James Balthazar, President & Director of Training
In his exciting career, Jim served 29 years in law enforcement and emergency management. He began his career by serving for four years with the US Air Force Security Police & Security Forces. Serving at two U.S. Air Force Space Command installations, he was responsible for a variety of areas including: Information Security, Industrial Security, Personnel Security, Resource Protection and Crime Prevention. He also served as one of the installation's primary anti-terrorism instructors.
In 1998, Jim was sworn in as an ATF Special Agent and spent the next 25 years in that role. He began his ATF career as a street agent in California and Nevada where he conducted hundreds of criminal investigations into violations of federal laws. He also worked as an undercover agent in several states where he routinely purchased firearms, narcotics and explosives.
Jim spent 17 years as a member of ATF’s elite Special Response Team where he planned and led tactical operations to apprehend violent criminals across the country. In this position, he served on hundreds of operations as a tactical operator, breacher, sniper, tactical unit leader and deputy team commander. He was a tactical instructor at SRT basic training schools and quarterly training weeks and a frequent instructor at the ATF National Academy.
Later, Jim served as a Supervisory Branch Chief at ATF Headquarters where he supervised a team of agents who coordinated with over 40 different federal law enforcement agencies. Together, he and his team planned and managed the federal law enforcement aspect of FEMA disaster responses throughout the United States and its territories.
Jim served his final years with ATF as the Public Information Officer for ATF Special Operations Division (SOD). He interacted with media personnel to inform and educate them about the role and mission of ATF and SOD. Jim also developed an innovative program to educate media personnel about the realities of police use of force and has traveled to over 30 cities to provide training to citizens and media personnel about this timely and impactful topic.
Jim has instructed hundreds of classes around the country to federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and law enforcement academies. He has also given speeches and provided training at businesses, houses of worship and schools around the country on topics such as active shooter preparation and response, personal defense and tactical medicine. Jim is also a gifted writer and has authored over 75 articles on various law enforcement topics that have been featured in publications such as the NTOA’s Tactical Edge and the TTPOA’s Command.
Jim earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Texas San Antonio, and a Master of Science degree in Criminal Justice Leadership and Management from Sam Houston State University. Jim has been a guest lecturer at a dozen different colleges and universities across the country and currently serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Tampa where he helps educate and inspire the next generation of criminal justice professionals.