Expert Details
Elder Abuse, Financial Crimes, Sex Crimes
ID: 735032
Colorado, USA
She worked as a Detective in the Elder Abuse Unit for nine years and the Sex Crimes Unit for five years. She has worked on nearly 300 cases as the lead sexual assault investigator, including three high profile, multi-victim serial predator cases that all resulted in successful convictions.
Expert has taught police officers, investigators, prosecutors, Indian tribal officers, dispatchers, police volunteers, senior advocates, and senior citizen groups on Elder Abuse issues and crimes perpetrated against elderly citizens and depended adults. Her statements concerning Elder Abuse crimes have been featured in numerous newspaper and magazine articles (including the September 2014 New York Times) and she has been a guest on many local news and television shows in San Diego County. She has testified in criminal court, civil court, and probate court.
Education
| Year | Degree | Subject | Institution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year: 1989 | Degree: California POST Certificate | Subject: Police | Institution: San Diego Miramar College |
Work History
| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years: 2014 to Present | Employer: Undisclosed | Title: Consultant, Expert Witness | Department: |
Responsibilities: |
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| Years | Employer | Title | Department |
| Years: 1989 to 2014 | Employer: San Diego Police Department | Title: Detective | Department: Detective Division |
Responsibilities:Patrol Officer, DARE Officer, Detective - Elder Abuse Unit; Detective - Sex Crimes Unit. |
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Career Accomplishments
| Associations / Societies |
|---|
| Member of the San Diego County Elder Death Review Team |
| Professional Appointments |
|---|
| Keynote speaker for Montana and Wyoming State Fraud Conferences. Presented to law enforcement, local prosecutors, and senior advocates on elder abuse issues and investigations. Contracted with AARP as a trainer for the National Legal Training Program. Trained social workers, emergency responders, and law enforcement in California, Wyoming, Montana, Missouri and Alaska. |
| Awards / Recognition |
|---|
| -Presented Investigator of the Year (SDPD) by the Chief of Police for solving a serial rapist case. -San Diego Police Officer of the Year (Elks Lodge) for the investigation of two serial rape cases that resulted in successful convictions. -Awarded multiple Commanding Officer Citations (SDPD) for outstanding Interview/Interrogations and superior investigations in sexual assault. (5 years) -Appointed to startup the San Diego Police Elder Abuse Unit. -Created and chaired the San Diego Elder Abuse Task Force -During that time the task force designed and produced a "How to Hire a Caregiver" pamphlet, wrote an elder ordinance to require criminal background checks for in home caregivers, and worked with state prison system to remove caregiver training programs in the prisons of California. - Expert assisted in launching San Diego’s first team of wrap around services to elderly victims of abuse. The HOPE (Help and Outreach to Protect the Elderly). -Awarded the Medal of Valor for work with the San Diego Elder Abuse Task Force. -Awarded “Distinguished Service Award” by Bill Lockyer, California’s State Attorney General, for excellence in Elder Abuse Investigations. -Transferred to the Sex Crimes Unit and with that took her expertise with working elder abuse cases and has subsequently investigated numerous sexual abuse cases involving both the elderly and dependent adult victims. -Lead Sexual Assault investigator and trainer for SDPD sex crimes unit. |
| Publications and Patents Summary |
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| Expert published an article in The Law Officer magazine, addressing issues of handling elder abuse crime scenes for patrol officers as first responders. |
Additional Experience
| Training / Seminars |
|---|
| EDUCATION 2009 – CA P.O.S.T. (Peace Officer Standard and Training) In Service Training, Sex Crimes Investigations – SDPD Academy. 2009 – CSAIA (Calif. Sexual Assault Investigators Assoc.) – Sexual Assault Investigations School/Conference (Irvine, CA) 2009 - “First Responders to Sex Crimes” (SDPD course) 2010 - “Interview and Interrogation of Sex Offenders” (SDPD course) 2010 – Case Agent Investigative Review class with RCFL-(Regional Crimes Forensics Lab) 2010 - SD Regional Sex Crimes Inv. Assoc. sex crimes training seminar (Carlsbad, CA PD) 2010- San Jose State Univ.- Admin of Justice Bureau, Sexual Assault Inv. (San Jose, CA) 2011 –Detective Symposium – LAPD Institute of Criminal Inv. (LAPD) 2011 –Elder Abuse Instructor Training - Violence Against Women Later in Life (Seattle, WA) 2012 – Human Trafficking - Pimping and Prostitution. (SDPD) 2012- CA P.O.S.T. AICC - Police academy instructor. |