Expert Resume/CV

Robert T. Johnson Lt. Colonel (R) – Illinois State Police
7813 ARQUILLA
PALOS HEIGHTS
Illinois
60463
United States

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Short Description:

A Law Enforcement Veteran with 32 years of active service. As a retired Lieutenant Colonel from the Illinois State Police, Mr. Johnson continues to serve as a private consultant and expert witness regarding Law Enforcement Policies and Practices most frequently for Use of Force and Police Pursuits but has also testified regarding other police policy & practices issues. Johnson has consulted and testified for numerous police agencies as well as plaintiffs in litigation. Mr. Johnson has been retained as an expert in approximately 90 cases and has been qualified and testified at several civil trials in state and federal courts. He also conducts Sensitive Internal Investigations as an independent investigator for municipalities regarding allegations of Police Misconduct. Mr. Johnson has extensive experience in Police Administration, Management and Supervision, Criminal Investigations, Use of Force and Officer Involved Shooting Investigations, Patrol Procedures, Complaint/Internal Investigations and Task Force Operations.

Experience:

Law Enforcement Policy and Practices Consultant (Self Employed) 
 
01/99 - Present Private Consultant 

  • Consult with law enforcement agencies concerning policy issues.
  • Provide consultation and expert witness testimony regarding litigation relating to police practices and conduct.
  • Has been qualified as an expert witness in state and federal court.
  • Has conducted several independent internal inquiries for municipalities regarding allegations of police misconduct. 
  • Serves as an assessor (Team Leader) for the Commission on the Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) and has reviewed the operations of more than twenty-five (25) law enforcement agencies seeking Accreditation.
  • Has conducted Operational, Organization and/or Policy reviews for several agencies, most recently the Kane County Sheriff’s Office, the Armenian National Police (for the World Bank) and Kankakee Police Department.
  • Served as Interim Public Safety Director and Chief of Police Forest View (IL) and assisted in search for the Director’s position. 

 
National Railroad Passenger Corporation (AMTRAK) – Amtrak Police Department (CALEA Accredited since 1992)
 
01/02 – 05/05 Inspector/Director of Police – Western Region 

  • Responsible for oversight of Amtrak Police Personnel, Operations and Budgets for the Western Region (30 States) including the Chicago, Indianapolis (Beech Grove), New Orleans, Los Angeles and San Francisco field offices and several detective posts located throughout region.
  • This oversight included supervision and review of Patrol, Investigative and Administrative functions, which are directed to protect the Corporation; its customers, employees and assets as well as the public in general. 
  • Conducted Internal Inquiries and reviewed all complaint investigations within Region.
  • Chaired Training Committee with oversight for Defensive Tactics and Firearms Sub-Committees and served as member of the Use of Force Committee – reviewed all use of force incidents nationwide. 

Illinois Department of Law Enforcement/Illinois State Police: 
 
5/98 - 12/98 Interim Police Superintendent, Cicero Police Department 

  • Appointed by State Police Director and Cicero Town President, with the approval of Governor Edgar's Office, to oversee daily operations of the Cicero Police Department.
  • Responsible for spearheading the effort to restore an embattled police department to operating condition which had been devastated by the loss of the superintendent, top command staff and over one third of the police force.
  • Awards were received from the Illinois State Police and the Town of Cicero for accomplishing this mission. 

 
10/96 - 5/98 Lt. Colonel, Region I Commander 

  • Commanded over 600 employees with oversight for Operations (Patrol and Investigations) and Administration of District Chicago, District 15, Tactical Response team (SWAT), Helicopter Unit,USART (underwater search and rescue team), Tactical Operations Group (gang and narcotic enforcement) and various Task Force Personnel. 

 
2/95 - 10/96 Major, District Chicago Commander 

  • Implemented the merger of two Illinois State Police districts into the newly created District Chicago, the largest state police district in Illinois. 
  • Directed 330 employees; responsible for overseeing patrol and investigative functions as well as specialized units, such as the Public Integrity Task Force, South Suburban Auto Theft Task Force (SSATIN) and the Cook County Metropolitan Enforcement Group (CCMEG).
  • Developed, implemented and provided oversight of the Public Integrity Task Force Formulated and oversaw the operational plan for State Police duties during the 1996 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. 

 
1984 - 1995 Captain 

  • Area I Commander - Commanded Districts 3, 4 and 15 and other specialty functions. Oversaw the state police operations for the 1994 World Cup Soccer Championship in Chicago--the largest detail ever undertaken by the Illinois State Police at the time. Developed and implemented the concept of a helicopter unit. 
  • District 4 Commander - Restructured the District operations by merging both patrol and investigative functions under a single command. The effectiveness of this District Pilot Project led to statewide implementation. 
  • Zone 3 Commander - Responsible for operations and administration of three squads of investigators whose assignments included violent crime and general criminal investigations, child exploitation, narcotics investigations, etc. 
  • Intelligence Commander (Northern) - Led the strategic and intelligence operations in specialized areas of organized crime, terrorism and extremist groups. Reorganized and significantly enlarged the unit to include tactical operations; instrumental in the creation of the first gang crimes unit in the state police. 
  • Fraud Unit Commander (Area I) - Responsible for the operation and administration of four squads whose investigative responsibilities were Medicaid Fraud, Public Aid Fraud, Drug Diversion Investigations and White Collar Crime. 

