Frequently asked questions

Who is Dr. Neal McLoughlin?

Dr. Neal McLoughlin is a law enforcement leader, educator and researcher. He served as the Chicago Police Department's 11th District Watch Commander and SOMEX commanding officer, and as a Federal Task Force Officer. He holds a Doctor of Education in Leadership from Concordia University Chicago and speaks and consults on OSINT, investigations, major event planning and police leadership.

What does Dr. McLoughlin speak about?

He speaks on open-source intelligence (OSINT) and social media investigations, mobile advertiser IDs, building an OSINT unit, commanding major events, AI for public safety, and resilience and operational stress in policing.

See the full list on the speaking page.

What kinds of events does he speak at?

He speaks at law enforcement and security conferences, investigator training programs, university events and corporate security meetings, as a keynote, breakout speaker, panelist or trainer.

How do I book Dr. McLoughlin for a keynote or training?

Email [email protected] with the event name, date, location, audience and session length.

Talks are available in person or virtually and are tailored to each audience.

What is OSINT?

OSINT, or open-source intelligence, is information gathered from publicly available sources such as social media, websites, public records and commercial data, and analyzed to support investigations or decisions.

What is a SOMEX unit?

A SOMEX (social media exploitation) unit is an investigative team that finds, preserves and analyzes social media and other online evidence. Dr. McLoughlin created and commanded the Chicago Police Department's first such unit, which worked with embedded FBI agents.

What consulting services does he offer?

He consults on building OSINT and investigations capabilities, major event and incident command planning, and Clery Act compliance for universities and hospitals.

He is also available for executive, interim and advisory roles. See services.

What is his educational background?

He holds a Doctor of Education in Leadership (Ed.D.) from Concordia University Chicago (2026), a master's degree in financial forensics and fraud investigation from Saint Xavier University, and a Bachelor of Science with Honors.

He is a postdoctoral researcher studying resilience and operational stress in policing.

What was his dissertation about?

His dissertation, Servant Leadership and Resilience in Leadership and Occupational Stress Among Law Enforcement Officers, studies how servant leadership and resilience relate to occupational stress among law enforcement officers.

It is published in ProQuest Dissertations & Theses (2026).