FGC offers advanced specialized training courses for current law enforcement officers. As courses are available, they will be posted below.

Patrol Interdiction Blueprint 8-Hour Training Course

Course Description

The Patrol Interdiction Blueprint course is designed for Florida patrol officers interested in developing street-level narcotics investigation and drug interdiction skills.

Participants will learn how to:

• Conduct proactive patrol operations.
• Understand applicable Florida statutes and case law.
• Develop investigations during and after traffic stops.
• Write clear, legally sound reports and probable cause narratives.
• Identify controlled substances and drug paraphernalia.
• Properly handle controlled substances as evidence.

Training Location

Florida Gateway College
Avery & Twyla Roberts School of Public Safety
25030 US Highway 90 East
Sanderson, FL 32087

Training Dates

Choose one of the following dates:

• Tuesday, September 1, 2026
• Thursday, September 3, 2026

Training Time

8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Dress Code

• Law enforcement uniform or
• Business casual attire

Eligibility

This course is open to Florida sworn law enforcement officers only.

Cost

There is no charge for eligible Florida sworn officers.

Registration

To reserve your seat, email a completed Training Authorization Form to:

AdvancedTraining@fgc.edu

Hosting Organization

Florida Gateway College
Avery & Twyla Roberts School of Public Safety

CMS Handgun Instructor Course

FDLE Course Number: 801

Course Description

This course prepares instructor students to obtain Commission certification as a High-Liability Handgun Instructor and to instruct the CMS Criminal Justice Firearms Course in the Florida Basic Recruit Training Program.

Instructor students must possess a General Instructor Certification to enroll in this course. Students should also have sufficient experience to meet the required standard core of knowledge, pursuant to the requirements outlined in the Introduction lesson of the course.

Instructor students must pass a qualification on the first day of class.

Ammunition Requirements

 9mm ammunition will be provided. Students using any other caliber must provide their own lead-free ammunition.

Eligibility and Cost

 This class is open to Florida sworn officers only.

 There is no charge for eligible Florida sworn officers.

Registration

 To reserve a seat, complete the required authorization forms and email them to AdvancedTraining@fgc.edu.

Class Dates

 September 14th – 25th, 2026

Class Times

 5:30 p.m.–10:30 p.m.

Attire

Tactical wear or agency uniform.

Instructor

Rodney Driggers

Location

Florida Gateway College
Avery & Twyla Roberts School of Public Safety
25030 US 90 East
Sanderson, Florida 32087

Beyond the Application: Law Enforcement Background Investigations

8-Hour Course for Florida Law Enforcement Personnel

Provided by Florida Tactical Training Group, LLC

Intended Audience

This course is designed for:

• Florida law enforcement officers
• Supervisors
• Background investigators
• Personnel and recruitment staff

Course Length and Format

Length: 8 hours

Format: Classroom instruction, practical exercises, case studies, and scenario-based exercises.

Course Description

This eight-hour course provides Florida law enforcement personnel with the knowledge and practical skills necessary to conduct thorough, organized, and legally defensible pre-employment background investigations.

Students will examine the responsibilities of the background investigator from the initial review of an employment application through completion of the investigation and documentation of findings.

The course addresses Florida-specific requirements and investigative practices, including:

• CJSTC-77 Employment Background Investigative Report
• FCIC/NCIC inquiries
• Prior employment checks
• Military records
• Applicant interviews
• Reference and neighborhood checks
• Investigative examinations
• Background investigation software
• Documentation of investigative findings

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Explain the purpose and responsibilities of a law enforcement background investigator.
• Conduct a thorough review of a law enforcement employment application.
• Identify discrepancies, omissions, inconsistencies, and areas requiring additional investigation.
• Develop an organized background investigation plan.
• Conduct professional reference and neighborhood inquiries.
• Properly document investigative contacts and findings.
• Explain the appropriate use of FCIC/NCIC records during a background investigation.
• Evaluate prior criminal, traffic, employment, and disciplinary history.
• Explain the purpose and limitations of credit and financial-history inquiries.
• Review military service records and interpret information contained within a DD-214.
• Explain the appropriate use of polygraph and Computer Voice Stress Analysis (CVSA) examinations as investigative tools.
• Utilize background-investigation software and electronic investigative resources.
• Identify the purpose and proper completion of the CJSTC-77.
• Recognize when discrepancies require additional investigation.
• Prepare a professional background-investigation summary for the hiring authority.

Course Topics

Hour 1: Background Investigation Fundamentals

Topics include:

• The purpose of a law enforcement background investigation
• Responsibilities of the background investigator
• Investigator objectivity and impartiality
• Applicant confidentiality
• Organized investigative files
• Separating facts from assumptions
• Investigating favorable and unfavorable information
• Establishing an investigative timeline
• Agency policy versus minimum state requirements
• Florida requirements, including minimum qualifications, good moral character, fingerprint and criminal-history requirements, drug-use history, prior employment, military service, and documentation requirements

Hour 2: Reviewing the Application

Students will learn how to thoroughly review a law enforcement employment application, including:

• Employment history
• Residential history
• Educational history
• Unexplained gaps
• Previous names and aliases
• Criminal and traffic history
• Drug-use disclosures
• Previous disciplinary actions
• Previous law enforcement applications
• Terminations and resignations
• Financial information where legally permitted
• Social media and publicly available information
• Comparing applications with supporting documentation

Students will also participate in a practical exercise reviewing a fictional application containing discrepancies requiring additional investigation.

