NLECTC Northwest Staff

Phone: 866-569-2969
E-mail: nlectc_nw@ctsc.net

Robert (Bob) Griffiths, Director

Bob Griffiths is a retired law enforcement officer with 25 years experience in the field. During his law enforcement career he served federal, county and municipal agencies in two states, as Patrol Officer, Detective, Supervisor and Commander. For over four years, Bob served as the Manager of the Municipality of Anchorage (Alaska) Emergency Communications Center. There, he oversaw significant technology projects, including Radio system, Computer Aided Dispatch, 9-1-1 telephone system and Records management system upgrades or replacements. Before retiring, Bob also directed his agency's Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Program and became involved in Alaska's Intelligent Transportation Systems initiative.

Bob has extensive investigative and forensic evidence gathering experience, as a member of Anchorage's Major Crime Response Team, using laser, chemical, and other high technology techniques. Much of this field experience was in Alaska where he dealt with, long distances, harsh weather, bitter cold and other challenges. He is involved with NLECTC-Northwest projects addressing harsh weather policing and providing support to agencies in the area of emergency communications.

Mr. Griffiths is a graduate of Northwestern University's School of Police Staff and Command. He holds a Bachelors of Science in Criminology from Southern Oregon University and a Master of Science in Business Management from the University of LaVerne, California.

Bruce Richter, Deputy Director

Bruce Richter first came to Alaska with the U.S. Army and graduated from Northern Warfare School at Ft. Greely's cold weather training facility. After completing his military service, Bruce began his law enforcement career in 1978 as a National Park Ranger on a remote island in Lake Superior. He gained firsthand experience with the challenges of long distances and harsh weather as a backcountry ranger in Olympic and Denali National Parks. Bruce later joined the Anchorage (Alaska) Police Department and served as a SWAT team leader. In his free time he climbed Mt. McKinley, and won two medals in Judo at the International Police Olympics in Australia. He is now retired from the Anchorage Police department where he served 10 years as a commander.

Bruce has extensive critical incident management experience as a patrol and community service division commander with responsibility for the K-9, SWAT and crisis negotiation teams. He commanded an interagency Explosive Ordinance Disposal team composed of public safety officers from Ted Stevens International Airport, Anchorage FBI field office agents, and detectives and officers from the Anchorage Police Department. Bruce worked with the United States Secret Service and the State Department Bureau of Diplomatic Security to facilitate visits of US presidents and foreign heads of State. Bruce also commanded the technical services support division and gained first hand experience with the challenges and opportunities of integrating technology improvements into forensics, communications and criminal justice agency information systems.

Bruce earned Bachelor and Master of Science degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has an MBA from Alaska Pacific University. Bruce is also an adjunct faculty member at the Justice Center of the University of Alaska - Anchorage, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Justice. Bruce is a graduate of the Senior Management Institute for Police conducted by the Police Executive Research Forum, as well as the Southern Police Institute Administrative Officer's Course at the University of Louisville.

Max Andrews, Program Manager

Max Andrews, a lifetime Alaskan, brought a wealth of business, accounting and computer experience with her when she joined NLECTC-NW in May of 2002. Initially hired as an administrative specialist, Max quickly accepted responsibility for a number of projects and is now a program manager.

Recently, Max took on the task of facilitating the Alaska Association of Chiefs of Police in their effort to deploy a COPLINK node in Alaska. When completed, this will be the first such statewide link of police databases in the United States. Max also provides technical and design expertise to several law enforcement related web sites, including the Alaska Association of Chiefs of Police, the Alaska Property Recovery Association, and the Alaska Peace Officer's Memorial.

She keeps abreast of current issues involving law enforcement through her participation as treasurer for the Anchorage Chapter of the Alaska Peace Officer's Association and through her membership in the Alaska Association of Chiefs of Police and the International Association of Chiefs of Police. Max was very involved in the planning and organization of the 2003 Alaska Peace Officer Association Crime Conference.

Max has been active in efforts to employ technology to reduce property crime. She has been involved in the activities of the Alaska Property Recovery Association and currently oversees the related PawnTech software project.

She is also very committed to technology-assisted law enforcement training efforts. She is responsible for the testing and evaluation of distance learning technologies available through FLETC DLP intended for small or rural public safety agencies.

George Taft, Consulting Forensic Scientist

George is an experienced and widely respected forensic scientist. During his 43 years with the Alaska and Texas Crime Laboratories he has made numerous forensic presentations at international meetings in Taipei, Sydney, and Tokyo as well as many in the United States. As Director of the State of Alaska Crime Laboratory for 17 years, George was responsible for its new facility and its recognition as one of the top forensic laboratories in the country. The Laboratory achieved accreditation from the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors Laboratory Accreditation Board in 1996.

