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Course detail: Post Academy Training (P.A.T. School): Roadside Investigations
Course Description:
Patrol officers spend a significant portion of their time on or near the roadway, interacting with the public through traffic stops, consensual encounters, or other investigative contacts. This class focuses on the investigative, legal, and safety components of "roadside" encounters-from the moment of observation through post-stop procedures. Participants will enhance their understanding of constitutional and statutory law governing vehicle stops and searches, while improving their ability to identify criminal indicators, assess threats, and apply sound tactical decision-making in dynamic roadside environments.
Students will also analyze ethical and legal considerations surrounding vehicle and pedestrian contacts, emphasizing professionalism, communication, and officer safety. Practical, scenario-based exercises reinforce the importance of lawful procedures, situational awareness, and sound judgment when conducting investigations in and around vehicles or public roadways.
Core Competency:
The trained officer will initiate and participate in investigations that require knowledge or experience beyond a standard investigation, utilizing additional resources or personnel due to the unique environment, population, or special circumstances involved.
Learning Objectives:
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:
- Apply constitutional law and established caselaw to vehicle searches conducted with and without warrants, considering factors such as probable cause, plain view and smell doctrines, the Arizona v. Gant ruling, the Carroll Doctrine, canine use, consent searches, inventory searches, and protective frisks of vehicles.
- Determine the legal basis for vehicle contacts, identify secondary offenses, and conduct lawful searches while balancing legal and ethical considerations.
- Perform a comprehensive threat assessment before and during vehicle stops, integrating safe tactics and techniques based on vehicle type, terrain, lighting, environment, and occupant behavior.
- Apply agency policy and state law when inventorying, towing, and securing vehicles, and explain the proper procedures for release of vehicles and personal property.
- Conduct safe, lawful pedestrian and citizen contacts, identifying risk factors, threat cues, and behaviors that signal potential danger to the officer or the public.
Topics Covered:
- Legal foundations of vehicle stops and searches
- Investigative techniques during roadside encounters
- Criminal indicators and behavioral cues
- Vehicle positioning, approach, and officer safety
- Communication and de-escalation during traffic stops
- Consent, probable cause, and plain view/smell doctrines
- Use of canines, Gant and Carroll considerations
- Vehicle towing, impound, and inventory procedures
- Pedestrian and citizen encounters on or near the roadway
- Ethical and constitutional considerations in roadside policing
Methodology:
This course combines classroom instruction, facilitated discussion, and hands-on application through scenario-based exercises. Participants will analyze case law and real-world examples to apply legal concepts to practical patrol settings. Guided simulations will allow officers to practice safe vehicle approaches, conduct searches, and manage citizen encounters under instructor supervision. Emphasis is placed on active participation, critical thinking, and reflection to strengthen decision-making and reinforce best practices for roadside investigations.
Student Equipment:
- Daily Patrol Uniform with Duty Belt and/or Outer Carrier Vest. Additional information will be shared via email closer to the start date of the class.
Target Audience:
- Newer certified officers 1-3 years of service
Prerequisites:
- Must complete Maintaining the Profession, PatrolResponder, and Patrol Investigations before attending Roadside Investigations
Fitness Requirement and Expectation of Physical Risk: Active
Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend University of Kansas sponsored events. If you require a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in an event, please email KLETC or call 620.694.1400 at least three weeks before the first day of the event. Some events may require notice earlier than three weeks and require you contact a specific individual; if so, that information is provided in the event-specific information.
Notice of Availability of the KLETC Annual Security and Fire Safety Report
The University of Kansas has determined that the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC) main campus in Hutchinson and its regional sites in Dodge City, Hays, and Parsons are separate campuses. This determination was made in consultation with the Department of Education. The report is available online at: https://civilrights.ku.edu/clery.
The report contains information regarding campus safety and security including topics such as: campus law enforcement authority; crime reporting policies; campus alerts (Timely Warnings and Emergency Notifications); fire safety policies and procedures; programs to prevent sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking; the procedures the institution will follow when one of these crimes is reported; and other matters of importance related to security on campus. The report also contains information about crime statistics for the three most recent calendar years concerning reported crimes that occurred On-Campus; in On-Campus Student Housing Facilities; in Non-Campus buildings or property owned or controlled by the institution or a recognized student organization; and on Public Property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from, the campus. The report also contains fire statistics for any fires occurring in an On-Campus Student Housing Facility during the three most recent calendar years.
A paper copy of the report will be provided upon request. If you would like to receive a paper copy, you can request that a copy be mailed to you by calling 785-864-6414 or emailing civilrights@ku.edu or arrange for pick-up at a KLETC location.
