Military v. Civilian Crime Investigation Who's in Control? Info for Writers with Daniel Chamberlain

In this article, I'd like to introduce you to Daniel Chamberlain, who
was a Special Agent with the Department of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. Recently, he was telling me about a case (none of this is classified, I promise) which involved an Air Force asset who had been working as a double agent for nearly a decade. They were surveilling the final meeting between this guy and his handling agent in Germany. At the end of the night, he got a nasty surprise and the German government was able to roll up a fairly large network. Oh, and if you want another case, check out Jens Karney. Karney was another spy Daniel had a hand in trailing. While never friends, Daniel had dealings with him before it was discovered he was also a spy. 

And now, Daniel, you're turning your experiences into fiction. What are you working on? What genre do you enjoy writing?

Daniel -
My first two books were categorized as "Westerns," but the first was a murder mystery, and the second an historical fiction. My 3rd was my first venture into an action/adventure. Right now, I'm working on a sequel to that. I don't want to get fenced into a particular genre.

Fiona -
Can you tell us a little bit about your job in the Air Force and how your experience influences your writing? Or does it?

Daniel - 
Prior to the Air Force, I was a street cop. After entering the Air Force, I was recruited into the Office of Special Investigations following a fairly brutal crime scene where some of the agents had an opportunity to watch me work. A few days later, I was summoned to the detachment and asked if I'd consider a cross train. I worked a lot of drugs and crimes against persons, but my heart was really in larger crimes, espionage, black marketing and things like that.

Fiona - 
Does this influence how you write scenes in your books?

Daniel -
I'm a very visually oriented person. At the same time, I'm very observant. I want my scenes to be imaginatively stimulating as if I'm looking at the scene that very moment. I also insist on authenticity. I won't make a mistake about a weapon, or piece of equipment, or for that matter, an investigative technique. Nothing can be imaginary. It has to exist and I have to know how to use it. 

Fiona -
You fit right in here on ThrillWriting - we are writers who strive to write it right and readers who like to be entertained and also learn cool new stuff (that's the technical term) from the books they choose.

How were you trained to enter a scene? As an investigator can you take us through the steps and thought processes?

Daniel - 
A scene - as in crime scene - may have defined borders, but initially you may not know this. You have to enter from the spot it was discovered, or as closely as you can. I stop and do an overall scan to get a sense of the scene, then I move closer to my point of observation, mentally marking anything that may be of evidentiary value, what I might want photographs of later. I decide what track I'll use when entering, because nothing irritates me more than someone who blunders into a scene and steps on things that could be evidence. (Read more about that and Locard's Exchange Principle HERE)

After I decide the route I'll use to enter, I do so, slowly and with great deliberation. Even a fleck of blood is evidence.

I once had an agent step into a death scene and accidentally kick an expended bullet that had gone through the victim's head, bounced off the ceiling and lay on the floor at the entrance to the apartment.

Fiona - 
You mentioned kicking a spent bullet case. What other things might you be on the lookout for? How do you decide that something is significant?

Daniel - 
Ah, everything has the potential to be significant. I didn't work this case, but OSI had a murder involving a Non-Commissioned Officer in base housing. He was bludgeoned on his patio. The case agent swept the patio with a vacuum. In the bag, they found a grasshopper with one broken leg. Later, once they'd identified a suspect, a search of his room involved taking his clothing that he'd worn that day. In the cuff of his pants, they found the broken leg of the grasshopper!

Often, one doesn't know initially what will be significant and what won't. So, you take way more than you need to, and sort it out later.

Fiona - 
Very cool story.

You worked in public arena and in the military dealing with criminal activity. Here at ThrillWriting, we're trying to help writers write it right. Are there any differences writers need to be fined tuned about -- differences in how crimes are handled by these two entities?

Daniel -
I think the biggest difference isn't so much how things are done technically, but what resources are available to various departments. 

If you watch CSI, you get a very false idea of how crimes are processed in major departments. It's exciting and thrilling, and nothing could be further from the truth. 

Crime scene processors, or criminalists are methodical people who gather evidence, bag it, tag it and the majority of it is sent to a crime lab for inspection and analysis. That's not to say major departments don't have labs at their disposal, but many departments across the country rely on contract labs, or the FBI. The military has some very good crime labs as well, but in many cases we send our stuff to the FBI. Regardless, very little of it is thrilling.

Fiona - 
When is the military investigator the one who covers the crime and when is it a public investigator?

Daniel - 
Jurisdiction is determined using several factors. 

