Midwest Forensic Consultants
About Midwest Forensic Consultants
Decades of real-world law enforcement experience — applied to forensic consulting, digital evidence reviews, and hands-on technical training for agencies and organizations across the country.
2nd
largest U.S. police dept. program built
30+
Years of field experience behind every review.
IACP
G. Thomas Steele Excellence in Tech Award 2024
IL
State Law Enforcement Medal of Honor recipient
OUR STORY
Founded by a practitioner, built for practitioners
Midwest Forensic Consultants LLC was founded in 2019 by Michael Chiocca, a 30-year Chicago Police Department veteran and the creator of the CPD's Area Technology Centers — the largest digital forensic initiative in the department's history and a City of Chicago 2019 Public Safety Key Result.
Michael built the entire digital evidence investigation program for the CPD Detective Bureau from the ground up — researching and selecting hardware and software, writing policies and procedures, developing the complete training curriculum, and training hundreds of investigators and command staff.
That same depth of practical knowledge now serves law enforcement agencies, legal teams, and organizations through forensic consulting, digital evidence reviews, and scenario-based technical training. Every engagement is informed by real casework, not theory.
"Note #2: CPD veteran detective Michael Chiocca was the original architect of what eventually became the Area Technology Centers. He curated the software and hardware for the initial implementation, and trained personnel in these tools."
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Academic paper: More and Better Video Evidence for Police Investigations of Shootings: Chicago's Area Technology Centers
"One of the greatest things the Chicago Police Department has done in the past few years is the creation of the Area Technology Centers for the Detective Division."
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Chief of Detectives Brendan Deenihan
Credentials
Certifications & qualifications
LEVA Certified Forensic Video
Law Enforcement & Emergency Services Video Association — verified competence in the forensic video domain following completion of LEVA Levels 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Illinois Law Enforcement Training & Standards Board
Certified basic and in-service law enforcement instructor with approved expertise across 35+ subject areas, including digital evidence, investigations, and forensic techniques.
Cellebrite Certified Physical Analyst
Advanced certification in UFED hardware and software methodology, mobile device extraction methods, and mobile device data examination.
FBI Face Comparison & Identification
Federal Bureau of Investigation training in face recognition and face comparison, consistent with Facial Identification Scientific Working Group (FISWG) guidelines.
Master of Science — Public Safety Administration
Calumet College of Saint Joseph. Saint Catherine Award for Student Achievement — National Catholic College Honor Society.
FBI Cyber Investigator (CICP)
Certified Cyber Investigator, FBI First Responders course
RECOGNITION
Awards & Honors
IACP G. Thomas Steele Excellence in Law Enforcement Information and Technology Award — 2024
State of Illinois Law Enforcement Medal of Honor — May 2019
Chicago Crime Commission Law Enforcement Excellence Award — 2016
Cook County Crime Stoppers Excellence in Law Enforcement Award — 2016
National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO) Top Cop — Honorable Mention 2020
Chicago Police Department Superintendent's Award of Valor & 100 Club of Chicago Valor Award - 2019
Professional affiliations
Associations & memberships
International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP)
Appointed Committee Member — Computer Crimes & Digital Evidence. Member 2019–present.
Scientific Working Group on Digital Evidence (SWGDE)
Full Member - Video Committee. June 2021–present.
American Academy of Forensic Sciences
Digital and Multimedia Evidence Section Member. January 2022–present.
Law Enforcement & Emergency Services Video Association (LEVA)
Member 2013–present. Conference speaker and course instructor.
International Association for Identification
Member 2018–present.
National Association of Technical Investigators
Member 2014–present.
Media & press
In the news
Ready to work with us?
Whether you need forensic consulting, a digital evidence review, or training for your team — reach out to start the conversation.