DPNews@DominionPost.com
MORGANTOWN — On Feb. 24, the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office became a hub for professional development, hosting 25 law enforcement officers from across West Virginia for an intensive 8-hour continuing education course on Crime Scene Investigation.
The seminar brought together a diverse group of attendees — including patrol officers, investigators and corrections officers — to sharpen the technical skills required for modern forensic response.
Expert-Led Instruction
The course was spearheaded by a veteran team of investigators who utilized their combined decades of field experience to bridge the gap between theory and practice:
· Detective/First Sergeant Jonathan Friend (MCSD)
· Detective/First Sergeant Stephen Currie (MCSD)
· Detective/First Sergeant Josh Ward (MCSD)
Friend, a 16-year veteran of law enforcement with 10 years as a criminal investigator, was thrilled with the turnout and opportunity to share his experiences. “We were proud to host this crime scene response training for our deputies and fellow law enforcement partners from surrounding agencies. Our detectives are passionate about the work that we do and truly want to train the next generation of investigators through the lessons we learned during our years of investigating. Being able to provide high-quality training at no cost helps ensure that best practices are not only taught but applied every single day in the field. When agencies train together, we strengthen our collective ability to serve our communities with professionalism and integrity.”
Unlike standard lectures, the curriculum focused on the “intimate details” of scene management. Instructors utilized actual case files to demonstrate both successful techniques and critical mistakes. This “lessons learned” approach provided a transparent look at the realities of CSI.
“Professional development is the cornerstone of an effective police force, but it shouldn’t have to come with a heavy price tag to the residents of West Virginia. By leveraging the expertise of our own veteran detectives to host this 8-hour CSI seminar, we provided elite-level training to 25 officers from across the state at absolutely no cost to the participating agencies,” said Sheriff Todd Forbes. “By continuing this program in the future, we can ensure that high-quality, free education remains accessible, keeping Monongalia County at the forefront of law enforcement excellence for years to come.”
