Track & Clue Awareness (TCA)
Two of the most valuable skills in search are “clue detection” and “following signs left by lost persons.” In law enforcement, locating discoverable evidence at a crime scene is also crucial to solving the unknowns in an investigation. This three day, 24 hour course is a basic introductory look at the basic skills needed to follow “sign” and detect “discoverable evidence” left by humans as they pass through the environment. Participants in this course will become “track aware” and “clue aware” as they learn the rudimentary process of tracking a lost person and discovering the evidence (clues) that are always present at an incident scene.
This training lays down the foundation for good observation skills in searchers and undoubtedly will benefit law enforcement with measurable skills for on-scene investigation. The course also provides an excellent management primer for understanding how tracking and clue detection can be effectively applied to varying terrain and environments in concert with other resources. SAR Managers will benefit greatly from this training by understanding how trackers and clue aware investigators can apply special techniques and visual aids to make subtle evidence more meaningful. Course Content
- The trackers perspective
- What tracking can do
- History of tracking
- When and where to use tracking
- Definitions and terminology
- Tools, equipment and skills to track
- The Sign Cutting Stick and its use
- Labeling tracks
- Investigation and tracking
- The tracking team; Aging track and sign
- Communicating prints and track ID
- Handling evidence; Tracking strategies
- Vehicle & site processing
- Tracking the evader
- Evaluation of whether tracking will work or not.
