By Brian Klas
TDCAA Training Director in Austin
You guys heard about this coronavirus thing? This is the second article I have written in response to the pandemic and its effects on the TDCAA training calendar. It has been only a few additional months, but that first article now seems awfully naïve. I thought we would be able to host our Annual Conference live in September. What a buffoon!
As preposterous as hindsight tells me that is, I was even more off-track way back in March. I recall sitting in a Fredericksburg conference room shaking my head in bemusement over news of a toilet paper hoarding fight at a Texas Walgreens. Who were these Chicken Littles and wannabe disaster profiteers? Didn’t they know that this was going to blow over like every other pandemic doomsayer’s prediction? Turns out they were right. Kind of. Toilet paper may not the limited resource some folks thought it was, but months later, COVID continues to spread. As bleak as that is, the sky isn’t falling, and there are a lot of people to thank for that—including you. Our criminal justice system has had to flex and adapt, but it has not ground to a halt. Thanks for that.
Despite the continued threat posed by the coronavirus, I remain an optimist. Like you, I can’t wait to take the lessons I’ve learned and the skills I’ve developed during the pandemic to get back to a new and improved normal. In adapting to the pandemic paradigm, we’ve been forced to examine our training methodology and explore new ways of delivery. Online training, for example, has long been the next thing for us to get to. We’ve finally gotten to it, and in a complementary capacity, it is here to stay—alongside live conferences.
So what does this mean for TDCAA training? There is some really hopeful news regarding vaccine development and distribution. Predictions of delivery and final vaccine efficacy offer some guidance on live training and human grouping, but they are inexact. Because the decision to conduct live conferences versus online training must be made well in advance, I’ve had to make the call on our early 2021 offerings. Due to our funding structure and the nature of hotel contracts, we have no current plans to offer any courses that are simultaneously live and available online.
Fundamentals of Prosecution
Starting in January, rather than our usual Prosecutor Trial Skills Course (PTSC), we will be offering an online course entitled Fundamentals of Prosecution. In a meeting with the Training Committee, we discussed the idea of shifting PTSC to an online format. Ultimately, we decided that course cannot be effectively re-created online. The table work with faculty and colleagues, advocacy tips, and networking are intrinsically linked to the quality and success of that program. To fill the temporary void, we created Fundamentals of Prosecution. Our intent is to bridge the gap until attendees can make it to a live PTSC. That is not to say anyone will be shorted quality training by attending the new course! Fundamentals of Prosecution is not “PTSC Lite.” Along with brand-new topics, existing presentations have been adapted for the online format and provide a different look at those functions most essential for new prosecutors. Initially, we will be releasing the training over a period of four weeks (one track each Monday). Also, along with speakers and faculty, we will host a live forum every Friday of those four weeks for attendees to ask questions related to that week’s topic.
Finally, because this is aimed at the same audience as PTSC, all attendees will receive four TDCAA books: Predicates, DWI Investigation & Prosecution, Punishment & Probation, and Traffic Stops. We’ll collect mailing addresses during the training using our online platform. Registration is open now at www.tdcaa.com/training/fundamentals-of-prosecution-2021, and even if you miss the initial release weeks, all content will remain available at least through February.
Investigator Conference
Next up, our annual Investigator Conference is moving. Currently, we are unable to offer online training for TCOLE credit. I hope that we can add that to our training toolbox in the future, but it is not an option yet. Rather than cross our fingers and risk a cancellation and loss of the training at the last minute, we rescheduled the course, which normally happens in February, for August 9–11 at the Hilton Hotel in Rockwall. I know the Investigator Board, like me, was frustrated by the necessity of the move, but the training they have put together for our CA and DA peace officers is some of the best yet. Keep an eye on our website for Investigator Conference registration and related information in the coming months.
Crimes Against Kids and Civil Law Conference
Both Crimes Against Kids and our Civil Law Conference are migrating to an online format. They will still become available in their previously scheduled live training months (April for Crimes Against Kids and May for the Civil Conference). Each will remain available online for at least a month—likely longer. Planning and creating these online courses is underway, and I hope to have more information up on our website regarding both early in the new year.
And beyond
Currently, anything scheduled in June or beyond remains a live event. We will continue to monitor news and trends on the pandemic and the vaccine very closely. As of today, there are simply too many variables in play to commit to any course of action so far into the future. As unknowns become knowns and the situation develops, we will solidify plans to accommodate reality. Please check our website for updates, and as always, you can shoot me an email ([email protected]) with questions.
That covers most of the scheduled live content planned for 2021, but there is new online training on the way. In addition to our regularly scheduled events, the Training Committee have turned their gaze to future online training initiatives as well. Building off the model created by our Multiple Presenter and Mental Health Training, we will produce online courses in oft-requested subjects such as juvenile law and family violence prosecution. One of the great advantages of online training is that we can quickly go from identifying a need to delivering the training itself, so please check our website regularly to stay up-to-date on upcoming online events.
No doubt there will be some continued reformation of the 2021 training calendar. If you are interested in the most current TDCAA training offerings, keep an eye peeled for updates on our website. I can’t wait to see y’all at live training events, but until that can happen, stay healthy!