John P. Crimmins retired after 25 years of service with the Chesapeake, VA police department. During his career John spent 12 years as a criminal investigator, three years in the Crimes Against Property Section and nine years in the Crimes Against Persons Section. Realizing that the ability to effectively illicit information from reluctant witnesses and suspects was the key to a successful criminal investigation, he dedicated himself to learning and mastering the art of interview and interrogation. Recognized as an expert, John was selected by his agency to assist the Secret Service should a criminal incident occur during a campaign visit by former President Barack Obama.
After 12 years as a criminal investigator, John was promoted to the rank of sergeant and returned to uniform patrol. Recognizing that it is easier to obtain a confession soon after an incident has occurred and before a suspect has been able to develop a coherent “story,” John trained his squad in the interview/interrogation techniques he developed. The confession rate increased resulting in an unprecedent number of case clearances for the City of Chesapeake Police Department.
John has taught counter-terrorism and intelligence gathering processes to police officers in the U.S., Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Chad, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Cameroon, Central Africa Republic and Niger. Additionally, he has imbedded with law enforcement officers in Cameroon, Burkina Faso and Chad to train them in various law enforcement techniques including, but not limited to, interview and interrogation. Present during the twin bombing terrorist attacks in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso on March 2, 2018 John advised both the Burkina Faso National Police and the Gendarmerie in techniques to utilize during the interview and interrogation of witnesses and suspects.
John taught interview and interrogation, criminal investigation, officer survival and defensive tactics courses, as a collateral duty, at the Chesapeake, VA Police Academy for 20 years. Additionally, John was an Adjunct Instructor in the Department of Sociology and Criminology at Old Dominion University, in Norfolk, VA for 13 years.
John has received training in the Reid Interview and Interrogation technique, the Wicklander – Zulaski Interview and Interrogation technique, FBI Interview and Interrogation techniques, crime scene investigation, homicide investigation and robbery investigation. John has a Bachelors’ of Science Degree in Law Enforcement from George Mason University, in Fairfax, VA and a Masters’ Degree in Public Administration from Old Dominion University, in Norfolk, VA.
