Derden Consulting provides America's Law Enforcement Officers good policy advice, training to make real-time decisions in the field, and how to document actions with well-written reports.

Officers and deputies engaging in high liability LE operations need well-written policy and good training in order to make critical decisions in the field, often under stress and during tense circumstances. Those good decisions then need to be documented in well-written reports and narratives.

Developing policy, training, and report writing skills is key to not only their personal success, but in limiting an agency’s liability.

Drawing on his many years of acting as an in-house legal counsel for police departments and sheriff offices, Terry helps officers avoid mistakes that can lead to unnecessary lawsuits. Terry's training mixes case law with real world examples and operational theory that deputies and officers can rely on to make responsible decisions in the field.

Terry’s primary focus is assisting police departments and sheriff’s offices of all sizes to draft, understand, and deploy effective policy and procedures in order to limit liability exposure.  Terry regularly works with departments to draft "culture-centric" policies for all areas of police operations.  Terry is also passionate about what can be done to reduce the problem of alcohol and drug use and abuse in the youth of America.  

Terry regularly presents at conferences all over the United States. His national conference topics include:

• “QUALIFIED IMMUNITY: Reality of QI in Today’s World for Police Executives and Command”

• "USE OF FORCE: The Balance of Reasonableness"

• "BODY CAMERA POLICY: The Tent-Poles Every Department Needs"

• "WINNING USE OF FORCE LAWSUITS: The Real Cost of Settling"

• "THE FOURTH AMENDMENT: Search & Seizure of Persons, Homes & Vehicles"

• “CITY ORDINANCES AIMED AT REDUCING UNDERAGE ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION"

• "VIDEO RETENTION, PUBLIC RELEASE & DISCOVERY: SOLUTIONS FROM LESSONS LEARNED"

• "REQUESTS AND REVIEWS: WHO GETS BODY CAM FOOTAGE AND WHEN?"

• "LEGAL ISSUES FOR BODY CAMERAS: UNDERSTANDING INSIDE & OUTSIDE THE DEPARTMENT"

• "UNDERSTANDING VICTIM-BASED VISAS IN IMMIGRATION FOR COMMAND STAFF"

Terry is also available for half day or full day in-house police department or sheriff office training on the following topics:

• Use of Force Decision-Making, Report Writing, Issues and Solutions

• Fourth Amendment / Search & Seizure Issues for Persons, Homes and Vehicles

• Miranda / 6th Amendment Legal Issues

• Leading a Department From Within Using Effective Policies and Procedures

• Body Camera Policy and Procedure WorkShop for Command Staff

• Public Record Request, Retention & Management

• Discovery and Retention for Body Worn Camera / Digital Evidence

• Reducing Underage Alcohol Consumption and Lessons Learned as a Prosecutor

• Search & Seizure Considerations for Party Patrol, Shoulder Tap & Other Interdiction Ops