Instructors

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Aaron began his law enforcement career in 2009 as a Deputy Sheriff where he responded to calls for service and conducted traffic enforcement. During his tenure with the patrol division, he worked in a variety of assignments, including being a member of the regional SWAT Team. In 2013, Aaron was assigned to a multi-jurisdictional drug task force where his primary focus was investigating the manufacturing and distribution of illegal drugs in a six-county area of west-central Wisconsin. While in this role, Aaron became the handler of a single-purpose, narcotics detecting canine. Aaron and his partner, K9 Nola, located nearly a quarter of a million dollars in drugs and currency in their career. In the fall of 2023, Aaron became a graduate of Wisconsin’s Leadership in Police Organizations class. In April 2024, Aaron was promoted to the position of Field Operations Supervisor and Commander of the West Central Drug Task Force, a North-Central HIDTA initiative. 

Detective Erica Koxlien has been in the law enforcement profession for more than 10 years. She has eight years of specialized investigative work in drug endangered children (DEC) cases, ensuring safety of at-risk youth through collaboration with social services, medical providers, and advocacy organizations. Erica is currently serving as a detective with the Trempealeau County Sheriff's Office in Wisconsin. Erica leads sensitive investigations with a focus on crimes against children, substance abuse, and trauma informed practices. Erica is also an active participant in multidisciplinary response efforts to include the Child Death Review Team and the Trempealeau County Crisis Response Team. Erica is a dedicated educator and trainer, instructing at the Western Wisconsin Technical College. There, she prepares future law enforcement professionals through the college's applied instruction in investigations, criminal justice practices, and community engagement. 

Wayne Bjorkman is a seasoned law enforcement detective, currently serving in the Eau Claire Police Department in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Specifically, Detective Bjorkman is assigned to the West Central Drug Task Force as a Narcotics Detective. With over 14 years of experience in criminal investigations, Wayne specializes in narcotics enforcement, undercover operations, surveillance, and dismantling drug trafficking organizations at the local, state, and federal levels. Throughout Wayne's career, he has led and contributed to numerous successful investigations targeting mid to high-level drug distributors, often collaborating with agencies such as the DEA, FBI, and other local task forces. Detective Bjorkman’s investigations have ranged from local drug dealers to members of various Mexican Drug Cartels. Detective Bjorkman is trained in advanced interview and interrogation techniques, case development, and digital evidence analysis.