California Homicide Investigators Association

What California Homicide Investigators Association does

California Homicide Investigators Association (CHIA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional association founded in 1968 and headquartered (via PO Box) in San Jose, California. The organization provides training, networking, and professional support to homicide investigators, prosecutors, and death investigation professionals in the United States and internationally. CHIA claims to be the largest association in the United States devoted solely to homicide investigation education, with over 3,000 members across the US, Canada, and the UK.

CHIA's core offering is its annual four-day training conference (the 57th edition scheduled for August 18-21, 2026 at Red Rock Casino Resort in Las Vegas), which features case presentations, investigative strategy workshops, and legal updates and draws 800+ attendees. The organization also sells a $100 single-day Wiretap Class as a pre-conference add-on, maintains a private member directory accessible only to verified members, and operates the Michael David Davis Jr. Memorial Scholarship for family members of homicide victims. Operations are run by a 6-person team including an Executive Director and a volunteer Board of Directors composed of senior law enforcement officers from major California agencies.

The business model is a hybrid of individual membership subscriptions ($30/year across Sworn, Sworn Recurring, Retiree, and Civilian tiers), event-based registration fees ($449 early bird / $525 standard conference), tiered corporate sponsorships (Bronze $2,000 through Diamond $20,000), and tax-deductible donations. The organization operates on asset-light infrastructure: membership management runs on Wild Apricot, payments are processed via Affinipay, and member authentication supports Google, Microsoft, and Apple social login. Distribution is primarily self-serve via chia187.com with a group/agency registration channel handled through the Treasurer.

Name

California Homicide Investigators Association

Legal name

California Homicide Investigators Association

Website

https://chia187.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

California Homicide Investigators Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional association, founded in 1968, that provides training, networking, and education to over 3,000 homicide investigators, prosecutors, and death investigation professionals across the US, Canada, and the UK via annual conferences and membership programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

San Jose

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees at $30 USD per member, with multiple membership tiers including sworn, sworn recurring, retiree, and civilian categories. Membership is non-transferable and non-refundable.
2. Conference Registration: Annual training conference with registration fees: $449 early bird (paid by July 16, 2026) and $525 standard registration beginning July 17, 2026. The 57th Annual CHIA Conference runs August 18-21, 2026 at Red Rock Casino Resort in Las Vegas.
3. Wiretap Class Registration: Single-day wiretap training class on August 18, 2026 at Red Rock Casino Resort for $100 registration fee. No refunds after July 10, 2026.
4. Conference Sponsorships: Sponsorship tiers include Diamond ($20,000), Platinum ($10,000), Gold ($5,000), Silver ($3,000), and Bronze ($2,000). Includes vendor booth space, advertising, and recognition at the annual conference.
5. Donations: Tax-deductible donations accepted as a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (FEIN: 94-2583294). Donations support the Michael David Davis Jr. Memorial Scholarship Program for family members of homicide victims.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

501(c)(3) nonprofit professional association founded in 1968 and headquartered in Lake Forest, California that provides specialized training, professional networking, and continuing education to homicide investigators and death investigation professionals. Core offerings include a multi-day annual training conference, a specialized wiretap training class, a tiered membership program (Sworn, Retiree, Civilian) at $30/year, a private online member directory, and the Michael David Davis Jr. Memorial Scholarship funded through donations.

Product overview

The California Homicide Investigators Association (CHIA) operates a membership-based professional association platform centered on its annual four-day training conference. The core offering includes membership programs (Sworn, Retiree, and Civilian tiers at $30/year) that provide access to a private member directory, case presentations, investigative training, and networking opportunities. The flagship 57th Annual Conference (August 18-21, 2026) attracts 800+ homicide investigators and prosecutors. Associated products include a Wiretap Class pre-conference training, conference sponsorship packages at multiple tiers, and the Michael David Davis Jr. Memorial Scholarship for homicide victim families. The organization is hosted on Wild Apricot's membership management platform and processes payments through Affinipay.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CHIA Annual Training Conference