• If the victim is involved with the Department of Defense, and the likelihood the perpetrator is as well, but the crime occurs off base, then it's a joint venture. 
• If the crime occurs on base, it's the military's purview. Many of my investigations occurred off base, particularly the espionage investigations, black marketing and fraud. In these instances, we briefed the cases to the US Attorney, and if they wanted to exercise control, we'd bring in the FBI.

Fiona - 
What if you cross catch the bad guy? The military catches a civilian or vice versa, is there a hand over? How does that work?

Daniel -
A lot depends on what crime has been committed. But, we cannot prosecute a civilian for a crime against persons. We must brief the case to a civilian prosecutor. If the bad guy has been apprehended, then he's turned over to a civilian authority with the appropriate jurisdiction. Any crime that occurs on a military base, is a Federal crime and depending on the severity, the FBI gets first shot at seeking prosecution. On the other hand, we often investigate civilian entities independently of the FBI when there is a service connection, such as contractor fraud or espionage.

Fiona - 
If it's a military arrest is the brig (vocab?) like a jail house?

Daniel - 
The Air Force calls it a "Detention Facility." I don't now about the other branches. There are military and federal prisons...but that comes later.

The detention facility functions like a jail in terms of processing prisoners.

Fiona - 

When you read accounts in books or see them on TV or in the movies, what do writers do that make you throw your hands in the air and scream?

Daniel - Where do I start? 

For one, the use of weapons, while technically correct, tends to be fanciful. A whole lot of missing goes on in real life. I want to throw something at the television when I watch the investigator moving from room to room and apparently deliberately ignoring the very closet the bad guy will come out of and knock them on the head! 

Speaking of knocking people on the head, that gets way over used in Hollywood. Knocking someone on the head hard enough to knock them out, will more times than not, result in a brain bleed!

On my web site, daniel-chamberlain.com, I have several essays on death scenes, violence, firearms nomenclature and capabilities, aimed at writers who don't have any experience in those areas.

Also, I hate the Bourne movies where it appears the CIA has every surveillance camera in the world patched into their command center
It's total bull crap! They want you to believe there's a bustling command center monitoring every terrorist hot spot in the world. Total fantasy.

Fiona - 
Wait! You mean that stuff's not true????

So let's go to something that is true. It's a tradition on ThrillWriting that we ask the story behind your favorite scar. Will you indulge us?

Daniel - 

One evening, I was talking to a member of the Ojibwa nation named Ray, and he noticed a scar on my right wrist. He asked me where I got it. I told him I’d received it in a fight with a drunk driver suspect. Ray asked, “Did you win?” I replied, “Well, I got the handcuffs on him and took him to jail, so I suppose you could say I won.” Ray thought for a moment, and then asked, “Does he have a scar?” I smiled, “No, Ray, I don’t think he does.” Ray nodded. After a few seconds he said, “You lost.” “How do you figure that, Ray?” I asked. “For the rest of your life, you’ll remember his name. But he can forget he ever knew you.” Ray’s wisdom was soon forgotten. Then, about 20 years later, I encountered the man who I’d arrested and said,” How are you Merlin?” He looked at me for a moment, and asked, “Do I know you?”

Fiona - 
So good. Thank you for sharing.

So tell me about one of your books. What about that story was compelling to you?

Daniel - 
My latest and it's a thriller/mystery with totally authentic tradecraft. A little Jason Bourne but with a real smart ass for a protagonist, rather than a brooding Matt Damon. 

Amazon Link

Fiona - 
We love authentic tradecraft! And my gosh - your cover! It's beautiful.

Daniel - 
The story revolves around an organization that was ended at the close of WWII, but resurrected under Reagan (fiction)







You can stay in touch with Daniel on Facebook. 

As always, a big thank you ThrillWriters and readers for stopping by. Thank you, too, for your support. When you buy my books, you make it possible for me to continue to bring you helpful articles and keep ThrillWriting free and accessible to all.

Special Agents and the FBI: Info for Writers with Dana Ridenour

ThrillWriting welcomes special agent, retired, Dana Ridenour.

Fiona - 

Would you tell us about how you found yourself in the role of special agent for the FBI?

Dana - 
It all started on a band trip when I was a sophomore in high school. Our band went to Washington, DC for a competition and part of our trip included a tour of the FBI Headquarters. I left the tour and told everyone that I was going to be an FBI agent. I was 15 years old. 

As far as my background, I was born in Louisville, Kentucky. After graduating from Meade County High School in 1984, I attended the University of Kentucky. After two years at the University of Kentucky, I changed my major to Police Administration and transferred to Eastern Kentucky University where I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in 1989. I wanted to become an FBI agent more than anything, but at the time the FBI was primarily only hiring lawyers and accountants. So, after college, I attended Chase College of Law and earned my Juris Doctor in 1992. 