 
1978 - 1984 Lieutenant, Master Sergeant and Sergeant 

  • Served as Squad Supervisor and Area Supervisor of the Cook County Metropolitan Enforcement Group, a multi-agency drug enforcement unit. 

 
1972 - 1978 Investigator 

  • Served in General Criminal (Property and Violent Crimes), Narcotic and Racetrack investigative areas. 

Metropolitan Police Department, Washington, DC: 

  • 3/71-11/72 Patrolman, Third District. Graduated first in academy class. Served as an officer in one of the District of Columbia's highest crime areas. 
Training:

ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL TRAINING 

  • St. Joseph's College, (Rensselaer, Indiana), B.S. Political Science, 1970 
  • American University, (Washington DC), 1971-1972 Graduate studies in Criminal Justice 
  • University of Illinois at Springfield, (Springfield, Illinois), 1973 Graduate studies in Criminal Justice 
  • Attend extensive law enforcement, management and operational training courses. Cumulative hours in excess of 3,000. 
Professional Memberships / Associations / Societies:

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS (Past and Current) 

  • International Association of Chiefs of Police 
  • Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police 
  • South Suburban (Cook County) Chiefs of Police - Executive Board Member 
  • Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) - Assessor 
  • Illinois State Police Command Officer's Association 
  • Crimestoppers of Cook County – Executive Board Member Lake County (IL) Major Crimes Task Force (Original Formation Committee) 
  • Metropolitan Enforcement Group - Policy Board Member
  • Public Integrity Task Force - Executive Board Member 
  • Illinois State Police Forensic Services Advisory Board 
  • Law Enforcement Executive Development Association 
  • International Narcotic Enforcement Officers Association 
  • Illinois Police Accreditation Coalition 
  • High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) – Executive Board Member (Chicago HIDTA) 
Honors / Awards:

ILLINOIS STATE POLICE AWARDS 

  • Cicero Detail 
  • Democratic National Convention Detail 
  • District Chicago Consolidation 
  • Helicopter Unit (Concept Development and Implementation) 
  • World Cup Soccer Detail 
  • Project Mortar (Area I Fraud Unit) 
  • Awards also received from the
    • Federal Bureau of Investigation,
    • U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration,
    • HIDTA (Chicago),
    • U.S. Secret Service,
    • U.S. Customs Service,
    • Bureau of Alcohol,Tobacco and Firearms,
    • Chicago Police Department,
    • Cook County State’s Attorney
    • Cook County Crimestoppers 
  • Numerous letters of commendation

AMTRAK POLICE AWARDS 

  • Certificate of Appreciation RE: Performance & Contributions 
  • Letter RE: Contributions to the Department (including Training & Use of Force) 

ADDITIONAL RECOGNITION 

  • Numerous letters of Thanks and appreciation for efforts as a Consultant and Special Investigator 
Training:

ADDITIONAL ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL TRAINING (Not All Inclusive) 

