Seminar Title
Arrest, Search and Seizure: Constitutional Issues Impacting Law Enforcement Operations
Dates of Events
10/20/2026 through 10/21/2026
Last Updated: 09/15/2026
Instructor(s): Michael J Fallon
Location: Goodyear Police Department - 11 N. 145th Avenue, Goodyear, AZ 85338
Hotel: SpringHill Suites by Marriott Phoenix Goodyear - 1370 North Bullard Avenue, Goodyear, AZ 85338
Course Registration Fee: $325
Instructor Bio
Michael J Fallon
Mike Fallon is a legal/law enforcement consultant who retired from the Providence (RI) Police Department (PPD) in 2024 with over 25 years of experience. He is also graduated with a Juris Doctorate (2025) from the University of Massachusetts School of Law.
Mike’s law degree and law enforcement experience as an investigator, supervisor, trainer and leader provide him with first-hand experience in many of the critical areas of public safety, legal and liability issues, and law enforcement training. He has served as an instructor at several police recruit training academies, as well as Roger Williams University’s Justice System Training & Research Institute and the New England Institute of Technology Criminal Justice program. Mike retired at the rank of Lieutenant, where he served as the Director of the PPD’s Training Bureau for a department of 450+ officers, as well as the Director of Recruit Basic Training, for five years. He also served as a District Commander, Shift Commander, Administrative Hearing Officer, Field Training Director, Major Crimes investigator, and FBI-trained Hostage/Crisis Negotiator. Mike also holds numerous training, instructor, and specialized certifications.
In addition to his law degree, Mike attained his Master of Criminal Justice (MCJ) from Boston University, his Bachelor of Science (BS) in Criminal Justice from Roger Williams University, and his Political Science degree (BA) from the College of the Holy Cross.
Mike Fallon is a legal/law enforcement consultant who retired from the Providence (RI) Police Department (PPD) in 2024 with over 25 years of experience. He is also graduated with a Juris Doctorate (2025) from the University of Massachusetts School of Law.
Mike’s law degree and law enforcement experience as an investigator, supervisor, trainer and leader provide him with first-hand experience in many of the critical areas of public safety, legal and liability issues, and law enforcement training. He has served as an instructor at several police recruit training academies, as well as Roger Williams University’s Justice System Training & Research Institute and the New England Institute of Technology Criminal Justice program. Mike retired at the rank of Lieutenant, where he served as the Director of the PPD’s Training Bureau for a department of 450+ officers, as well as the Director of Recruit Basic Training, for five years. He also served as a District Commander, Shift Commander, Administrative Hearing Officer, Field Training Director, Major Crimes investigator, and FBI-trained Hostage/Crisis Negotiator. Mike also holds numerous training, instructor, and specialized certifications.
In addition to his law degree, Mike attained his Master of Criminal Justice (MCJ) from Boston University, his Bachelor of Science (BS) in Criminal Justice from Roger Williams University, and his Political Science degree (BA) from the College of the Holy Cross.
Course Objectives
Course Overview:
Law enforcement officers are often highly skilled in tactical and technical areas (e.g., forced entry, defensive tactics, firearms), but those skills are only lawful and effective if applied within the boundaries of constitutional law.
This course equips officers and supervisors with the legal knowledge and decision-making framework necessary to ensure that arrests, searches, seizures, and related law enforcement actions are both effective and constitutionally sound.
It emphasizes recent Supreme Court rulings, federal and state case law, and evolving legal standards that directly impact day-to-day operations
Course Objectives
Arrest
Understanding probable cause as the foundation of all arrests
Distinguishing public arrests vs. arrests in vehicles vs. residences
Search Incident to Arrest
Components and scope of lawful searches incident to arrest
Impact of the most recent Supreme Court decisions in defining permissible boundaries
Use of Force in Stops and Arrests
Review of national legal trends on use of force
Balancing officer safety with constitutional rights during stops and custodial arrests
Strip Searches
Defining when strip searches are legally permissible
Avoiding constitutional violations that may result in liability
Property Seizure
Rules on seizing property during investigations
When officers can seize property possessed by others
Proper legal disposition of seized property
Home Entries
Legal mechanisms for entry into dwellings or private property
Topics include:
Search and arrest warrants o Exigent circumstances
Consent searches o Plain view doctrine in a home
Protective sweeps o Third-party privacy rights
Knock vs. no-knock entries o Legal issues surrounding crime scenes
Plain View
Practical exercises on applying the plain view doctrine
When evidence or contraband may be seized without a warrant
Motor Vehicle Searches
Legal frameworks for common vehicle search scenarios, including:
Ordering occupants out o Reasonable suspicion-based searches
Probable cause-based searches o Search incident to arrest within a vehicle
Consent searches o Canine sniffs
Identification Procedures
Legal standards for lineups, photo arrays, and show ups
Understanding how flawed procedures can jeopardize prosecutions
Questioning and Miranda
Review of Miranda v. Arizona foundations
Impact of recent case law on custodial questioning and admissibility of statements
This course equips officers and supervisors with the legal knowledge and decision-making framework necessary to ensure that arrests, searches, seizures, and related law enforcement actions are both effective and constitutionally sound.
It emphasizes recent Supreme Court rulings, federal and state case law, and evolving legal standards that directly impact day-to-day operations
Course Objectives
Arrest
Understanding probable cause as the foundation of all arrests
Distinguishing public arrests vs. arrests in vehicles vs. residences
Search Incident to Arrest
Components and scope of lawful searches incident to arrest
Impact of the most recent Supreme Court decisions in defining permissible boundaries
Use of Force in Stops and Arrests
Review of national legal trends on use of force
Balancing officer safety with constitutional rights during stops and custodial arrests
Strip Searches
Defining when strip searches are legally permissible
Avoiding constitutional violations that may result in liability
Property Seizure
Rules on seizing property during investigations
When officers can seize property possessed by others
Proper legal disposition of seized property
Home Entries
Legal mechanisms for entry into dwellings or private property
Topics include:
Search and arrest warrants o Exigent circumstances
Consent searches o Plain view doctrine in a home
Protective sweeps o Third-party privacy rights
Knock vs. no-knock entries o Legal issues surrounding crime scenes
Plain View
Practical exercises on applying the plain view doctrine
When evidence or contraband may be seized without a warrant
Motor Vehicle Searches
Legal frameworks for common vehicle search scenarios, including:
Ordering occupants out o Reasonable suspicion-based searches
Probable cause-based searches o Search incident to arrest within a vehicle
Consent searches o Canine sniffs
Identification Procedures
Legal standards for lineups, photo arrays, and show ups
Understanding how flawed procedures can jeopardize prosecutions
Questioning and Miranda
Review of Miranda v. Arizona foundations
Impact of recent case law on custodial questioning and admissibility of statements