George is a Fellow in the American Academy of Forensic Sciences; a member of the National Safety Council, Alcohol and Drug Committee; a member of the Northwest Association of Forensic Scientists; a distinguished member of the Southwest Association of Forensic Scientists; a former Board Member and Treasurer of the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors; and a current Board Member of the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors Laboratory Accreditation Board. He also serves on the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center System Forensic Advisory Committee, is a Life Member of the Fraternal Order of Alaska State Troopers and the Alaska Peace Officers Association. His name is on the patent for the Alaska Superglue Fuming Wand which is used by law enforcement all over the world. George has been widely recognized nationally for his volunteer forensic presentations in schools and for his ongoing efforts to develop educational programs for future forensic scientists.

George holds a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Alfred University and a bachelor's degree in anthropology from the University of Alaska.

Gina Wheeler, Wireless Communications Project Manager

Gina Wheeler has worked in the public safety industry for over twenty years, developing expertise at both State and local levels in dispatch center operations, personnel management, emergency communications, and information technology. Most recently, she managed a newly formed multi-million dollar regional communications center, including the implementation of Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD), Records Management Systems (RMS), telecommunications, and trunked radio technologies.

Ms. Wheeler has experience with the selection and deployment of public safety technologies including: CAD, law enforcement RMS, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Enhanced 9-1-1, logging recorder systems, LAN/WAN telecommunications equipment, and conventional and trunked radio systems. Her qualifications include agency compliance and training with the National Incident Management System (NIMS), tactical and interoperability communications planning, development of organizational policies and procedures, and interpersonal communications training.

Ms. Wheeler attended the University of Alaska (Fairbanks) graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice. While attending the University, she worked as an emergency dispatcher and Emergency Medical Technician, later becoming the Director of Emergency Communications for the University’s Police and Fire Departments. She also completed further studies in computer information systems at Seattle Pacific University and attended the FBI's National Academy for Executive Development.

Ms. Wheeler holds numerous professional credentials, including Alaska Police Standards Council (APSC) Trainer, Methods of Instruction, and Initial Responder to Terroristic Threats; FBI Crisis Negotiations Specialist; Tactical Dispatcher; and National Academy of Emergency Medical Dispatch (NAEMD) certification. Ms. Wheeler has been instrumental in working to resolve E9-1-1 and retirement issues with the State Legislature, successfully assisting in lobbying to obtain a twenty year retirement program for emergency communications center personnel. Ms. Wheeler currently serves as the Alaska Chapter President for both the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) and the National Emergency Number Association (NENA).

Bill Shary, Hardware Engineer

Kyle Sinclair, Alaska Land Mobile Radio (ALMR) Technical Program Officer

Kyle Sinclair is the Alaska Land Mobile Radio (ALMR) Technical Program Officer with the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center–Northwest (NLECTC-Northwest). Mr. Sinclair brings a wealth of expertise and experience to assist the public safety community in Alaska. Prior to joining NLECTC-Northwest, Mr. Sinclair completed a 33-year career with the Federal Government as a communication officer, radio technician, telephone and data system technician, telecommunication manager for the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management, Alaska regional telecommunication manager for the National Park Service, national radio manager for Fish and Wildlife Service, and deputy program manager for the Public Safety Wireless Program Office (U.S. Treasury). After 9/11, he was recruited to help the Transportation Security Administration as an IT Security/Wireless Program Manager. Mr. Sinclair is a United States Navy veteran.

Cathleen (Cathy) Strabala, Program Manager

Ms. Strabala is a Certified Software Quality Engineer through the American Society for Quality. Her expertise includes software process and product audits, project planning, and process improvement implementation. In addition to her quality assurance career Cathy has worked in software testing, configuration management, technical writing, and user training. Her software user training experience was a natural extension of six years of teaching kindergarten students through undergraduates. Ms. Strabala has published articles and presented at conferences.

Ms. Strabala holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Information Management from Washington University-St. Louis, a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville (IL), a Master of Science Degree in Education from Western Illinois University, and was A.B.D. in a Ph.D. program in Education at The University of Iowa.

Mike O'Shea
National Institute of Justice
Program Manager
Tel: (202) 305-7954
E-mail: michael.o'shea@usdoj.gov

Last updated: August 20, 2007