  • Metropolitan Police Academy, (Washington, DC), 1971 
  • Basic Police Training - Illinois Bureau of Investigation, 1972 
  • Weapons Training, Annual Training, (MPDC, ISP & APD) 
  • Control and Arrest Tactics, Annual Training, (MPDC, ISP & APD) 
  • Illinois Bureau of Investigation Financial Crime School, 1974 
  • INEOA Special Narcotic Enforcement Training Conference, 1975 
  • Basic Supervisor Training, 1979 
  • Laws of Arrest, Search and Seizure (update), 1979 
  • Prosecution/Investigation of Drug Cases, 1979 
  • Interview and Interrogation (John Reid Course), 1981 
  • Command Officer Management Development (by Michigan State University), 1981 
  • Basic Photography for Law Enforcement Officers, 1982 
  • Leadership through People Skills (DMT II), 1983 
  • Narcotic Conspiracy Class, 1983 
  • Financial Investigative Techniques - I.R.S., 1984 
  • International Terrorism Conference, 1986 
  • Sting Operations, 1987 
  • Dynamics of Negotiations, 1987 
  • Assessment Center (Assessor) Training, 1988 
  • Organized Crime Management, 1988 
  • Arrest, Search & Seizure (update), 1989 
  • Asset Seizure & Forfeiture, 1990
  • Intelligence Management, 1990 
  • Crash Report Training, 1993 
  • Strategic Leadership Training, 1993 
  • International Terrorism Conference, 1993 
  • Diversity Training, 1995 
  • Tactical Incident Management for Command Officers, 1995 
  • Work Place Crime 2000, 1995 
  • Executive Management Program (Northwestern University Traffic Institute), 1996 
  • Ethics in the Workplace, 1996 
  • Stop Stick Training, 1997 
  • Pursuit and Emergency Response - Instructor Training, 1997 
  • High-Tech Crime Seminar, 1997 
  • FBI - Law Enforcement Executive Development, 1997 
  • Domestic Violence Training, 1998 
  • Civil Liability and Risk Management, 1999 
  • CALEA Assessor Training, 1999 
  • Managing Generation X Employees, 2000 
  • National Symposium on Racial Profiling and Traffic Stops, 2000 
  • Investigation and Management of Officer Involved Shootings, 2001 
  • CALEA On-Site (Revised) Training, 2002 
  • Internal Inspections and Investigations (by the Community Policing Consortium), 2002 
  • Physical and Psychological Aspects of Police Shootings, 2002 
  • Sudden In – Death Custody: Beyond Positional Asphyxia: Systems Based Approach, 2002 
  • Assessment (Assessor) Center Training Course (by IL.ACP & Stanard & Associates), 2003 
  • Workplace Violence (Amtrak), 2003 
  • Harassment (Amtrak), 2003 
  • CALEA Team Leader Training, 2003 
  • CALEA Assessor Refresher Training, 2003 
  • Use of Force Conference, 2003 
  • Cultural Diversity Training (Amtrak), 2003 & 2006 
  • Bias Based Profiling Training (Amtrak PD), 2003 
  • Internal Affairs Policy (IACP Conference), 2003 
  • Effective Leadership Training (IACP Conference), 2003 
  • LTATP (Anti-Terrorism (TSA/FLETC), 2003 
  • Mental Preparation for Armed Confrontation (LECC), 2004 
  • Recent Developments in the 4th Amendment Arena (IACP Conference), 2004 
  • New Department of Justice Use of Force Policy (IACP Conference), 2004 
  • Law Enforcement Response to Domestic Violence (IL Chief’s Conference – 2005) 
  • Nuts & Bolts Internal Affairs Legal Update (IL Chief’s Conference – 2005) 
  • Police Misconduct (Lorman Education Services – IACET - 2005) 
  • CALEA Assessor Team Leader Refresher Training, 2006 
  • Police Liability in Illinois (Lorman Education Services- IACET – 2006) 
  • Why Law Enforcement Managers Fail to Make an Impact (Illinois Chiefs Conference – 2007) 
  • What Every Chief Needs to Know About a SWAT Callout (Illinois Chiefs Conference – 2007) 
  • Legal Update - Liability Explosion in Wrongful Conviction and Employment Retaliation Litigation (Illinois Chiefs Conference – 2007) 
  • Investigation of Officer Involved Shootings (ILEETA Conference – 2007) 
  • Analyzing Human Factors & Contextual Cues in Use of lethal Force (ILEETA Conference 2007) 
  • CALEA Team Leader & Report Writing Refresher Training (Atlanta 2008) 
  • CALEA Assessor (Refresher) Training (Atlanta 2008) 
  • Force Science Research Center - Focus of Attention (ILLEETA 2008) 
  • Psychological Issues in officer Involved Shootings (ILEETA 2008) 
  • The Deadly Mix Recognizing Threats (ILEETA 2008) 
  • Force Science Research Center – Human Factors – Certification Course (2009) 
  • Police Pursuit Policy Workshop – (Illinois Chief’s Winter Training Conference - 2010) 
  • Reducing Lawsuit Exposure – (South Suburban Chief’s Association Training – 2010) 
  • Officer Involved Shootings and Traumatic Reactions: What Command Staff Should Know/International Association of Chiefs’ of Police Psychological Section’s Officer Involved Guidelines – (South Suburban Chief’s Association Training – 2011) 
  • CALEA Assessor (Refresher) Training (Bethesda 2011) 
  • Creating Defensible Personnel Practices (CALEA Conference – Bethesda 2011) 
  • Smart Use of Force: In the Jail on the Street (ILEETA 2011) 
  • Understanding Reaction Time & Response (ILEETA 2011) 
  • Rapid Threat Recognition (ILEETA 2011) 
  • Understanding Force Standards of Accountability (ILEETA 2011) 
  • Excited Delirium Response Protocol (ILEETA 2011) 
  • Contemporary Issues in Use of Force (IACP Conference 2011) 
  • Revisiting Use of Force in American Law Enforcement: The Chief’s Role in Addressing Current Trends and Issues (IACP Conference 2011) 
  • Interaction between Police and People with Mental Illness and the Mental Health Care System – Canadian Perspective (IACP Conference 2011) 
  • Surviving the Threat: The Psychology of Survival in Life Threatening Encounters (IACP Conference 2011) 
  • Police Pursuits Policy and Practice – Risk Versus Reward (IACP Conference 2011) 
  • Organizational Accountability/Force Management (IACP Conference 2011) 
  • Eyewitness Evidence Reform (IACP Conference 2011) 
  • Chief I’ve been Involved in a Shooting: What Happens Next (IACP Conference 2011) 
  • TASER – Use of Force, Risk Management and Legal Strategies Seminar (Gwinnett County, GA - 2011) 
  • Post Conviction Investigations –Avoiding Wrongful Convictions (ILEETA 2012) 
  • Pursuit Policy Workshop (ILEETA 2012) 
  • Search Warrants and Working with Informants Seminar (CCSA Office – 6th District 2013) 
  • Management, Oversight and Monitoring of Use of Force (AELE 2013) 
  • Lethal and Less Lethal Use of Force (AELE 2013) 
Experience:

