FOUNDER, MITCH COWIT:
Mitch Cowit is a Sergeant with Jackson Twp. Police Department, located in Ocean County, New Jersey. He has over 28 years of police related experience, 21 of which have been in the Detective Bureau. Mitch’s specialty is in the Investigations and Drug Enforcement Unit. He is a highly regarded member of the Jackson Township Police Department Special Response Team, with specialization as a Hostage Crisis Negotiator. Mitch has also served as the Jackson Township Police Department Biased Officer, investigating all incidents of biased and hate crimes within the municipality. As a detective, Mitch gained not only practical work experience, but attended and graduated from numerous advanced specialized law enforcement programs which include: New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice “Top Gun”, Narcotics Investigation, Basic Crime Prevention, Basic & Advanced Hostage Negotiations, FBI Hostage/Crisis Negotiation, Homicide & Suspicious Death Investigations, Narcotics & Drug Identification, and a Forensic Interview & Interrogation and Method of Instruction, which is where he became a NJ State certified instructor. As a supplement to the above education programs, Mitch has attended Trenton State College and Rutgers University in pursuit of his Bachelor’s Degree. Mitch is currently a staff instructer with the Ocean County Police Academy. He assists in the instruction of Interview and Interrogation and Statement Analysis with both the regular and special officer recruit classes hosted by the Ocean County Police Academy, as well as independent law enforcement agencies. Mitch is also a past President of the Monmouth Ocean County Information Bureau (MOCIB). Mitch has testified as both a complainant and witness in Municipal and Superior Courts. He has also provided testimony before a New Jersey Senate sub-committee as an experienced and professional police officer. Mitch Has an expertise in Behavior Analysis, Reading Body Language and using Statement Analysis Techniques. Mitch is considered one of the best interviewers in Law Enforcement by his colleagues throughout the East Coast. He has appeared before the N.J. State Legislators to give testimony on the criminal mindset and behavior of pedophiles. He is certified and teaches Hostage Negotiation and Conflict Resolution.
Additional Instructors:
JOHN SULLIVAN:
Retired Det. and College Professor John J. Sullivan – We lost John this year to a battle with Cancer. However, Mitch and Mike have been greatly impacted by his training and carry on Johns message. RIP Brother.
MICHAEL STEITZ:
Detective with the Wall Twp. Police Department. He has 17 years of LE experience, with over 14 years as a detective. He has served in both the juvenile and general investigations division. Michael has earned an associates degree in criminal justice and a BA in Business Management from Georgian Court University. Michael has conducted numerous types of criminal investigations. He has attended several advanced trainings, to include many on the topic of interview and interrogation, Method of Instruction, Detective Skills Enhancement, Statement Analysis, (IAHN), FBI Hostage Negotiations, Homicide and Death Investigation, and courses on Active Listening Techniques. Mike and Mitch collaborated in developing the FIT Training Program.
DAN SCHAFER:
Dan Schafer has been working in Crisis Management since 1979. He is an approved instructor with the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation. He served at “Ground Zero” from 9/11/01 till 5/30/02 as the Mobilizer/Coordinator of Chaplains for Port Authority of NJ/NY Crisis Team. From 9/2002 till 12/2003 he was part of the WTC Building Trades Support Network/Cornell University debriefing. He has worked some major plane crashes including Flight 587 in 9/2001. He is a fellow with the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress. Dan is founder and president of Crisis Intervention International LLC www.crisisintervention.us and Director of the ALPHA Critical Incident Stress Management Team. He presently serves as Chaplain for Brick Twp. PD, Stafford Twp. PD, Jackson Twp. PD and the Ocean County Sheriffs Department.
MARK W. MALINOWSKI MS,CFE,CAMS:
Mark Malinowski has over 16 years working in both the banking industry and as a law enforcement professional conducting financial crimes investigation, detecting fraudulent activity within public and private organizations and designing fraud prevention programs for various business and government agencies. Mark Malinowski is currently a Supervising Detective with the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office assigned to the Special Investigations Unit, which investigates economic crimes, internal affairs, corruption, and organized crime. He was deputized as a US Marshal/IRS Special Agent from 2007-2009, while investigating an international gambling and money laundering operation. Mark was a member of the Ocean County Regional SWAT team from 2009-2011. He has conducted and supervised various types of financial investigations ranging from theft by deception, money laundering, asset forfeiture, organized crime enterprises (street gangs and traditional), racketeering, tax offenses, mortgage fraud, insurance fraud, Ponzi schemes, embezzlements, and the tracing of financial funding for domestic and international narcotics trafficking throughout the State of New Jersey and on a global scale.
These financial investigations have provided him with the expertise to locate and secure the documentation needed to perform the financial data analysis of financial institution accounts and corporate financial statements, which are essential for court testimony. He has testified in New Jersey Superior Court as the lead detective for several complex white-collar crimes investigations. These career experiences have provided him with a vast knowledge of how financial crimes are perpetrated along with the ability to analyze financial data to prevent, detect, investigate and prosecute the various levels of worldwide financial fraudulent activity that impact all types of businesses.
Mark has earned a Master of Science degree in Financial Fraud and Forensics from Carlow University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Studies with a concentration in Marketing from Stockton University. He holds the professional certifications as a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) and Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS). In addition, Mark has completed all the courses and professional experience requirements to sit for the Certified Public Accountants Exam in the State of New Jersey.
