2026 Mantracker PUBLIC SAFETY TRAINING CONFERENCE

What is Mantracker?

The Mantracker Training event began in 1991 when Duke Blackburn of the Georgia Department of Corrections started conducting K-9 tracking and search training focused on locating escaped fugitives, giving rise to the name “Mantracker.” In 2000, Sheriff Mike Yeager of the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office partnered with Blackburn to combine their training efforts. At that time, Mantracker consisted of a single full day of training with approximately 20 to 25 participants.

On March 1, 2019, Chief Deputy Colonel Lenn Wood was sworn in as Interim Sheriff of Coweta County and was later elected Sheriff on June 18, 2019. Under Sheriff Wood’s leadership, Mantracker expanded into a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary training event for active public safety professionals, including law enforcement, fire, corrections, emergency communications, and emergency medical services. Now recognized as one of the largest public safety training events in the Southeast, Mantracker attracts hundreds of local, state, and federal officers each year. Sheriff Wood has ensured these specialized training opportunities are offered annually at no cost to actively employed public safety personnel, with an emphasis on realistic, scenario-based training rather than classroom-only instruction. Today, Mantracker draws more than 800 officers annually from Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, and South Carolina.

The 2026 Mantracker Public Safety Training Conference will be a four-day event held at the Coweta County Fairgrounds, located at 275 Pine Road, Newnan, Georgia 30263. Training will begin at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, and continue through Friday, May 1, 2026. On Thursday, April 30, 2026, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., a dedicated Vendor Product Show will be held, featuring door prize giveaways. Attendees must be present to win. Immediately following the vendor show, participants are invited to join instructors and colleagues for fellowship, a guest speaker presentation, and a free dinner provided by a local establishment. A training demonstration will follow the dinner. All Georgia POST-certified officers will receive Georgia POST credit hours for all training attended.

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