Well, my learning has staled.

[lt1_kid]

As a LEO (I normally just say .. I'm the Fuzz) my Dept. won't pay for further lock skills\classes. They said my key bumping and SPP were enough for most issues. As a LEO and normal guy looking to further his skills what would you fellas suggest besides YouTube videos (that's what I learned SPP on).

[Squelchtone]

Find a TOOOL (a locksport group) meeting near you and you can get hands on practice with someone who can see how you hold your picks and how much tension you apply to your locks, and give you instant feedback and you'll walk away being an even better picker that day.

http://toool.us/meetings.html

Mention you were sent to the meetings from this forum. When I ran TOOOL Boston, we were always weary of random strangers who showed up to a meeting, so it's always good to mention who you are and that you are a hobbyist and how you found out about TOOOL.

I see a meeting in Detroit, Ann Arbor, and Chicago, not sure if any of those are near you. If they are, email them to make sure the meetings are active.

I know you mentioned things other than youtube, but have you watched Schuyler Towne's 24 lock picking videos? They may be very basic if you already have some experience, but a good watch for beginners. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVSL0li ... 3FBFDA27DE

What are you using for lock pick set right now and how good are you at this point? Can you walk up and pick a Schlage residential deadbolt in 20 seconds or more like 2 minutes? I don't want to give you beginner advice if you are more of an intermediate picker.

Squelchtone

[WestCoastPicks]

As a LEO (I normally just say .. I'm the Fuzz) my Dept. won't pay for further lock skills\classes. They said my key bumping and SPP were enough for most issues. As a LEO and normal guy looking to further his skills what would you fellas suggest besides YouTube videos (that's what I learned SPP on).

Nothing to stop you from progressing on your own! Grab some locks that are beyond your skill level and get to work! If you're decent at spp you should have all the basics down, just challenge yourself. When I was where you are, I bought mul-t-lock and medeco to pick on. There was a bit if a curve, but I'm sure you can do it!

Good luck man.

[Devhad]

Most of the classes available to your line of work are designed to teach you the basics. They help you understand how locks work and why lock picking works. They go over the different techniques for raking and a handful of bypass techniques. Being as far along as you are there is little you will get from these courses.
You are already SPPing so obviously you are already way ahead of what a course will teach you.
My advice would be to focus on the types of locks you see in the field, for me it's Schlage, Kwickset(with and without security pins) and defiant. Get a few of these and mount them. Sofa picking is fine to start but it's important to practice mounted locks. Classes and courses can't teach the feeling you have to learn for SPP. My coworkers like to attribute my ability to pick locks to the courses I attended but honestly there is a skill involved that you have to teach yourself. Another poster mentioned left handed picking and having come across several locks mounted on the left side that are hard to pick right handed I'm considering trying it myself.
Do as much research as you can on bypass techniques so you can cut your entry time down when picking isn't necessary or is beyond your skill level.