Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs and the Criminal Connection

The Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), in partnership with the Town of Louisa Police Department and the Northeast Counterdrug Training Center (NCTC), is pleased to announce “Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs and the Criminal Connection” training.

Description:

Beginning in the 1930s, motorcycle clubs formed on the West Coast of the United States (US). Those clubs survived both World Wars and, in the late 1940s, expanded nationally, morphing into what law enforcement today calls Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs (OMGs). 

This class provides the history, roots, and overview of the early national expansion through today’s global criminal organizations. The training focuses on current nationally and globally dominant OMGs, which vary regionally in the US. As such, this training is tailored to reflect US regional changes, featuring specific history, structure, overview, indicia, and identifiers for each of the US dominant OMGs. The training focuses on the OMG lifestyle, covering overall criminality, lifestyle, current trends and patterns, intelligence gathering, predictive analytics, violence-through-expansion, contacts, lawful traffic stops, case law, source development, and report writing. Today’s US OMGs are sophisticated syndicates with international partners and reach, leveraging global connections to established drug distribution organizations (DTOs). OMGs have expanded into Mexico, South America, the Middle East, and Australia, forging connections with criminal cartels in all corners of the world. These criminal connections facilitate a host of criminal operations. US-based OMGs utilize violence to protect and/or expand their territory and continuing criminal enterprises. This two-day course prepares attendees for criminal investigations by immersing them in the current OMG subculture. By understanding OMG history, criminality, and indicia, this training is structured to enhance the attendees’ OMG training, knowledge, and experience, preparing them to successfully investigate OMGs and their criminal connections.

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

• Understand the history of OMGs in the United States and how that knowledge can be useful in criminal investigations
• Identify nationally dominant OMGs/members from indicators, including tattoos, colors, keywords, abbreviations, and slogans
• Develop a working knowledge of OMG criminality, including narcotics investigations
• Understand and use the proper officer safety and case law for contacting/stopping OMG members
• Understand the necessity of intelligence gathering, information sharing, and team building relating to OMG criminal activities

Who Should Attend:

This training is only open to sworn law enforcement officers, civilian law enforcement analysts, and military intelligence.

Partial In-Service Credit:

Partial In-Service Credit (PIC) for Virginia law enforcement officers will be available for this course.

Travel, Lodging, and Meals:

Participants are responsible for transportation, meals, lodging arrangements, and related expenses. 

Training Time and Details:

Check-in will begin at 7:30 am.

Training begins at 8:00 am and concludes at 4:00 pm each day.

Cost and Registration:

There is no cost to attend this training; however, pre-registration is required.

To Register:

• Click this link, scroll down, and click "Register for Event"
• Log in to your NCTC account (an NCTC account is required to register for training)
• Agree to the Terms and Conditions
• Click on "Register"

ADA Accommodation: 

Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to ensure full participation. To request a disability-related accommodation, please contact the training coordinator as early as possible to discuss specific needs and ensure appropriate accommodations are available.