QUALIFICATIONS/EXPERIENCE 

USE OF FORCE/POLICE OFFICER INVOLVED SHOOTINGS 

  • Personally investigated police officer involved shootings and use of force incidents. Supervised/Reviewed/Oversight for investigations regarding use of force incidents, officer involved shootings and accidental firearm discharges of Unit, District and Regionpersonnel as well as shootings/ use of force by members of other departments investigated by the State Police. Responsibility for supervisory oversight/approval of ISP Tactical Response Team operations 
  • Created the Public Integrity Task Force, a joint task force of Illinois State Police personnel, Cook County Sheriff’s and Cook County State’s Attorney (Investigations Bureau) personnel to investigate allegations of wrongdoing to include unlawful use of force as well as all officer (suburban) involved shootings in Cook County (Nation’s second largest county) 
  • Reviewed all suburban (Cook County) officer involved shootings investigated by the Public Integrity Task Force for the period of March, 1996 through May, 1998 
  • Developed and implemented Use of Force Policy for the Cicero Police Department. Implemented Control and Arrest Tactics (C.A.T.) training for the Cicero Police Department based on the Illinois State Police model 
  • Reviewed all use of Force reports while serving as Interim Superintendent of Cicero Police Department. Recommended dismissal of officer involved in a shooting 
  • Received basic and repeated in service training regarding firearms, use of force and control and arrest tactics training while a member of the Metropolitan Police Department (Washington, D.C.), Illinois State Police and Amtrak Police Department. Have attended and continue to attend numerous conferences and seminars on use of force subjects. 
  • Certification in Force Science Analysis from Force Science Research Institute 
  • Served on the Amtrak Police Department Use of Force Review Committee. Reviewed all use of force incidents by APD Officers nationwide. Assisted in rewrite of Amtrak Use of Force Policy 
  • Chaired Amtrak Police Department’s Training Committee with oversight for the Firearms and Defensive Tactics subcommittees 
  • Regularly review Law Enforcement Journals and articles related to Use of Force topics 
  • Reviewed the policies and related materials for CALEA standards compliance RE: Use of Force for over twenty-five (25) Law Enforcement agencies as a CALEA Assessor 
  • Retained, consulted and have provided deposition and trial testimony on Use of Force/Officer Involved Shootings cases in State and Federal court 

EMERGENCY VEHICLE OPERATION/PURSUITS 

  • Reviewed pursuits by Region I and District personnel (ISP), Cicero Police, Amtrak Western Region and Forest View Police personnel while serving in Command/Agency Head positions 
  • Reviewed squad car accidents as a Region, District and Unit Commander, Interim Superintendent (Cicero, IL PD), Amtrak Police Inspector/Director and Chief of Police (Forest View, IL PD) 
  • Served on Accident Review Board (ISP)  
  • Served as a senior level advisor for Illinois State Police Pursuit Policy/Oversight for Instructors training revised ISP policy  
  • Oversight/Approved guidelines for use of ISP helicopter in pursuits  
  • Developed and implemented Pursuit Policy for Cicero Police Department  
  • Developed and implemented Patrol Procedures - Emergency Vehicles and Call Response for Cicero Police Department  
  • Created and implemented Accident Review Board for Cicero Police Department  
  • Personally participated in numerous pursuits  
  • Personally participated in hundreds of emergency calls  
  • Served as a policy consultant to local departments regarding Emergency Vehicle Operations/Pursuit Policies  
  • Reviewed the policies and related materials for CALEA standards compliance RE: Pursuits for over twenty-five (25) agencies as a CALEA Assessor  
  • Retained, consulted and provided deposition and trial testimony on Pursuit/Emergency Vehicle operation  
  • Regularly review several Law Enforcement Journals that include articles related to the subject matter and have attended numerous seminars regarding pursuit practices