Nearly 40 law enforcement officers, prosecutors, U.S. Marshals, and Pardon and Parole officers gathered at the Little River Canyon Center in Fort Payne for a day-long training session on the Alabama Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (ASORNA). The training was sponsored by District Attorney Mike O’Dell, Cherokee County Sheriff Jeff Shaver, and Dekalb County Sheriff Jimmy Harris, with topics including a Brief Overview of the Legislation, Search and Seizure, U.S. Marshal Involvement, and Internet Resources to locate Absconders.
“This training represented the most detailed and concentrated training to date on SORNA,” District Attorney Mike O’Dell stated. “Clearly, with the ever-increasing problems of sexual predators in our communities, we felt that it was essential to provide area law enforcement with the most up-to-date training available.”
According to O’Dell, training sessions were conducted by Trisha Mellberg, Sex Offender Resource Prosecutor; Beau Brown, also a prosecutor; and Mike Trotter, Sex Offender Law Enforcement Liaison, all from the Office of Prosecution Services in Montgomery, and Senior Inspector James Nolan from the U.S. Marshals Service. The cost of the training was split among the three agencies sponsoring the training. Lunch was provided on-site for all the participants.
“The cooperative spirit that exists among our agencies enables us to accomplish a great deal for our circuit,” O’Dell pointed out. “When a particular need arises, we are able to communicate with each other and seek to address the issue. We have a tremendous working relationship which makes all our jobs much easier and increases our effectiveness.”
“I believe both Sheriff Harris and Sheriff Shaver were pleased with the scope and depth of the training that was provided. The information shared was certainly very useful for every agency that participated, including attendees from Talladega and Marshall Counties. Our hope is to continue these joint training opportunities which enable each of us to maximize our separate training budgets,” O’Dell said.
