Dakota Cook — Instructor Profile

About Dakota Cook

Biography - Dakota Cook and LEO DEN LLC
Dakota Cook began his career in law enforcement in 2010 with the Norman Police Department. Working nightshift and afternoon shift Dakota was a proactive patrol officer for several years. During this time Dakota became a certified Defensive Tactics Instructor. While working patrol Dakota found a passion for drug related cases and was transferred to the departments Special Investigations Section in 2015. This small but efficient group of detectives that handles a wide range of cases but has a primary focus on narcotics enforcement. Due to the units small size networking with other narcotics groups and having working relationships with peers around the OKC area became a high priority. While working in the Special Investigations Section, Dakota has been involved in cases ranging from narcotics trafficking, homicide, crimes against children, stolen property, firearms, and gang related offenses. Dakota has vast experiences in working undercover during controlled buys of narcotics and stolen property as well as managing Confidential Informants.

Dakota is a Norman Police Department SWAT team member where he has served since 2012 and leads an entry team element. From this experience, Dakota has gained tactical proficiency but continues to find ways to improve and challenge himself and his team.

Dakota holds an Advanced Law Enforcement Officer status and is a certified instructor with the Council for Law Enforcement Education and Training (CLEET). Dakota has developed and instructed CLEET certified classes related to scouting, recognizance, defensive tactics, SWAT operations, updated drug trends and dangers of opiate exposure to name a few.

Dakota has attended training from the Association of Oklahoma Narcotics Enforcers (A-One) and narcotics enforcement training from the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics (OBN) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Dakota holds a commission with the District 21 Drug and Violent Crime Taskforce and Homeland Security Investigation as a Task Force Officer in Oklahoma City with a group that focuses on Narcotics, firearms, and violent gangs and as such has worked investigations and testified extensively at both the state and federal level. Dakota’s experiences and investigations have led to the successful conviction of hundreds of criminals.

Dakota currently works drug interdiction focusing on interstate and international drug smuggling on major highways in Oklahoma. Although these courses are not interdiction focused there is experience to be gained in how criminals act universally.

Dakota was a recipient of the Norman Police Departments officer of the year award, Cleveland County Crime stoppers Award, and the National Association of Police Organizations Top Cop Honorable Mention due to his work on an investigation where a violent street gang was dismantled and charged with racketeering crimes.

Dakota believes that proactive police work at all levels is where differences are made and where many officers feel the most achievement. This company was formed and has the same goals to bring tactics, techniques, and experience to officers who desire to be more proactive. It’s also understood that successful officers are never individuals working alone but rather groups of officers working together either in the same agency or even hundreds of miles apart. Networking and having a place to discuss with others ways to solve a problem or get better is undervalued in law enforcement. Iron sharpens Iron and we’re better together. There is plenty of great training out there and we hope you can attend them all to be the best that you can be.