USSS Small Detail Protection Seminar

The United States Secret Service Joint & External Training Section (JET) will be presenting their 2-Day Small Detail Protection Seminar on 01/14/26-01/15/26 & 02/24/26-02/25/26.  The seminar will be hosted by the Southern Methodist University Police Department, located at 6300 North Central Expressway, Dallas, TX 75206. 

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course is designed to provide effective preventive and physical protection briefings and hands-on practice for Federal, State, and Local Sworn Law Enforcement partners currently assigned to small protective details.  Lectures introduce officers and agents to the US Secret Service protection philosophy and protective methodologies with a focus on small detail operations.  Lectures include Site Advance, Shift Formations / Interior Tactics, Shift Deployments, and motorcade deployments.  Lectures are reinforced through hands-on practice guided by USSS instructors.  This seminar devotes more time to repetition and practice and culminates in an exercise in which students use the lessons learned to complete a scenario-based protection visit.  This course is not intended, nor should it be used to replace any department or agency’s current policies or procedures.

LENGTH: 16 hours

ENROLLMENT PROCEDURE:

A maximum of 20 participants will be permitted to register per course. 

The POC for this training is Sergeant Scott White, SMU PD Training Coordinator.  If you’d like to attend, please contact Sgt. White at jswhite@mail.smu.edu ASAP, as these classes will fill up quickly.  See instructor info below:

Tom Sheppard -Senior Special Agent

U.S. Secret Service – James J. Rowley Training Center

Senior Special Agent (SSA) Tom Sheppard has been an agent with the United States Secret Service (USSS) for twenty-three years. He is currently assigned to the James J. Rowley Training Center (JJRTC), as a Regional Program Manager for the In-Service Training Program.  SSA Sheppard is a certified instructor in Emergency Medicine, Control Tactics, ASP baton, Interior Tactics, Small Detail Training, Motorcade Tactics, and Firearms.  Before being assigned to JJRTC, SSA Sheppard served in the Charleston Resident Office for nine years, the George W. Bush Protective Division for six years, and the Dallas Field Office for four years.  Before joining the Secret Service, SSA Tom Sheppard served as a Police Officer for over seven years.  During his time on the Charleston Police Department, SSA Sheppard achieved the rank of Corporal and held positions as a Detective and Special Weapons and Tactics (S.W.A.T) Team Leader.  SSA Sheppard was also a State Certified Police Instructor, with a concentration in S.W.A.T. and patrol tactics.