Curriculum Vitae

Steven D. Nicely

401 Little Texas Lane #1720

Austin Texas

78745

Office: 512-912-9743

Cell: 210-710-8854

Current Occupation Starting June 2006

  • Providing consultation in matters relating to the training and handling of police service dogs.
  • Providing behavior modification and general training for pet dog owners.

Police K9 Training and Officer Instruction

  • Personally trained in the area of 750 dogs for police service, and supervised the training of at least an additional 250.
  • August 1989 to June 2006 worked for Global Training Academy, Somerset Texas expect for one year of returning to law enforcement, and nine months in 1993 during a sharp decline in business.
  • From October 2005, to June 2006 worked for Global while serving as an explosive detector dog trainer for the American Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq.

Trained dogs for:

  • Patrol work which included:
    • Criminal Apprehension
    • Tracking
    • Trailing
    • Tactical Building Search
    • Open area man Search
    • Evidence Search for non Detector Dogs

 

  • Detection of:
    • Drugs
    • Explosives
    • Accelerant
    • Land Mines

Provided Instruction for:

  • All aspects of patrol dogs
  • Detection in the area of
    • Drugs
    • Explosives
    • Accelerants
  • Classroom Instruction in
    • Principles of Conditioning
    • Record Keeping
    • Health and Maintenance of Service Dogs
    • Maintenance training concepts
    • Search and Seizure concepts as it related to detector dogs
    • Searching procedures using a service dog.

Wrote Lesson Plans, Manuals, and Test for Courses of Instruction to meet Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education.

  • Patrol
  • Drug Detection
  • Explosive Detection
  • Accelerant Detection

Tested and Purchased Dogs for Police Service

  • Numerous trips to the Netherlands and Checz Republic to purchase dogs for police service training.

Law Enforcement Experience

  • Military Police United States Marine Corps
  • Deputy Sheriff Bexar County, Texas
  • Police officer for cities of:
    • Leon Valley,
    • Terrell Hills,
    • New Braunfels TX. 
  • Reserve Deputy Constable, Constables Office Pct. 4 Bexar County, served as consultant and trainer for the narcotics detector dog division.

Education

  • Graduate W.T. Thomas High School, Cumberland City TN. 1970
  • Study of Psychology San Antonio Community College, San Antonio, Texas completed the following behavior science courses
    • Intro to Psychology
    • Applied Psychology
    • Behavior Modification
    • Developmental Psychology
    • Abnormal Psychology

Currently attending Austin Community College to complete an Associates Degree in psychology

License and Certifications

  • Advanced License as a Texas Police Officer,
  • Police Instructor License State of Texas.

Police Dog Schools and Seminars Attended

  • INTERNATIONAL WORKING DOG BREEDERS ASSOCIATION, Kelly City Base, San Antonio, Texas, November, 2007
  • NATIONAL MILITARY WORKING DOG CONFERENCE, Lackland AFB, TX. 1993
  • USPCA TRIAL AND SEMINAR, Region 10, Longview TX. 1992
  • TACTICAL PATROL K-9 TRAINING, Round Rock Police Department, Round Rock Texas, 1992.     
  • UNITED STATES POLICE K-9 NATIONAL TRAINERS SEMINAR, Region 10 USPCA, Baton Rouge, La. 1991
  • USPCA REG. 10 TRIAL AND SEMINAR, Region 10, Baton Rouge, La. 1986
  • USPCA NATIONAL TRIAL AND SEMINAR, Detroit Mich. 1985
  • CANINE SCENT DETECTION SEMINAR, Dallas Texas, 1981
  • PATROL DOG SUPERVISOR COURSE , Kedana AFB, Oki. Japan, 1977.
  • MARIJUANA/HEROIN DETECTOR DOG, Lackland AFB, San Antonio TX. 1975.
  • PATROL DOG HANDLER COURSE, Lackland AFB, San Antonio TX. 1974 

Behavioral Science Seminars and Conferences Attended

TEXAS ASSOCIATION FOR BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS, March 7-8, 2008, Dallas, Tx.