The federal job hiring freeze hit in 1992 and lasted until 1995. I took and passed the SC Bar Exam and practiced law at a small law firm in Georgetown, SC. I was hired as a special agent for the FBI in November of 1995.

Fiona - 
Can you tell us the basic qualifications for serving as a special agent?

Dana - 
To be considered for an FBI Special Agent position, a candidate must have a four year college degree, be between the ages of 23-37, and have some work experience. 

The average age of the agents in the FBI Academy is about 29, so the Bureau rarely hires people right out of college. 

A candidate must fall into one of the five FBI Special Agent Entry Programs to be eligible for employment: 

• Language 
• Law
• Accounting
• Computer Science/Information Technology
• Diversified.

Fiona -
Have you read books or watched movies and thought - "No that isn't right at all!"? What are the biggest mistakes you've seen and how should we fix them?

Dana - 
The FBI is hardly ever portrayed factually in novels, television, or movies. I think the biggest mistake is making the FBI look like it has all of this outstanding technology. 

The FBI is always behind on technology. I remember when I arrived at my first office from the FBI Academy and took one look at the antiquated Dell computer sitting on my desk, I thought to myself, Is this a joke? This can't really be my computer. 

The other HUGE mistake that the movies and television make is having the FBI swoop in take over their local cases. That simply does not happen. The FBI stays busy with federal cases, so the Bureau does not take over homicide cases like portrayed on TV. If a case is found to fall into federal jurisdiction, then the FBI does take over the case as in cases of terrorism both domestic and international. Police departments will sometime ask for FBI assistance with cases, but the FBI does not take their case when that happens. The FBI assists with whatever the local or state department needs, then allows that department to prosecute the case however they chose.

As far as fixing the problem, they should hire me as a consultant!

Fiona - 
Yes they should! 

ThrillWriting is a big proponent of hands-on experience to write it right, but sometimes that's just impossible.

Dana -
In all seriousness, they should hire more retired agents as consultants to give the shows more authenticity. I think most people would get bored watching FBI agents sitting at a desk doing paperwork which is reality.

And talking to an expert is the best way around this.

Fiona - 
Dana, how much of the time were you in the field and when you were in the field can you talk about your clothing choices? Did you ever try to run down a bad guy in strappy heels and a Greek-draped dress?

Dana - LOL

I consider myself extremely lucky because I spent my entire twenty years working on the criminal side of the house. During my twenty years on the job I was assigned to four different FBI Field Divisions and had the opportunity to work a wide variety of cases to include multi faceted narcotics investigations, domestic sex trafficking of minors, and violent crime. 

Working primarily on drug and violent crime squads, I almost always dressed in jeans and baggy shirts that I could conceal my weapon under. I had to be ready to run at a moments notice, so I avoided stilettos. On the rare occasions that I did dress up for court appearances and such, I had a change of clothes in my Bureau car. I never went anywhere without a change of clothes. 

My first office was Mobile, Alabama, so you never knew when you might be chasing someone through the swamps and get all wet and dirty. One of the first things that I did when I retired was get rid of all my oversized shirts. I had Columbia shirts in every color and I was happy to donate every one of them to Goodwill.

Fiona -
What equipment was part of your EDC (every day carry)? Which piece of EDC did you use the most/find most helpful?

Dana - 
I never walked out the door without my FBI credentials, badge, gun, and handcuffs. 

There is a joke in the Bureau that when you leave the house you do the law enforcement pat down on yourself. You check your pockets and waist for your badge, gun, creds, and Bureau car keys. 

Although I never had to shoot anyone, working mostly drug matters, the gun was my most helpful piece of equipment. I probably used a small flashlight more than any other piece of equipment that I owned. A pocket-sized flashlight is a great piece of equipment. 

I spent about half of my career as an undercover agent which is a whole different ballgame. When I was working undercover, I didn't carry my gun, badge or credentials. In fact, I didn't carry any kind of identification that had my real name on it. I dressed for whatever my role deemed necessary. During the days when I worked undercover infiltrating the animal rights extremists, I was vegan which meant that I didn't wear any leather products. I wore a lot of hemp and canvas in those days.

Fiona - 

Tell me about being a woman in the bureau - did you get to do interesting assignments that your colleagues didn't because of your gender? Twenty years to now - what do you see as changing (if anything) for women in the field?

Dana - 
I get asked the female question a lot. I can honestly say that I was never treated any differently because I was a woman. I was lucky to land on squads with fantastic people. Most of the time I was the only female on my squad. I'm not easily offended which made me able be blend with my squad-mates and be "one of the guys". 