Hour 3: Employment, Reference, and Neighborhood Investigations

Topics include:

• Verifying prior employment
• Confirming dates of employment
• Identifying reasons for separation
• Contacting supervisors and personnel representatives
• Reviewing disciplinary history where legally available
• Identifying performance and attendance concerns
• Verifying eligibility for rehire
• Conducting professional and personal reference checks
• Developing effective interview questions
• Identifying inconsistencies
• Conducting neighborhood checks
• Documenting investigative contacts and findings

Students will participate in a mock reference or neighborhood interview and prepare an investigative contact report.

Hour 4: Criminal History, FCIC/NCIC, and Records Research

Topics include:

• The purpose and proper use of FCIC/NCIC checks
• Criminal justice information
• Applicant name and identifier verification
• Criminal history and warrants
• Protection orders, where applicable
• Wanted-person information
• Identity discrepancies
• Out-of-state information
• Comparing records with applicant disclosures
• Local, state, court, driving, professional, and licensing records
• Previous law enforcement employment
• Publicly available information and social media

Students will review a fictional FCIC/NCIC return and compare the information with applicant disclosures.

Hour 5: Financial, Military, and Personal History

Financial and Credit Investigation

Topics include:

• The purpose of financial-history inquiries
• Applicant authorization
• Applicable federal and state requirements
• Agency policy
• Consumer-report information
• Financial responsibility versus simple debt
• Patterns requiring clarification
• Bankruptcy
• Collections
• Judgments
• Unexplained financial problems
• Documentation of financial findings

Military History

Topics include:

• Verifying military service
• Reviewing military records
• Understanding the DD-214
• Branch and dates of service
• Military occupational specialty
• Decorations and awards
• Separation information
• Character of service or discharge
• Reenlistment eligibility when documented
• Identifying discrepancies
• Follow-up investigation of unfavorable discharge information

Students will review a sample DD-214 and identify information relevant to a background investigation.

Hour 6: Investigative Interviews and Truth Verification

Topics include:

• Preparing for the applicant interview
• Establishing rapport
• Explaining the purpose of the interview
• Reviewing discrepancies and omissions
• Asking open-ended and follow-up questions
• Addressing criminal history, drug-use history, employment issues, financial concerns, and personal conduct
• Documenting admissions and explanations

The course also addresses the purpose, appropriate use, limitations, documentation, and follow-up associated with:

• Pre-employment polygraph examinations
• Computer Voice Stress Analysis (CVSA)

Hour 7: Background Investigation Software and Case Management

Topics include:

• Background-investigation software
• Creating and organizing investigative case files
• Tracking investigative tasks
• Recording contacts
• Documenting results
• Uploading supporting documentation
• Creating investigative timelines
• Identifying outstanding items
• Cross-referencing information
• Maintaining an audit trail
• Protecting sensitive applicant information

Electronic research topics include authorized agency databases, FCIC/NCIC, court records, public records, employment databases, military records, social media, and public internet information.

Students will complete a practical exercise involving an investigative checklist for a fictional applicant.

Hour 8: CJSTC-77 and Completing the Investigation

Topics include:

• The purpose of the CJSTC-77 Employment Background Investigative Report
• Mandatory and recommended investigative information
• Documenting satisfactory and unsatisfactory findings
• Military-history documentation
• Investigative examination documentation
• Applicant admissions
• Controlled-substance history
• Investigative findings and discrepancies
• Investigator certification and signature
• Agency administrator or designee review
• Maintaining the original document in the agency file
• ATMS submission requirements

Final Practical Exercise

Students will complete a comprehensive background investigation exercise that includes:

• Reviewing a fictional employment application
• Identifying discrepancies
• Determining additional investigative steps
• Evaluating criminal-history and records information
• Conducting a mock applicant interview
• Reviewing reference information
• Analyzing military documentation
• Organizing investigative findings
• Determining whether additional investigation is necessary
• Completing appropriate portions of a sample CJSTC-77
• Preparing a final background-investigation summary for the hiring authority

Recommended 8-Hour Schedule

Time	Topic
8:00–9:00 a.m.	Background Investigation Fundamentals
9:00–10:00 a.m.	Application Review and Discrepancy Identification
10:00–11:00 a.m.	Employment, References, and Neighborhood Checks
11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.	FCIC/NCIC and Criminal/Records Research
12:00–1:00 p.m.	Lunch
1:00–2:00 p.m.	Credit/Financial and Military Investigations
2:00–3:00 p.m.	Applicant Interviews, Polygraph, and CVSA
3:00–4:00 p.m.	Background Software, CJSTC-77, and Final Practical Exercise

Important Compliance Note

This course outline is intended as a training framework. Before presenting or submitting the course for Florida Criminal Justice Standards and Training Commission approval, instructors or providers should verify current FDLE/CJSTC rules, forms, course requirements, FCIC/NCIC access and use requirements, applicable federal and state law, and agency policies.

The current CJSTC-77 and applicable FDLE materials should be used for instruction rather than outdated versions.