General Police Schools

  • POLICE INSTRUCTOR COURSE, Alamo Area Law Enforcement Academy, San Antonio TX,1993.                          
  • ADVANCED USE OF FORCE, Alamo Area Law Enforcement Academy, San Antonio TX, 1993. ADVANCED ARREST, SEARCH & SEIZURE, Alamo Area Law Enforcement Academy, San Antonio TX, 1993.                  
  • CHILD ABUSE, Constable Pct. 4, Bexar County, Texas 1991.    
  • CONSTITUTIONAL LAW, ARREST, SEARCH AND, SEIZURE , Shavano Park Police Department, San Antonio TX. 1986                       
  • DOPPLER RADAR OPERATION, Leon Valley Police Department, San Antonio TX. 1983
  • TEXAS BASIC LAW ENFORCEMENT ACADEMY,  Alamo Area Law Enforcement Academy, San Antonio TX, 1980.
  • BASIC JAILER TRAINING, Bexar County Sheriff's Department, San Antonio TX. 1980 
  • BURGLARY INVESTIGATION,  Alamo Area Law Enforcement Academy, San Antonio TX, 1980.
  • PENAL CODE AND REPORT WRITING, Alamo Area Law Enforcement Academy, San Antonio TX, 1980.
  • BASIC COMMISSIONED SECURITY OFFICER COURSE, Alamo Area Law Enforcement Academy, San Antonio TX, 1979.
  • OFFICERS SURVIVAL COURSE, Yuma PD, YUMA AZ. 1978
  • OFFICERS SURVIVAL, San Diego County SO, San Diego Ca. 1975   
  • MILITARY POLICE SCHOOL, United States Army, Fort Gordon, Ga. 1972

Awards

Direct Police Dog Relation

  • 3RD place over all, 1ST in agility, 3rd Criminal Apprehension, 1984 Midland TX. USPCA TRAILS,K-9 REBEL
  • 2ND Place Texas Police Olympics 1984, Houston TX., K-9 REBEL
  • Sportsmanship Award, USPCA NATIONAL TRIALS, 1985 K-9 REBEL
  • 4th all around, 3rd place in agility, 1st place Criminal Apprehension,1986 Baton Rouge La. USPCA TRIALS, K-9 BO
  • K-9 Apprehension of the 3rd Quarter, United States Police Canine Association, Region 10, 1986.
  • Several letters of Commendations, for work with police K-9

PERSONAL AWARDS:

  • Four (4) times Police Officer of the Month, Leon Valley Police Department.
  • City Employee of the Quarter(Oct.83), Leon Valley Police Department.

 

Invited Speaker and Instructor

  • "Establishing the Reliability of the Narcotic Detector Dog," 
  • San Antonio Bar Association (Jan. 1994)
  • Coastal Bend Criminal Defense Attorney's Association, Corpus Christi, (Oct. 1994)
  • Texas Criminal Defense Attorney's Association, Longview, TX. (Nov.    1994)
  • Advanced Narcotic Detection and Documentation Pulaski County Sheriff's Department, Winimac In. (May 1995)
  • "A TRAINER'S POINT OF VIEW" DRUG DOGS AND THE COURTS
  • DONNA ANA COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION, CRIMINAL LAW SEMINAR (SEPTEMBER, 1995)
  • Record Keeping For the Detector Dog, National Association of Defense Investigators, San Antonio, Texas. March 5, 1997
  • Record Keeping for the Detector Dog, Arizona Public Defenders Association, Bisbee Az. June 1997
  • Lincoln County Sheriff Department Annual K-9 Seminar, February, 1999
  • Central Mississippi K9 Seminar, December 1999
  • Behavior Modification and Behavioral Analysis Principles, South Texas State University, March 2007.
  • Brown Bag CLE, Federal Public Defenders, Salt Lake City, Utah, August 2007
  • National Defense Investigators Association, Region Seminar, Scottsdale Az, September 2007
  • Federal Public Defenders, Iowa. April, 2008

 

Published Writings

  • Establishing the Reliability of the Narcotic Detector Dog "A trainer's Point of View", VOICE for the Defense, February 1995 issue.
  • Drug Dogs - Fact and Myth, The Texas Prosecutor, volume 25, number 4, September, 1995.

