Course Overview: This hands-on course will focus on providing Law Enforcement Officers the free resources and practical expertise to utilize Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) in policing. Participants will learn how to collect, utilize, and document publicly available media and intel to generate leads and identify suspects in their investigations. Participants should bring a laptop with access to the internet and verify that their agency's internet restrictions allow access to social media sites. 

Course Description: Open-Source Intelligence is one of our greatest free resources available to help identify offenders, solve crimes, and provide important context to cases. This course of instruction is designed to provide both the tools and the working knowledge to collect and document intelligence from open sources. This course will include several practical exercises throughout the afternoon.

Course competencies: OSINT Searching, Intelligence Documentation, Social Media Investigations

Thoroughness: Participants will be able to effectively collect, utilize, and document open source materials and intelligence for law enforcement efforts.

Confidence: Participants will increase confidence in their knowledge of Open-Source Intelligence, therefore making the investigative work they do in the field or in casework more effective.

Efficiency: Participants will find that they are more quickly and efficiently identify offenders and add context to cases with an internet or social media element.

Course objectives: Define Open-Source Intelligence and the best resources in which it can be utilized for Law Enforcement, Determine the best OSINT sources to utilize for different kinds of crime, Determine the steps to take to identify an unknown offender from a Social Media profile, Review how to document OSINT in reports, Demonstrate knowledge gained through practical exercises.

Instructional methods: Lecture, Discussion, and Practical exercises

Material needed: Laptop with access to the internet and no IT filters precluding social media access.

Who should attend: Law enforcement officers at any stage of their careers.