About Joe Liwak
Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Officer Joe Liwak is a proud U.S. Army Veteran who has dedicated his career to protecting his community through proactive policing and tactical enforcement.
After graduating from the Police Academy in 2019, Joe began his law enforcement career with the Killeen Police Department, where he was assigned to the Patrol Division until 2021. During his time in patrol, he demonstrated a strong aptitude for street-level investigations and a passion for addressing violent crime.
In 2021, Joe founded the Violent Crime Action Team (VCAT), a specialized unit designed to combat gang-related violence throughout Killeen and Bell County. Through his leadership and vision, VCAT has grown into a key component of the department’s crime-reduction strategy. Joe currently serves as one of three members of the Killeen Police Department Gang Unit, where he focuses specifically on juvenile and hybrid gang investigations. His work involves close collaboration with regional, state, and federal partners, as well as proactive community engagement to prevent gang recruitment and violence among youth.
In addition to his investigative responsibilities, Joe is a member of the Killeen Police Departmen SWAT Team, where he plays a critical role in high-risk operations, warrant service, and tactical response.
Joe holds an Advanced Peace Officer License and is a certified TCOLE Instructor. He has completed extensive specialized training, including:
• Over 100 hours of formal Gang Training
• Over 50 hours of Social Media / Open-Source Investigations Training
• Over 50 hours of Criminal and Narcotics Interdiction Training
Through his military service, tactical expertise, and dedication to combating violent crime, Joe continues to exemplify professionalism, leadership, and service within the Central Texas law enforcement community.
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About this profile
Profile for Joe Liwak. View upcoming classes, student reviews, and specialties.
- How are instructor reviews calculated?
- Average of verified student ratings for classes taught by Joe Liwak.
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- Use the company link on this page or the class detail page to contact the organizer.
- Do past classes count toward the rating?
- Yes—ratings include reviews submitted after classes conclude.
Recent Reviews
Showing 12 of 116 reviews
View more reviews →Informative class.
Awesome well presented!
Like how to break down investigations when looking for certain people.
Joe does an excellent job displaying his hands-on experience using social media and other tools to interdict young, hybrid gangs.
Class was very informational loved seeing the videos and live searches! Instructor was very knowledgeable about hybrid gangs in the area.
Very informative and very well put. I truly learned a lot with this course and i appreciate the time and effort it for this to happen. And also very appropriative for allowing me to be a part in it.
The training provided a better understanding the upstart of Hybrid gangs and the obstacles that exist when initially dealing with individuals(mostly juveniles). Provided guidance and insight on how to approach hybrid gang investigations wa…
Very good class and really like the personal experience and videos.
The in-depth overview of gangs and how to identify them and their networks was well presented.
Great info
Great class. Excellent instructor
Great Class! Instructor knowledgeable on subject matter