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  • Bootsie (Liz) Martinez R. was an investigator for the State of New York, tackling index crimes as well as other legal matters. She conducted open and undercover investigations in New York City, and cooperated with law enforcement nationwide, as well as internationally, to bring perpetrators to justice. Her areas of expertise include forensic linguistics as applied to criminal investigations and threat assessments; organized retail crime; security training; and report writing. During her two decades training law enforcement and security to write tight, "pick-proof" reports designed to secure convictions, she has hammered into practitioners the adage that "if it's not in the report, it didn't happen." She teaches the art of meticulously producing reports that are clear, concise, rebar-tough, and built on a solid foundation to withstand scrutiny.

    She is a published author of fiction and non-fiction books, as well as hundreds of articles in the U.S. and international press about law enforcement, security, forensic linguistics and report writing. She earned a bachelor's in criminal justice from John Jay College of Criminal Justice (City University of New York), a master's in writing from Seton Hill University, and a master's in criminal justice with a concentration in forensic linguistics from California University of Pennsylvania. She is currently completing her PhD in linguistics at Arizona State University. She is a college criminal justice program director.

  • Upon graduating college, Doug joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation where he spent more than 22 years, including 19 in the Relief Supervisory program. He had temporary duty assignments at the 2012 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, UT, the Legal Attaché office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and the Public Access Center Unit (PACU) at FBI HQ.

    After retiring from the FBI in 2006, Doug spent the next five years in Iraq as a Senior Law Enforcement Professional directing criminal investigations for the U.S. Marine Corps and as a Senior Law Enforcement Advisor and consultant to the Iraqi National Information and Investigation Agency (NIIA, the Iraqi version of the FBI) and subsequently the supervisor for a group of Subject Matter Experts assigned to the NIIA Training Institute (the Iraqi version of the FBI Academy) where he oversaw the integration of a sustained process to effectively train a 10,000 personnel agency in the development of a comprehensive program in law, public safety, crime scene, court and investigations.

    Upon leaving Iraq, Doug opened his own consulting company where he instructed and advised national and international agencies in human behavior and Situational Awareness Risk Assessments. He subsequently established and instructed the dual enrollment college credit Law & Public Safety program at Walden Grove High School in Sahuarita, Arizona and taught as an Adjunct Professor at Pima Community College in the Administration of Justice program.

    Doug is a member of Society of Former FBI Agents, the FBI Agents Association, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, as well as being the past President of the Northern Arizona Police Association, and a 1992 recipient of the Presidential Point of Light Award for volunteerism.

  • Steven is a native Tucsonan. He is a licensed attorney who practiced law as a trial attorney for several years before being appointed to the juvenile court bench in 1999. Since 2010, Steven has been sitting each month on the superior court bench handling civil and criminal matters, including bench and jury trials. He has served as the chief presiding judge of the juvenile court since 2011, responsible for all administrative, personnel, and a budget exceeding $4 million dollars.

    He has upper-level managerial experience having served as a chief parole officer in Atlanta as well as assistant director of field services for a State Board of Pardons and Paroles. Steven is a certified public manager whose master’s degree in political science is concentrated in public law and administration. He has enjoyed an illustrious career as a jurist and has accomplished several innovative practices and programs that have received evidence-based status.

    Steven has a law degree and a master’s of arts degree in political science. He holds certificates as a peace officer, a certified POST instructor, and a certified public manager. He has published widely on the topic of juvenile justice reform and has appeared before Congress four times as an expert witness on topics of juvenile justice.

  • Jarrett is currently the Chief of Police in the City of Southside, AL. He is responsible for a sworn force of approximately 20 officers. Prior to being appointed the Chief of Police in Southside, he spent fifteen and a half years with the Montgomery Police Department. In his last role, he was a Captain assigned as the Assistant Division Commander of the Administrative Division and was responsible for the real time crime center, supply/evidence, records, desk services, peer support, technology, off duty jobs, and professional standards. Under his leadership, he led the real time crime center from its infancy stage to a valuable investigative tool that reduced crime in the Montgomery area. Additional roles include previous management of the School Resource Division, Investigations, and Patrol Supervision.