I think some women have trouble with this concept, but for me it was easy. I didn't want special treatment because I was a female. I think my male squad-mates appreciated the fact that I tried hard to fit in and not be judgmental. 

My first undercover role came about because I was a woman. I was the only female on a drug squad and DEA needed a female undercover. They didn't have a female in their office, so they asked to borrow one from FBI. I had never done any kind of undercover work, but the case was fairly short term and only required a few meets. The case targeted a medical doctor who was trading prescriptions for sex. The case was a success and I became addicted to undercover work. That was the case that made me want to apply for the FBI undercover program. 

The number of women in the FBI is growing steadily. I was fortunate to be able to return to the FBI Academy at the end of my career and take two different classes through the training program acting as their class counselor. The counselor position required me to live in the dorm with my class and be with them from the first day of class to their graduation day, a five month program. I did this two different times in the last year of my career and it was so rewarding. I had a chance to get to know the future of the FBI both men and women. I can testify that we are in good hands. 

The future of the FBI is bright. The young men and women who make up the new Bureau are bright, talented, and dedicated. I think we will see more women in FBI management in the future. I'm looking forward to the day when we have a female FBI director. I wonder if it will be one of the talented women who I mentored in the Academy.

Fiona - 
Here on ThrillWriting, we always ask about the story behind your favorite scar; would you indulge us?

Dana - 
Of course...

This might sound a little strange but my favorite scar comes from an eyebrow piercing that I had done when I was working undercover. I was preparing for my first long term, deep cover case and my alias was actually ten years younger than my true age. 

Most of the people in the group that I was trying to infiltrate were young and covered with tattoos and piercings. When I finished the investigation I had my right eyebrow pierced, my bellybutton pierced each ear pierced three times. Toward the end of the investigation an asshole SAC (I’m retired so I no longer play nice) saw my eyebrow piercing at a mandatory all agents conference. Even though he knew that I was a full time undercover agent, he insisted that I remove the eyebrow jewelry that basically left a hole in my forehead for a couple of weeks. I can cover the scar with make-up but my right eyebrow droops just a little because of having the piercing. I was probably too old to have my eyebrow pierced to in the first place. 

On my second long term, deep cover case I ended up getting a couple tattoos to better blend in with my targets. I wouldn’t classify them as scars, but they are pretty permanent. All in the name of undercover work.

I wouldn't trade any of the scars because working undercover was the highlight of my twenty year career.

Fiona - 

Getting tattooed for the job is pretty strong method acting! It shows an incredible dedication to your job.

Earlier, we talked about writing FBI characters/plotting correctly. To that end, I wanted to bring up your new book.

Amazon Link

Can you talk a bit about your novel?

Dana - 
You build relationships to betray relationships. That is the motto for the FBI’s undercover program, and special agent Lexie Montgomery is just beginning to understand what that means. 

Lexie’s first assignment is infiltrating a radical cell of the Animal Liberation Front. Underground and operating in splinter groups throughout Los Angeles, the only way in is through Savannah Riley, a new recruit. Savannah left the safety of her small southern town for the bright lights of the city. Pulled into the animal rights movement by her college roommate and a gorgeous anarchist, she sinks deeper and deeper into the dark, paranoid world of ALF extremists. As the actions of her cell escalate beyond simple demonstrations and graffiti, Savannah turns to Lexie to keep her grounded. But as the two women grow closer and the FBI’s case builds, Lexie is forced to decide what betrayal really means.

Fiona - 

Does this come from the animal rights undercover you spoke of earlier?

Dana - 
I didn’t want to write a run of the mill FBI novel. I wanted to use my personal experiences as an undercover agent to capture the psychological toll that underwork has on an agent. When an agent works long term, deep cover investigations, he or she is changed at the end of the case. You lose a little piece of yourself with every long term case.

I spent most of my career as an FBI agent working undercover. I spent several years infiltrating domestic terrorism cells, many like the ones portrayed in the novel. The novel is based loosely on real cases and real people. My mother encouraged me to keep a journal when I became an FBI Agent. I started keeping a journal when I began working undercover. I kept the journal hidden in the ceiling panels of my undercover apartment. As I worked, I documented feelings and experiences along the way. These journals were a big part of formulating my Lexie character.

Fiona - 

So this novel would be excellent background research if you're writing FBI characters.

Writers - if you have brief questions about the FBI, Dana says you can contact her. She likes to support her fellow writers.  Here are some ways you can stay in touch with her:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• Website

Thank you so much Dana!
As always, a big thank you ThrillWriters and readers for stopping by. Thank you, too, for your support. When you buy my books, you make it possible for me to continue to bring you 
helpful articles and keep ThrillWriting free and accessible to all.