Jan Semenoff, BA, EMA
Forensic Criminalist | Editor In Chief,Counterpoint
Jan Semenoff is the principal editor of Counterpoint and is well-known across Canada and the United States as an experienced Forensic Criminalist. He has testified as an expert in breath alcohol testing, SFST, and DRE issues in more than 150 jury trials, and has presented at more than 60 state, national and international conferences. He has been teaching science to professionals since 1986. He officially founded his parent company, Industrial Training & Design Ltd. in 1995. His ability to make complex scientific and forensic concepts understandable has made him a sought-after speaker in North America. Jan (pronounced "Yawn"), studied social and physical sciences and educational theory at the University of Saskatchewan. Jan earned an Advanced Certificate in Police Studies from the Canadian Police College and was an Instructor at the Saskatchewan Police College. He has been a member of numerous advisory boards, and association executives over the years.
Jan worked as an Emergency Medical Assistant with the local ambulance service for four years, then joined the Saskatoon Police Service. After an 18-year career as a Senior Constable and Violent Crimes Analyst, Jan retired and began teaching full-time with Industrial Training & Design Ltd. He has worked with many areas of industry including agriculture, food, mining, chemical, and steel, conducting workplace health and safety investigations, developing policies and procedures, and creating custom training programs for varied levels of learners from laborers, to lawyers, to scientists.
Because of his policing background and extensive experience with breath alcohol testing, Jan became involved with lawyers and other legal and forensic professionals who looked to him for an understanding regarding the science behind the tests. He has collaborated with lawyers, scientists, investigators, investigative reporters, and toxicologists across Canada and in dozens of jurisdictions across the United States, bringing a fresh perspective to the science involved in legal practice. He was the principal technical advisor to The New York Times in their year-long investigation on breath testing deficiencies in North America, and has been interviewed by numerous national media outlets, including newspapers, radio, and television.
He has been married to Susan Reschny for more than 30 years. When Jan is not traveling, he enjoys spending time with his wife and adult sons. He is an avid photographer who enjoys woodworking, hiking, fly-fishing, scuba diving, cooking and discovering inane trivia to drive them all nuts.