Inaugural Conference
February 5-8, 2008
Hyatt Regency: Wichita, Kansas
Gangs are a violent reality that people have to deal with in today’s cities. The growth of youth gangs over the past few decades is a major cause for concern. They have become more sophisticated and flagrant in their use of violence and intimidation tactics. As they migrate across the country, they bring with them drugs, weapons and criminal activity. Acceptance of the problem and joint community and law enforcement responses are our best defense.
The Second Annual Kansas Gang Investigators Conference (KGIA) will provide participants the opportunity to learn the local and national impact of gangs in the Midwest and their effects on local jurisdictions throughout Kansas. This conference will provide statewide gang updates that include both introductory and advanced gang information that is current and pertinent to all criminal justice professionals.
This conference will offer a half day on Gangs 101 and Gang Intervention and Prevention strategies. This session is open to school administrators and other relevant personnel. The remainder of the conference (February 6-8, 2008) is open to Law Enforcement, Corrections and Prosecution personnel and will include information on Major Prison Gangs, Tattoo Identification, West Coast Black Gangs, East Coast Gangs and Building a RICO Case.
The Second Annual Kansas Gang Investigators Association Conference is co-sponsored by:
The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Kansas,
The Regional Community Policing Training Institute at Wichita State University,
The Mid-States Organized Crime Information Center,
The Midwest Counterdrug Training Center,
The Wichita Police Department,
The National Latino Peace Officers Association—Wichita/Sedgwick County Chapter, and
The Home Depot
KGIA
Conference Logistics
Ø Registration: On-site registration begins at 7:00 AM on Feb 6th. Conference will end at 5:00 PM on Feb. 8th. Seats are limited to the first 400 participants. Registrations must be received no later than January 25, 2008.
Ø Lodging: The Hyatt Regency, 400 W. Waterman, is offering room rates of $75 plus tax per night. There is only a small block of rooms reserved for this event at this price so make reservations early. Please contact the Hyatt Regency directly at (800) 233-1234 for reservations. Please mention the KGIA Conference when making your reservation. Reservations must be made by February 4, 2008.
Ø Fees: The conference fee this year is $25 for those attending the “Gangs 101 and Gang Intervention and Prevention” session only on February 5th. Conference fees are $100 for KGIA Members and $125 for Non-KGIA Members to attend this year’s conference, February 6-8. Cash or Checks are the only forms of payment that can be accepted. Please make checks payable to the Kansas Gang Investigators Association (KGIA, Federal Tax ID# 75-3081591) and submit with registration form.
Ø Refunds/Cancellations: It is recommended you send a qualified substitute if you cannot attend. However, if you are not able to attend, please contact Heather Joyce at 316-978-5897 prior to January 25, 2008. If you do not provide notice of cancellation prior to January 25, 2008, you and/or your agency will be held liable for the registration fees. A full refund of registration fees will be made if notification is made prior to January 25, 2008. The liability of the Second Annual Kansas Gang Investigators Association Conference is limited to the registration fee. The Second Annual Kansas Gang Investigators Association Conference will not be responsible for any losses incurred by the registrants, including but not limited to airline cancellation charges and/or hotel deposits.
Ø Comprehensive handouts and resource materials will be provided.
Ø Certificate of Attendance will be available at the end of the conference.
Name: / Title:Organization:
Address:
City: / State: / Zip:
Telephone: / Fax:
E-mail:
Please Indicate if Attending: / r Gangs 101 Session/Gang Intervention & Prevention Only
Please mail or fax this Form to:
/ Ms. Heather Joyce
Regional Community Policing Institute
Wichita State University
1845 Fairmount
Wichita, KS 67260-0135
Toll Free: 888.877.0585/Direct: 316.978.5897Fax: 316.978.3345/E-Mail:
Kansas Gang Investigators Association
Second Annual Conference
February 5-8, 2008
Hyatt Regency
Wichita, Kansas
February 5, 2008
1300—1500 Hours / Gangs 101; Presented by David Starbuck1500—1700 Hours / Gang Prevention & Intervention; Presented by Ron Macias
Former Gang Member from East Los Angeles
February 6, 2008
0700—0800 Hours / Conference On-Site Registration0800—0830 Hours / Welcome and Opening Remarks
0830—1130 Hours / Major Prison Gangs, Mexican Mafia; Presented by Richard Valdemar
1130—1300 Hours / Lunch On Your Own
1300—1700 Hours / Tattoo Identification; Presented by Bill Riley
February 7, 2008
0800—1130 Hours / West Coast Black Gangs; Presented by Wayne Caffey1130—1300 Hours / Lunch On Your Own
1300—1700 Hours / East Coast Gangs; Presented by Lou Savelli
February 8, 2008
0800—1130 Hours / East Coast Gangs Continued; Presented by Lou Savelli1130—1300 Hours / Lunch On Your Own
1300—1630 Hours / Building a RICO Case; Presented by Vincent Tortorella
1630—1700 Hours / Closing Ceremony
For additional information regarding the content of this year’s conference, please contact KGIA President, Ruben Salamanca, Topeka Police Department, 785-368-902 or 785-217-5580 or e-mail
Presenter Biographical Information
David Starbuck—Gangs 101: Mr. Starbuck currently works as a Consultant for the National Youth Gang Center in Tallahassee, FL. And also as a Field Program Specialist for the National Drug Intelligence on drug and gang trends, and maintains an ongoing liaison with numerous local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, along with various agencies involved in drug and gang prevention and treatment. He is the current President of the Midwest Gang Investigators Association—Missouri Chapter, and also the current Vice-Chairman of the MGIA Executive Board and voting member of the National Association of Gang Investigators Associations.
