Cathy Riggs
Bend, CA 97702
Cathy Riggs retired as a sergeant from the Los Angeles Police Department after more than 31 years of service, including 25 years in supervisory positions. Her career provided extensive experience in field operations, employee leadership, investigative review, and organizational compliance.
Cathy has reviewed and audited hundreds of police use-of-force incidents, ensuring adherence to department policy and local, state, and federal law. With the introduction of body-worn cameras, she identified recurring issues in tactics and force application, often leading retraining efforts to address policy violations and improve officer performance.
As a certified Use of Force Instructor, Cathy has trained officers in lawful force application, de-escalation strategies, and awareness of implicit and explicit bias. She is also certified as a Racial Profiling Instructor, teaching compliance with the Racial and Identity Profiling Act (RIPA), ethical standards, accountability, and the duty to prevent and report discriminatory practices. Additionally, she is a First Aid/CPR Instructor, providing hands-on instruction in CPR, AED operation, and lifesaving techniques for critical medical emergencies.
Cathy also served as an instructor for the Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement (ABLE) program, which emphasizes the duty to intercede and equips officers with practical intervention skills to prevent misconduct.
In her role as a Training Coordinator, Cathy managed compliance with departmental and state-mandated training requirements. She conducted audits and inspections to ensure adherence to policy and supervised other leaders in maintaining accountability for their teams. For four years, she served as an auditor reviewing police documentation for compliance with the Federal Consent Decree, and became a Certified Government Auditing Professional (CGAP).
- Alcohol, Drug & DUI Testing
- Crowd Control
- Deadly/Excessive Force
- Hospital Security
- Law Enforcement
- Police Procedures
- School Security
- Special Event Security
- Terrorism
- Workplace Violence
- Q: Please list your professional accreditations, degrees, licenses, and certificates granted:
- A: B.A., Sociology, University of California Los Angeles
M.S., Forensic Psychology, Northcentral University
Basic, Intermediate, Advanced, and Supervisory certifications from the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST)
POST-certified instructor – First aid/CPR/AED, racial profiling, Electronic Control Devices (TASER), and Use of Force, Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement
City of Los Angeles instructor for Run Hide Fight and LAPD instructor for Seconds Count
LAPD-certified Instructor – Tactics, foot pursuits, building searches, chemical agents, electronic control devices, use of force, and crowd control
- Q: Please list your affiliations or memberships in any professional and/or industry organizations:
- A: Member:
Association of Threat Assessment Professionals
Infragard
American Psychological Association
International Association of Chiefs of Police
International Police Association - Q: Please list any teaching or speaking experience you have had, including subject matter:
- A: Instructor experience:
Drug Recognition Expert program, 1997-2003
TASER X26 2012 - 2020
Officer Safety/Field Tactics instructor since 2013
Racial Profiling instructor since 2016
First Aid/CPR/AED since 2018
Force Options Simulator since 2018
TASER 7 since 2020
Electronic Control Weapons since 2021
Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement since 2023
Use of Force since 2024
Public speaking as an instructor for the Seconds Count program (K-12 Active Shooter prevention and response) since 2013, and the Run Hide Fight program since 2015
Numerous public speaking engagements during my 31-year career as a law enforcement officer - Q: Have any of your accreditations ever been investigated, suspended or removed? (if yes, explain)
- A: No
Available Upon Request