Quantifiable outcome

• 800+ attendees annually at the training conference
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Red Rock Casino and ResortflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiamond sponsor for the 2026 CHIA Conference. Host venue for the 57th Annual CHIA Conference (August 18-21, 2026) and Wiretap Class (August 18, 2026). Located in Las Vegas, NV.
• San Jose Police Officer's AssociationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGold sponsor of the 2026 CHIA Conference. Law enforcement professional organization supporting homicide investigation training.
• Thousand Oaks Police Charitable FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGold sponsor of the 2026 CHIA Conference. Charitable foundation supporting law enforcement professionals.
• CellebritecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGold sponsor of the 2026 CHIA Conference. Digital forensics company providing technology for mobile device extraction and analysis.
• VeritonecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGold sponsor of the 2026 CHIA Conference. AI-based technology company serving law enforcement agencies.
• Amped SoftwareminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver sponsor of the 2026 CHIA Conference. Video and image forensics software provider.
• Bode TechnologyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver sponsor of the 2026 CHIA Conference. DNA testing and forensic analysis services provider.
• Code 5 GroupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze sponsor of the 2026 CHIA Conference. Law enforcement support services provider.
• PenlinkminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze sponsor of the 2026 CHIA Conference. Electronic surveillance and investigative software provider.
• Valor Technical CleaningminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze sponsor of the 2026 CHIA Conference. Crime scene cleanup and technical cleaning services.
• WSI TechnologiesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze sponsor of the 2026 CHIA Conference. Technology solutions provider for law enforcement.
• Wild ApricotcoreTechnology or IntegrationWebsite hosting and membership management platform provider. Stores and processes member data including name, email, address, phone number, and agency on behalf of CHIA.
• AffinipaycoreTechnology or IntegrationPayment processor for membership fees and conference registrations. CHIA does not store payment card information on its servers.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• California Peace Officers' Association (CPOA): California-based professional membership association serving sworn peace officers with training, conferences, and advocacy. Comparable to CHIA in its California-anchored model, dues-funded membership, annual conference, and reliance on agency-affiliated Board members.
• International Homicide Investigators Association (IHIA): Direct peer association focused on homicide investigation training and networking for sworn law enforcement. Mirrors CHIA's mission of providing specialized training, case presentations, and a peer community for homicide detectives, though IHIA operates at a national U.S. level rather than a California-specific scope.
• California Police Chiefs' Association (CPCA): California-based professional association for police chiefs and command staff offering training conferences, policy advocacy, and member services. Directly comparable to CHIA in its California-anchored professional-association model, dues/conference revenue mix, and sworn-officer Board representation.
• California District Attorneys Association (CDAA): California's statewide professional association for prosecutors, providing training, conferences, and member resources. Direct peer to CHIA in serving California prosecutors involved in homicide cases, with a similar annual-conference and dues-funded model.

Emerging players

• Association of Threat Assessment Professionals (ATAP): Nonprofit professional association providing training and conferences for threat assessment, workplace violence, and protective intelligence professionals. Comparable in its membership-funded, annual-conference-driven nonprofit model targeting specialized public-safety practitioners.
• High Technology Crime Investigation Association (HTCIA): International nonprofit providing training and conferences for high-tech and digital forensics investigators in law enforcement. Comparable to CHIA in its specialized-LE training, conference, and chapter-based membership model, and overlapping in audience with CHIA's Cellebrite/Penlink sponsors.

Broad incumbents

• International Association for Identification (IAI): Long-standing international professional association for forensic identification, crime scene, and biometric professionals. Comparable to CHIA in its professional-association, annual-conference, certification, and membership-directory model, but with a broader forensic-identification focus.
• International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP): The largest U.S. professional association for law enforcement leadership, providing annual training conferences, training institutes, and member services. Comparable to CHIA in its membership-conference-sponsorship business model and training orientation, but operating at a broader police-leadership scale rather than a homicide-specialist niche.
• National Sheriffs' Association (NSA): National nonprofit professional association for sheriffs, deputies, and public safety professionals offering training conferences, publications, and advocacy. Comparable in the nonprofit membership-and-conference business model and law enforcement audience, though broader in scope than CHIA's homicide-investigation focus.

Regional players

• California State Coroners' Association: California professional association for county coroners and medical examiners providing training and professional development. Directly comparable to CHIA's coroner/death-investigation member segment and California-anchored model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/california-homicide-investigators-association

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about California Homicide Investigators Association