The Speaker

Lieutenant Derek Werner of the New Haven Police Department is currently assigned to currently assigned to the Narcotics Enforcement Unit, Shooting Task Force, and Intelligence Unit with nearly two decades of hand-on experience. He oversees complex investigations involving narcotics, firearms, and gang-related violence, managing detectives and task force officers while working closely with local, state, and federal law enforcement partners. Lieutenant Werner regularly responds to homicide scenes and presents major firearms cases to state and federal prosecutors through initiatives such as Project Safe Neighborhoods.

Prior to his current assignment, Lieutenant Werner served as a Patrol Sergeant and later as a Sergeant at the New Haven Police Department Training Academy. In these roles, he supervised patrol operations, reviewed investigative reports, and responded to major incidents, while also overseeing academy instructors and helping develop department-wide in-service training. These assignments strengthened his operational leadership and commitment to professional standards and officer development.

Lieutenant Werner began his law enforcement career as a Connecticut POST-certified police officer, serving in patrol, community policing, and the Narcotics Enforcement Unit. Before joining the New Haven Police Department, he honorably served 20 years in the United States Marine Corps, retiring as a Master Sergeant. His military career included leading large-scale operations, directing a leadership school, and managing security operations in Iraq, experience that continues to inform his leadership approach in modern policing."

The Workshop

Interagency Communication :
Friday, October 23, 2026 09:00A

Interagency Communications is a presentation focused on the backbone of effective policing: clear disciplined communication across agencies. Investigations rarely live inside one agency anymore and routinely cross jurisdictions specialties and systems. This workshop highlights how officers, detectives, supervisors, and command staff from municipal police departments, state police agencies, federal partners and prosecutorial offices exchange information in real time, reduce friction and prevent communication breakdowns that stall investigations. Emphasis is placed on practical coordination between local police departments, state police task forces district and state’s attorney’s offices probation and parole and federal partners including the FBI ATF and US. Marshals Service while addressing how 21st century technology has reshaped intelligence sharing case coordination and operational communication.

Just as important, the workshop addresses communication beyond the badge and beyond the shift. Off duty interactions, professional relationships and informal information sharing often become the missing pieces in stalled investigations when handled ethically and deliberately. The presentation also examines how modern technology has changed the way the public communicates with law enforcement and with each other through digital reporting platforms, social media messaging applications and community- based information flow. The takeaway is straightforward and time-tested strong cases are built on strong relationships supported by smart communication. Master both traditional methods and modern tools and investigations do not just move, they close.