In addition to the above information, Mark Malinowski is a certified State of NJ police instructor who teaches at the Ocean County Police Academy training recruits in the areas of fraudulent documents, financial investigations, internal affairs, money laundering, organized crime, and the financial exploitation against senior citizens.
In 2013, Mark Malinowski established Framework Financial, LLC, which specializes in the development of anti-fraud educational seminars and fraud risk assessments for all types of businesses and public sector agencies. This led him to be the instructor and designer of the Certificate in Financial Crimes Investigations program held at Stockton University’s Center for Public Safety & Security. He has presented as a subject matter expert and is currently an adjunct instructor at several colleges and private companies throughout the country on the topics of financial crimes and money laundering investigations.
PETE MANCO:
Pete has been a police officer with the Manchester Township Police Department for more than 9 years. He has been a Certified Drug Recognition Evaluator since 2009. Pete had spent his first nine years conducting narcotics interdiction motor vehicle stops between calls for service, before being assigned to the Manchester Township Police Department’s Narcotic Enforcement Team, where he continues to operate in a marked patrol unit. Pete’s knowledge of street level narcotics distribution, human behavior, current drug trends, and his ability to effectively communicate has resulted in him leading his department in criminal arrests every year he has been employed. He feels that any officer can be an efficient and effective narcotic interdiction officer if they are self-motivated and properly trained.
JAMES HILL:
James is a Detective Sergeant with the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office assigned to the High Technology Crime and Digital Forensic Unit where he serves as the Laboratory Director. This laboratory is the first and only non-federal digital forensic laboratory to be accredited in the State of New Jersey. This unit is tasked with investigating or assisting in investigating all technology facilitated crimes within their jurisdiction. He has been with the unit for over 11 years and has investigated crimes ranging from identity theft, internal affairs, child pornography, sexual assault, homicide, computer hacking and financial crimes. He has assisted agencies on the local, state and federal level on state, national and international computer crime investigations. He was a contributing member to the board which re-wrote the New Jersey State Criminal Law for Child Pornography crimes in 2013. As the lone detective in this working group, he provided technical guidance on the wording and actual process utilized to downloading and sharing child pornography on the internet.
James has over 18 years working in the private industry as well as law enforcement in the Information technology field. Prior to law enforcement he worked as a Network Engineer and Network Security Administrator for medium and large international companies. While working in this field, he gained the knowledge and hands on experience with computer networks, enterprise email administration and network intrusions. James is a Certified Forensic Computer Examiner, holds several other computer forensic certifications and has received extensive training in technology facilitated investigations as well as being a certified expert in computer forensics in New Jersey State Superior Court. He has a Associate Degree in Criminal Justice and a Professional Certificate in Network Engineering and Data Communications. In 2000 he obtained the Microsoft Certified Professional Certification. He is also a NJ State Certified Police Instructor and a certified defensive tactics instructor. He has instructed at the Ocean County Police Academy in the topic of identifying and seizing digital evidence. The knowledge and experience which he has gained in his private sector employment and training and his law enforcement training have provided him with the expertise to locate and secure the digital evidence to assist in nearly every type of criminal investigation. These career experiences have provided him with a vast knowledge of how financial crimes are perpetrated along with the ability to analyze digital evidence to prevent, detect, investigate and prosecute the various levels of worldwide criminal activity that impact all types of investigations.
Sgt. Jim Byrd
Sergeant Jim Byrd has served 23 ½ years as a Police Officer in the city of Newark, New Jersey. Beginning his career in the patrol division in the cities South district and then working his way into specialized assignments. First working in a plainclothes auto thief unit known as T.A.R.G.E.T. (Tactical Auto Recovery Group Enforcement Team). The TARGET team gained national attention for its recovery and reduction of stolen autos in the city of Newark by their highly skilled training methods for combating auto theft and carjacking’s.
Jim continued on his specialized training background after re-assignment to the North Squad Detective Bureau where he was assigned
to investigate major crimes.
In 1999, Jim was selected to attend the Federal Bureau of Investigations Hostage Negotiation course, which he successfully passed. In addition to the Hostage negotiation Course, Jim was also selected to the FBI’s defensive tactics instructor’s course. In 2001, Jim was selected by the FBI to speak and address negotiation strategies in law enforcement at is nationally held seminar. As the lead Hostage Negotiator for the Newark Police Swat team, Jim was also lead instructor for the Newark Police Academy and served as an adjunct instructor for the Essex County Public Safety Academy.
Through his 19 years of service on the SWAT Team, Jim has been trained and certified in the following areas of specialized training;
Active shooter, Terrorism, Response to terrorist bombings, Crisis Negotiations, methods of Instruction, Suicide Terrorism, Chemical
Agents and several others in accordance with PTC training guidelines.
Jims training skills and teaching techniques lend an exceptional opportunity to provide insight and experience to the training
environment for many law enforcement agencies and private sector clients. Jims accredited training certificates include; New Mexico Tech,Penn State University, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Louisiana State University, University of Northern Florida, and New Jersey State Police.
Jim also has 70 college credits in Criminal Justice at Rutgers University and Fairleigh Dickinson University