Patrick J. Zirpoli

“Throughout history, it has been the inaction of those who could have acted; the indifference of those who should have known better; the silence of the voice of justice when it mattered most; that has made it possible for evil to triumph.” -Haile Selassie

Law Enforcement Background

With 22 years of experience, I was employed by the Pennsylvania State Police from 1992 to 2015, retiring at the position of Corporal. Working primarily in criminal investigation, I specialized in homicide investigation, cold case homicide investigation, child abduction, child abuse and missing persons. My last duty assignment was as the Unit Supervisor of the Pennsylvania State Police Criminal Investigation Assessment Unit. I was responsible for the coordination of a state-wide Criminal Investigation Assessment Unit, specializing in crimes of a violent or serial nature, participating in the investigation and analysis of crime assessments relating to homicides, suspicious and equivocal deaths on a state-wide basis. I was also responsible for coordinating cold case homicide investigations across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
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Alongside my duty assignment, I also acted as the coordinator for the Pennsylvania Amber Alert and Missing Endangered Persons Advisory System, during which time I participated in numerous child abduction cases throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Due to my extensive experience, I served on several committees during my time with the Pennsylvania State Police, including:

• Pennsylvania Child Death Review Team
• PA Attorney Generals Medical/Legal Advisory Board on Child Abuse
• PA Attorney Generals Medical/Legal Advisory Board on Elder Abuse
• Child Protective Service Law sponsor team
• Children’s Advocacy Center Advisory Committee
• Wayne County Multi-Disciplinary Task Force

Expertise

Due to my experience and background, I have been called to testify as a subject-matter expert in numerous fields, such as Crime Scene Assessment, Crime Scene Staging, Child Abuse and Sexual Assault, and provided expert testimony to the Pennsylvania Task Force on Child Protection which was commissioned following the Sandusky investigation.
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I have developed considerable expertise in the fields of:

• Crime Scene Assessment
• Criminal Behavior
• Homicide Investigation
• Equivocal Death Analysis
• Cold Case Homicide Investigation
• Child Abduction
• Child Abuse
• Interview and Interrogation
• Sexual Assault Investigation

Teaching

Along with my experience in the field, I served as the Training Coordinator for the Criminal Investigation Assessment Unit, having the opportunity to create multiple courses in various subjects including:

• Crime Assessment
• Homicide Investigation
• Equivocal Death Analysis
• Cold Case Homicide Investigation
• Child Death Investigation
• Sexual Assault Investigation
• Amber Alert/Child Abduction
• Missing and Endangered Persons Investigations
• The Prison Rape Elimination Act

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I have taught courses to law enforcement agencies and related groups throughout the United States and internationally in the following positions:

• Rape and child sexual assault training. Participated in a televised training seminar, representing the Pennsylvania State Police
• Instructor for the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency speaking on child sexual assault
• Instructor for the Pennsylvania State Police Criminal Investigation Assessment Unit, including Amber Alert, Sexual Assault and Criminal Behavior
• Instructor for the Wayne County Domestic Violence Task Force
• Previously employed as an Adjunct Professor with Lackawanna College, teaching criminal justice courses to freshman and sophomore students
• Guest lecturer for the FBI National Academy (Violent Crime Seminar) as well as a lecturer at numerous professional conferences including Coroners Conferences and Law Enforcement Conferences throughout the United States
• Presenter at the American Academy of Forensic Science
• Instructed in Guyana on Child Abuse and Domestic Violence for the US State Department
• Primary Instructor for the Sherry Black Foundation, Salt Lake City, Utah

Auditing Experience

Due to my experience with sexual abuse and rape cases, along with my understanding that those who are subject to rape or sexual abuse within our correctional system are just as much victims as those whom are not, I decided to use my experience and knowledge to help create a safe environment for those individuals incarcerated within the walls of correctional facilities and community confinements. I have since become a certified auditor through the Department of Justice for the Prison Rape Elimination Act and conduct audits, as well as provide training and consultation to adult correctional facilities.
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I have provided the following services:

• PREA Investigators Training at Pennsylvania Department of Corrections Academy
• Instructed for PADOC on PREA related topics throughout Pennsylvania
• Conducted PREA audits in Prisons, Jails, Community Corrections Centers, and Treatment Facilities throughout Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland Oklahoma, Florida, New Hampshire, and Delaware. I currently hold contracts with Oklahoma Department of Corrections, New Hampshire Department of Corrections, Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, multiple county jails, and private community corrections agencies.
• PREA Investigators Training provided for the Pennsylvania Prison Wardens Association

I continue to travel nationally providing law enforcement-based training and case assessments. These trainings and assessments are conducted both privately and through the Sherry Black Foundation.
I am a licensed Private Investigator in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and provide discreet and confidential services in areas of my expertise.