    Over his career, Jarrett has taught various in-service training classes, leadership classes, and is an adjunct professor at Faulkner University in Montgomery, AL. He has served in that role since 2019. While at the Montgomery Police Department, he developed an internal leadership class for front-line supervisors to fully develop their skills and learn to properly lead from a middle-management position. His passion for leadership development runs thick and he prides himself upon learning from organizational failures to grow and develop those within his command.

    Jarrett has a Master's Degree in Criminal Justice from Auburn Montgomery. He has completed the Command Leadership Institute and the Executive Leadership Institute through FBI LEEDA. He is an active member of the Alabama Association of Chiefs' of Police and is married and the father of four girls.

  • Carl had a 27-year career in the United States Air Force military police. In this capacity, he performed duties in law enforcement, to include base patrol, facilities security, investigations, and on-base special operations team. Additionally, Carl performed priority one resource protection, correctional custody, overseas air base defense, and threat assessments.

    As a leader, Carl led a forward protection team in Iraq consisting of 120 military police officers. He coached, counselled, rewarded, promoted and corrected police officers under his charge. Carl reviewed written reports, testified many times in court, and prepared his officers for their appearances in court.

    As a trainer, Carl trained military police officers in report writing, weapons, offensive and defensive tactics, interviewing, combat and police interrogation, and correct behavior under federal, host nation, and international law. Carl taught military police state criminal law, in addition to the uniform code of military justice (UCMJ).

    Carl attended the Air Force police academy, combat arms course, a specialty course on heavy weapons, and an interviewing course. He was competitively selected to attend the Denver Police Department’s 6-month police academy and attended the a three-month corrections academy.

Meet Our Instructors

  • Danny Sharp was the chief of police for Oro Valley, AZ police department and the Oro Valley town manager. He started his criminal justice career at the Tucson police department where he taught leadership and performance management courses. Danny ran the basic police academy for the State of Arizona; taught criminal justice classes at Pima Community College; taught public policy courses at the University of Arizona; and has been a guest lecturer at the University of Arizona on ethics and community policing. He is an active member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, where he focuses on traffic safety and enforcement issues. Danny has chaired a criminal justice commission and is currently chairing a blue-ribbon commission on the building of a new jail facility in Pima County.

    Danny has an undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice Management and a master’s degree in educational leadership. He has a passion for teaching strategic planning, performance management, ethics, community policing, reform, and interpersonal communications.

  • Larry began his collegiate career at Arizona State University after receiving an academic scholarship to attend. He returned home to Tucson to finish his first bachelor’s degree in child development in 1989. Larry holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Phoenix, as well as Master’s in Business Administration/Public Administration from the University of Phoenix.

    Larry began his career working with at risk youth in 1988 at a youth group home. He worked with the Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections in 1991, as a case manager. He move up the ranks over the next 21.5 years with positions of Unit Supervisor, Parole Officer, Parole Supervisor, Community Service Administrator and in 2012 retired as Parole Administrator for the state of Arizona.

    Upon retiring, Larry embarked on a new career in education, beginning as a drop-out prevention liaison with Santa Cruz County High school in Eloy, AZ. Currently, Larry works with CAPE Pima County School as Transition specialist for the Juvenile detention facility and the Pima County Jail.

    Mr. Starks is involved in many community and civic organizations.

  • Zlatan (“Zee”) Mamela is a college professor, an executive administrator, and a criminal justice professional with over twenty-five years of diverse experience in human resources, management, recruiting, strategic planning, and project management. His career has encompassed criminal investigations and intelligence, court operations, background investigations, federal task forces, corrections, and security.

    He has taught for over a decade at the undergraduate and graduate levels, as well as at the sheriff's training academy. After completing his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, Mamela earned a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Northern Arizona University. Throughout his career, he has received accolades from numerous organizations for his outstanding leadership in creating a vibrant culture.

  • Dean is the co-owner of Insight Strategies, LLC, a criminal justice training company. He has taught higher education courses in criminal justice, national security, intelligence, and political science and most recently led a team of 21 instructors in the Pima Community College Administration of Justice Studies program.

    Operationally, Dean was a CIA-trained undercover operative, trainer, and drug intercept operations officer. As an undercover operative, Dean ran confidential informant operations focused on drug organizations, insurgent activities, development of weapons of mass destruction, and illegal arms transfers. As the counterdrug intercept operations officer, Dean led deploying F-15 and F-16 fighter aircraft units in drug transport intercept missions for two Joint Interagency Task Forces.

