More and more, the conduct of police and security personnel is being challenged by the public. Recent high-profile cases involving use of force have led to increased scrutiny of law enforcement. When a person in the community is killed by the police, the scrutiny is particularly acute.
Public concern has led to both a more educated and a more involved citizenry. Sometimes this increased citizen participation yields cell phone camera video evidence. When these videos go viral, the public responds with “frame by frame” reviews and judgments of the actions of law enforcement officers. This public response can create more confusion about actual protocols and laws.
Calls to “Defund The Police” can add to the confusion about what police actions are legal and appropriate in what situations. So, too, can news of huge financial settlements to aggrieved families in these high-profile cases.
Taken together, these factors have significantly increased the demand for expert witnesses in these challenging trials, to help focus the critical content of the trials on facts.
Facts Matter
“Amateur video footage can be helpful to flesh out what happened,” says security professional Timothy Dimoff. “But it does not always tell the whole story.” Dimoff runs SACS Consulting and Investigative Services, Inc. He frequently serves as an expert witness for legal cases involving security and law enforcement. He is in particularly high demand for his testimony in suits over use of force.
“In many cases, video footage does not provide all the details of a given incident,” he explains. “I recently testified in a case in which footage from the officer’s own body camera showed only a narrow slice of the incident. Outside of the body camera’s range was a second subject, who was also a threat. The officer had to take that other person’s actions into account too, when choosing his reactions – including when and whether it was appropriate to use force.
“My job as an expert witness was not to take sides, but to help contextualize the details. I offered objective testimony about both police department guidelines and the general nationally accepted protocols for use of force. This information provided a factual basis from which the jury could evaluate whether the officer had acted properly.”
Indeed, expert witness testimony is often critical to uncovering biases that may be presented in a case, whether by the defense or the prosecution.
What qualifies an expert witness in such cases?
Dimoff’s 20 years in law enforcement and another 30+ years in research and training on police procedures, legal rulings, and interactions with law enforcement keeps him in demand as an expert witness. His many credentials include certification as a law enforcement trainer by the Ohio Police Officers Training Association, and as an Internationally Board-Certified Protection Professional (CPP) in Security Management through the American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS), the globally recognized standard of excellence for security management professionals. To maintain his certification, every three years he must demonstrate his knowledge and competencies in seven key areas of security.
Learn more about Dimoff’s additional certifications and licenses here.
You can also read Timothy Dimoff’s full biography here.
Other Areas of Expertise
To learn more about the importance of expert witnesses to the just outcome of these challenging cases, check out this post from 2023, What Makes an Expert Witness Credible?
In addition to providing expert testimony on policing policies, crime scene management and security, Dimoff frequently testifies in cases involving workplace violence and other Human Resources issues, such as hiring/firing, sexual harassment, and discrimination.
Do you have a case for which this expertise may be useful? Contact Timothy Dimoff by email: timdimoff@gmail.com; at his SACS Consulting office: 330-255-1101; or on his cell phone: 330-730-3524.