Ron Macias—Gang Prevention and Intervention: Mr. Macias is a former Gang Member from East Los Angeles. He is a 25 year veteran gang specialist and has worked with high and at risk youth who have been affected by street gangs in Portland, OR. For the last fourteen years, he served in the United States Army 18th Airborne Corp and was attached to the 4th Psychological Warfare group for six years.
Richard Valdemar—Major Prison Gangs; Mexican Mafia: Mr. Valdemar retired from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in 2004. For most of his 33 years with the LASD he was involved in combating L.A. Gangs. For the last 20 years he was assigned to the Detective Division, Major Crimes Bureau. In 1977-78 he was assigned to the DEA and later to the U.S. Marshals, in the “Doc Holiday – Ray Ray Browning” federal drug conspiracy case. For more than 10 years he was part of the Federal Metropolitan Gang Task Force, cross designated as an FBI agent. Since 1985 he was a member of the California (Prison) Gang Task Force. He was the “gang expert” in the RICO prosecution of the Mexican Mafia in 1995 and the RICO of 1999 as well.
William Riley—Tattoo Identification: Mr. Riley began his career as a Security Threat Group/Disruptive Group Information Analyst at the Washington State Penitentiary in 1987. He was promoted to statewide Security Threat Group Coordinator I January 1999 transferring to the Washington Corrections Center in Shelton. Mr. Riley is in charge of the identification of all inmates affiliated with Security Threat Groups within the Department of Corrections. He has developed methods of identifying potential members of Security Threat Groups by using screening methods and research.
Wayne Caffey—West Coast Black Gangs: Mr. Caffey is currently assigned to the Gang and Operations Support Division, Gang Support Section. He is a Detective Supervisor in the LAPD’s only dedicated hard core gang surveillance unit where primary responsibilities include the gathering of street and prison gang intelligence on a national level as it affects the City of Los Angeles, to target and apprehend individuals who match the career criminal – gang profile, and those wanted for violent crimes and high-grade felonies. Since 1993 Mr. Caffey has been the lead instructor for the Los Angeles Police Department’s African-American Gangs block and in 1999 became the lead instructor for the Gang Officer Safety and Survival block of the LAPD Gang Awareness Course.
Lou Savelli—East Coast Gangs: Mr. Savelli spent all of his 25 years in law enforcement in the streets and is one of the most decorated officers in NYPD history. He was chosen as one of the top 10 of NYPD’s most effective leaders of all ranks and the first supervisor featured in NYPD’s Leadership Training School Newsletter because of his innovation and success in the field of crime-fighting, leadership and policing. Mr. Savelli created NYPD’s first citywide gang unit called CAGE (Citywide Anti-Gang Enforcement) which was awarded the National Gang Crime Research Center’s award for “The Most Effective Gang Unit in the U.S.” He has received awards from the FBI, DEA, ATF, Dept. of Treasury, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Department of State, Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, Canada, Caribbean Law Enforcement Agencies, Italy, New South Wales Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Japan, and many other law enforcement and government agencies. As a narcotics detective, he and his unit were responsible for the world’s largest cash seizure in a drug case ($20 Million) which still holds as a record to this date.
Vincent Tortorella—Building a RICO Case: Mr. Tortorella is a Trial Attorney with the Department of Justice’s Gang Squad in Washington, DC, a group of experienced prosecutors charged with developing and implementing strategies to disrupt and dismantle the most significant national and international gangs in the United States. Before joining the Gang Squad, Mr. Tortorella was an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York, where he was a member of the Violent Crimes/Gang Unit.