Building the Best Course: Give Your Students the Best Chance at Success

Building courses to assist your students with developing skills that can be used on any course and off-duty to prevent collisions and be skillful drivers.

Stephen Capellas - IADLEST Instructor/CJTC EVOC Instructor

Capellas Consulting & Reconstruction

Stephen Capellas began his law enforcement career with the Clark County Sheriff’s Office in Vancouver, Washington in August, 1980.  In 1982 he was assigned to the Traffic Unit and began studying collision investigation.  He also joined the Sheriff’s Office SWAT team at that time and served with the regional SWAT team for 18 years as an assault team leader and submachine gun instructor. In 1988, his continued studies helped him to reach the level of Collision Reconstructionist.  He was promoted to Sergeant in the Sheriff’s Office in 1989 and his duties included Patrol, Case Management, and the Training Unit.  In 1991 Steve became an Emergency Vehicle Operations Instructor, and he helped to develop the EVOC program for the Sheriff’s Office through a joint training program with the Vancouver Police Department that eventually led to a regional EVOC training team of instructors from 7 different agencies.  He developed departmental vehicle use policies for both the Sheriff’s Office and Vancouver PD, and he created advanced training classes for instructors throughout the Pacific Northwest, including Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.  In 1998, Steve left the Sheriff’s Office and became an officer with the Vancouver Police Department.  His primary duty assignment was as a collision reconstructionist in the Traffic Unit for 10 ½ years.  Steve provided instruction throughout Washington State as a certified instructor in both Emergency Vehicle Operations (basic academy and instructor-level) and Collision Investigation (all levels).  Steve is a certified SKIDCAR and Pursuit Immobilization Technique (PIT) Instructor.  In 2009, Steve began a private consulting business specializing in crash reconstruction and professional driver training.  Steve retired from active service in 2010, but he continues to instruct for the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission as a Senior Instructor in both EVOC and Collision Investigation.  Steve has written and assisted with updating EVOC and collision investigation curriculums in both previous departments and now with the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission.  He is a current member of ALERT International and WATAI (Washington Association of Technical Accident Investigators).