Tony Levatino

Retired deputy chief from the Santa Ana Police Department in Southern California with over 30 years of service, and a graduate of the FBI National Academy.

Tony is also the founder and CEO of the newly formed International Association of Technology Advocates LLC (IATA). As a 501(c)(4) non-profit, he assists agencies in researching, selecting, funding, and implementing technologies that prevent harm to others. This includes crime victims, survivors, the public in general, and police officers.

He spent over six years with SIG Sauer and became a strong advocate for converting standard AR-15-pattern rifles to a suppressed variant to reduce the risk of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL). As a victim of hearing loss and tinnitus, and the recipient of two Worker's Compensation awards, he is on a mission to educate agencies on the serious risks not only posed by their patrol rifles from excess noise, but also the risk of toxic fume (blowback) exposure resulting from the weapon's firing.

He has completed research for his book, expected for release by the end of the year, "The Sound of Silence: The Law Enforcement Guide to Rifle Suppressor Technology." Any sales will offset printing costs and donate profits to police, veterans, crime survivors, and victim advocates.

Included is a discussion of myths about hearing protection devices, such as muffs and earplugs; a lack of intelligent range design; and inadequate ventilation at indoor ranges, which increase respiratory and chemical exposure risks. Lack of education, apathy, funding, and misinformation is leading to further irreparable harm.

Additionally, he worked for Thermo Fisher Scientific, the leading supplier of DNA instruments and chemistry to the world's crime labs. He was the Law Enforcement Business Development Manager for the RapidHIT ID System. This instrument allows police agencies to process their own DNA evidence without necessarily sending it to the crime lab. Results are available within 90 minutes, enabling immediate identification of a perpetrator rather than the months or years required to obtain lab results. He is an expert in the selection, funding, and establishment of Rapid DNA programs.

He is also a regular contributor to Police1 online magazine.