    He later led a national-level military counterdrug planning and program evaluation section with responsibilities over 54 state and territory counterdrug programs. Dean finished his military career as a Lieutenant Colonel and policy advisor to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Counternarcotics. In this role, he focused on military support to domestic law enforcement agencies.

    Dean has a law degree and two masters degrees on National Security Affairs and Strategy, respectively. He has training in military intelligence, CIA informant operations, illicit drug familiarization (from FLETC), interrogation, Russian language, and in teaching and course development.

  • Marla started her career in Administration of Justice as a police officer with the Tucson Police Department. There she conducted patrol duties, and basic criminal investigations. She was promoted to detective and also served as a POST certified training instructor. As an instructor, she was responsible for training both recruits and advanced officers in the area of criminal investigation. During her tenure as a detective, she gained expertise in the areas of domestic violence, aggravated assault and homicide, sexual assault, and white-collar crime. Professor Fletcher was assigned to the schools as a school resource officer. She was involved in programs that brought opportunities to those children from the lower-income areas of Tucson.

    Marla has taught undergraduate courses in criminal justice for ten years at Pima Community College. Additionally, she has been on the faculty at the University of Phoenix for 12 years where she has taught courses in criminal justice. Marla was a police officer with the Tucson Police Department for 31 years. She served in a uniform assignment for 7 years and as a detective for 24 years.

  • Greg has over 30-years of investigative experience and has served as an investigator, chief investigator, polygraph examiner, and chief of police.

    He is a graduate of the 211th Session of the FBI National Academy and has conducted specific research in the area of “False Confessions” during his time in Quantico.

    Greg was appointed by several Governors since 2003, and the legislature, to the Alabama Polygraph Licensing Board and serves as a registered expert witness for the Federal Defenders Middle District of Alabama.

    He was mentored by the first director of the federal polygraph school (DODPI), Mr. Ron Decker, and has received numerous awards in Forensic Psychophysiology including the “Pyron G. ‘Pete’ Pound Jr. Leadership in Polygraph Sciences Award.

    Greg is a current CID Investigator, examiner, adjunct college instructor, and master instructor.

  • Diane Thomas is a distinguished law enforcement professional with a robust educational and professional background, serving in the field for 35 plus years. She holds both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from Faulkner University, where she also contributed to the academic community by teaching criminal justice classes. Her commitment to continuous learning and professional development is further evidenced by her graduation from the FBI National Academy, Session 262. 

    In addition to her academic achievements, Thomas is a Certified Law Enforcement Executive for the State of Alabama. Her expertise and leadership have been recognized through her role on the advisory board for Jeff State Community College, where she helps guide the future of criminal justice education. 

    Throughout her career, Diane Thomas has demonstrated a strong dedication to both her profession and her community, making significant contributions to law enforcement and education in Alabama. 

  • John is originally from New Orleans, Louisiana. He obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from The University of Alabama. While in Tuscaloosa John, worked at the Tuscaloosa Metro Jail as well as the Tuscaloosa Regional Juvenile Detention Facility. He also worked with released adults and juveniles under supervision. John later attended Jacksonville State University, obtaining a Master’s degree in Public Administration.

    When John graduated from Alabama he returned home to New Orleans to take a position as a Probation and Parole Officer with the State. Three and a half years later he relocated to Guntersville, Alabama and began work as a Police Officer quickly becoming an Investigator. John became the Chief Investigator in 2007 and is currently employed with the Guntersville Police Department in that capacity.

    John enjoys working in a smaller department as it requires proficiency investigating all types of criminal activity. John has been the case agent on numerous capital murder cases to include a serial murder. He is well versed in crime scene processing and conducts monthly practical exercises titled Forensic Friday for the Marshall County Major Crime Unit.

    John delivered the D.A.R.E curriculum for seven years and has been a police instructor in various subjects throughout his career to include defensive tactics, de-escalation, crime scene, investigation, and response to critical incidents, among others.

  • Eric Johnson retired from the Pima County Sheriff's Department at the rank of Captain. During his thirty-two-year career he held assignments ranging from patrol, special operations, training to criminal investigations violent crimes division. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy session 280 and is known for his ethics and leadership qualities. He continues to stay engaged and connected to the law enforcement community through teaching and as a civilian manager in support operations for the University of Arizona Police Department in Tucson.