Christopher J. Barrella brings over three decades of frontline law enforcement experience, legal expertise, and investigative acumen to every engagement. A retired Police Lieutenant from New York’s Freeport Police Department, a licensed attorney, and a licensed private investigator, Chris offers a rare intersection of operational, legal, and academic knowledge that few consultants in the field can match.

          Chris built his academic foundation at Long Island University, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice followed by a Master of Public Administration, both of which grounded his early law enforcement career in both practical and policy-driven thinking. He went on to earn his Juris Doctor from St. John’s University School of Law, giving him the legal framework to complement his hands-on command experience. His formal education was further elevated by selection to the FBI National Academy (Session # 234) at Quantico, Virginia, one of the most prestigious professional development programs in law enforcement, reserved for senior officers nominated for their leadership potential.

          During his 30-year career with the Freeport Police Department, Chris rose through the ranks from patrol officer to Watch Commander, overseeing daily operations for a department serving more than 40,000 residents. He supervised tens of thousands of calls for service and criminal investigations, managed personnel and budgetary functions, conducted internal affairs and workers’ compensation investigations, and led the department’s compliance with constitutional and procedural standards. His command experience includes Incident Command System (ICS) leadership, evidence and property room management, body-worn-camera oversight, and large-scale event management.

          Chris has received extensive counter-terrorism and active shooter training, including studies at the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism in Herzliya, Israel, and advanced bombing incident response training through New Mexico Tech and he continues to participate in annual FBI National Academy Associates conferences and use-of-force training.

          As a licensed attorney with over 25 years of practice, Chris applies his legal background to consulting engagements involving civil liability, use-of-force review, policy compliance, and departmental procedures. His dual expertise in law and law enforcement makes him a highly effective expert witness in civil litigation matters, having served in that capacity through TRMB Investigations, Inc., where he also conducts insurance claim, background, and due diligence investigations.

          Chris has also served as an Assistant Adjunct Professor at Farmingdale State College, where he taught crime prevention theory, CPTED (Crime Prevention Through environmental Design), threat assessment, and active shooter vulnerability analysis. He is passionate about translating real-world law enforcement experience into practical training and consultation that helps organizations, agencies, and legal teams achieve better outcomes.

          Chris lives in Kings Park, NY, with his wife of 32 years, their three children, a shepherd, and two cats.

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