Court Appearances as an Expert

  1. US District Court for the Western District of Texas, (Prosecution) March, 1993
  2. US District Court for the Western District of Texas, (Defense.) August, 1993
  3. Superior Court, Shonomish County, Everett Washington.(Defense) June, 1994
  4. US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas(Defense) July, 1994
  5. Marion Municipal Court, County of Marion, Indiana. (Defense) Jan. 1995
  6. Prince George's County Circuit Court, Maryland.  (Defense) May 1995
  7. Prince George's County Circuit Court, Maryland.  (Defense) July, 1995
  8. 291st. State District Court, Dallas TX. (Defense) August, 1995
  9. 155th District Court, Austin County, TX. (Defense Capital Murder) Jan. 1996
  10. Superior Court, Spokane County, Washington.  (Defense) Feb.. 1996
  11. United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. (Defense) May 1996
  12. United States District Court for the State of Maryland, (Plaintiff) July, 1996.
  13. United States District Court Memphis TN, (Defense) November, 1996.
  14. Hamilton County Superior Court 1, Noblesville, In. (Defense) April, 1997
  15. United States District Court, Ft. Laruadale Fl. (Defense) April, 1997
  16. United States District Court, For the District of Arizona, (Defense) July, 1997
  17. State Court, Lincoln Nebraska, (Defense) August, 1997
  18. United States District Court, San Antonio Texas, August 1998, (Plaintiff)
  19. State District Court, Junction Texas, September 1998, (Plaintiff )
  20. United States District Court North District of New York, Albany New York, April 2007,
  21. United States District Court for The District of Utah Central Division, Salt Lake City, Utah, August 2007
  22. United States District Court, Boise Id, August 2007 (Defense Weapon)
  23. State of Texas 240th District Court, September 2007 (Defense Murder)
  24. United States District Court, Omaha Neb, November 2007 (Defense Narcotics)
  25. Seventh Judicial Court State of Utah, December, 2007 (Defense Narcotics)
  26. United States District Court, Macon Ga., Feb.. 2008 (Defense Narcotics)
  27. United States District Court, Dayton Ohio, Feb.. 2008 (Defense Narcotics)
  28. 268th District Court of Texas, Feb.. 2008 (Defense Agg. Robbery)
  29. 268th District Court of Texas, April 2008 (Defense Agg. Robbery)
  30. Pennington County Criminal Court, South Dakota, June 2008 (Defense Narcotics)
  31. United States District Court (Northern District of Ohio) July, 2008 (Defense Narcotics) -Telecom Appearance

(Revised July 27, 2008)

Teams Evaluated Dog Determined to be Reliable

  1. United States vs. Dave Triska (Narcotics)(Defense)(District of Kansas)(2008) Handler's testimony convincing. (Kansas State K9 Team)
  2. Ohio vs. Andrew Trick (Narcotics)(2008)(Defense)Records revealed 94% of dog's responses resulted in actual seizure of drug contraband. (Dayton Ohio, K9 Team)
  3. United States vs. Jose Gomez (2008)(Connecticut Federal Court)(Defense) Retained to review DVD of dog. On first pass dog exhibited change in behavior, followed odor, and responded without handler involvement . Advised defense dog's behavior was consistent with odor detection and correct response. Defense was advise based on the video this dog's actual find rate would likely meet or exceed 80%. Defense declined to challenge the team's performance. (Connecticut K9 Team)

(Revised July 27, 2008)

Teams Evaluated K9 Evidence not Introduced by Government

  1. United States vs. Roberts (Weapon)(2008) Northern District of Iowa
  2. Wyoming vs. Ira Tucker (Narcotics)(2008) 4th Judicial District Sheridan County
  3. Arizona vs. London (Narcotics)(2008)Phoenix Az.
  4. United States vs. Woznak (Money Laundering)(2008)(Nebraska) Retained and reviewed records, criminal charges dismissed, defendant relinquished seized money to government.
  5. California v. Salvador & Rosas (Murder)(2007) Accelerant dog used for purposes of detecting accelerates. Provided report to defense relating to team's performance. After submitting the report was advised prosecution was not going to introduce dog into evidence.(Los Angles Police Department K9 Team)
  6. Iowa vs. Sanders (Narcotics)(2007) After being court appointed charges were dismissed.

(Revised July 31, 2008)

Depositions

  • Use of Force 2 times (Plaintiff)
  • Dog Bite non-police 2 times (Plaintiff)
  • Asset Forfeiture (Plaintiff)

Professional Associations

  • Association for Behavior Analysis International
  • International Working Dog Breeding Association (IWDBA)
  • Animal Behavior Society