. Throughout my career, I have been exposed to and have an expansive knowledge of various gangs/disruptive groups. I have established and maintained a working relationship with the District Attorney’s Office in several counties and have participated in gang expert testimony, numerous gang operations within the community, and several gang operations within several CDCR Institutions. I have also assisted law enforcement agencies in clarifying the procedural application of the California Code of Regulations (CCR), Title 15, and the California Penal Code regarding CDCR’s gang management policy. I have verbally presented intelligence at every California Gang Task Force meeting regarding new gang trends discovered and shared information about my interviews with high-ranking gang members. I have assisted in multiple criminal cases involving gang members through this networking.

Within CDCR, I have been a part of several special assignments with the Office of Correctional Safety (OCS) Special Service Unit (SSU), such as Operation Silent Night, Operation Lucky Charms, Operation Dagger, Operation Coin Star, Operation XXX, and a multi-agency operation relative to a Black Guerilla Family investigation. I have presented as an instructor in conferences such as the California State Sheriffs Associate Foundation (CSSAF) Correctional/ Court Security Seminar and the California Gang Task Force, and the Gang Symposium.

Employed with the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) for over 10 years and involved in gang investigations for the past 8 years. Throughout my career, I have been involved in and gained experience in gang investigations for numerous gangs. Primarily focusing on prison gangs such as the Nuestra Familia, Northern Structure, Mexican Mafia, Two-Five, Northern Ryders, and subservient street gangs. I have obtained a large amount of experience and information pertaining to gangs from being assigned to the Gang Intelligence Operations Unit for two and two and a half years, where I completed debrief reports of high-ranking prison gang members. Completing debrief reports has allowed me to gain insight into historical and current information pertaining to gangs to include new members, new trends of criminal activity for both inside prisons and in the community. I have assisted outside law enforcement agencies with gang investigations and their proffer process. While assigned to Gang Intelligence Operations (GIO) I have been a part of many special assignments with the Office of Correctional Safety (OCS) – Special Service Unit (SSU). Such as large-scale validation operations at various prisons, search warrants targeting the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, Black Guerrilla Family, and multiple operations assisting the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and other Federal Agencies. I have been an instructor for CDCR for multiple years, primarily focusing on in-house training to also include the California Gang Task Force (CGTF), Basic Investigator Course, Board of Parole Hearing, Correctional Academy, In-service Training courses, Tactical Firearms, and Entry Operations.

I have been employed with the CDCR since 2008. Since 2013, as a member of the Investigative Services Unit (ISU), I have been involved in narcotics investigations, including but not limited to narcotics trafficking and conspiracy investigations. In 2016, I became a member of the institutional Gang Investigations (IGI) Unit. As an Assistant Institutional Gang Investigator (AIGI), I conducted a multitude of different gang investigations within the correctional setting, such as gang-related assaults, batteries, and homicides, as well as completing numerous gang validations, adhering to the CDCR’s gang management policy. I also conducted numerous gang debrief investigations as a member of a debrief task force. As a debrief task force member, I was tasked with facilitating high-level gang affiliates through the CDCR’s debrief process. Working with the debrief process provided me with the ability to take part in numerous interviews with gang affiliates who chose to disassociate from their respective gang affiliation, ranging from the Mexican Mafia (EME), Nuestra Familia (NF) and Northern Structure (NS), Black Guerrilla Family (BGF), and Aryan Brotherhood (AB). In 2024, I accepted a position as a Sergeant in Gang Intelligence Operations (GIO), where I’ve continued to work more extensively with the debrief program, as well as the CDCR’s gang management policy. While in GIO, I have taken part in multiple CDCR gang operations within its institutions, as well as participated in numerous local, state, and federal gang investigations with a nexus to the CDCR. I am a certified instructor for the CDCR, providing training on gangs to institutional staff, as well as local law enforcement agencies.