Meet Our Instructors

James P. Rega II is a licensed private investigator (LPI) in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and, in addition to his role in RHL Group, provides investigative services to various clientele, including individuals, businesses and corporations, municipalities, attorneys, and insurance companies.

Before becoming a private investigator, James honorably served as a police lieutenant for the Southwest Regional Police Department in Belle Vernon, PA, and as a county detective for the Washington County, PA, Office of the District Attorney.

Throughout his years of service, James has accumulated hundreds of hours in advanced training and participated in numerous complex investigations. James successfully led coalitions of local, county, state, and federal law enforcement in targeted undercover investigations, and he quickly distinguished himself as a sophisticated computer and financial crimes investigator.

His efforts on behalf of the chief prosecutor’s office led to the arrest and conviction of racketeers, and he successfully distinguished himself in many felony-level prosecutions. He was a sworn grand jury investigator and is recognized as an expert in law enforcement investigations, criminal investigative techniques, and security/risk assessment.

He is also a certified instructor for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Municipal Police Officers’ Training and Education Commission (MPOTEC), the Westmoreland County Community College Police Academy, and formerly for the Community College of Beaver County between 2005 and 2018. In this capacity, James has instructed hundreds of police officers across western Pennsylvania through the Pennsylvania Act 120 academy program in both classroom and practical academic modules.

He also maintains numerous instructor-level qualifications through the Pennsylvania Act 180 Municipal In-Service Training Program (MIST).

Bart is RHL Group’s use of force legal authority and policy expert. He has served as a sworn member of the Pennsylvania State Police for over 29 years, most recently as a police use-of-force specialist, where he reconstructs and analyzes officer-involved shootings and serious use-of-force incidents for criminal and civil litigation.

After serving as a patrolman for 20 years, Bart competed for and earned a position as a full-time Pennsylvania State Police Academy instructor. The Pennsylvania State Police Academy is the ninth-largest police academy in the nation and one of the oldest.

As an instructor, Bart specialized in use-of-force law, defensive tactics, and firearms. Bart was the author of original curricula and lead instructor for numerous courses, including Confronting the Armed Subject, Dynamics of Edged Weapon Attacks, and Advanced Shotgun Tactics.

Bart has studied and trained extensively throughout the country and earned numerous professional certifications, including:

• Use-of-Force Instructor from the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, GA
• Specialized Protective Security – Dignitary Protection from the NYPD Academy in Queens, NY
• Master Firearms Instructor from the Sig-Sauer Academy in Epping, NH
• Analyst and Advanced Specialist Certifications from the Force Science Institute in Chicago, IL

Bart holds a Master of Science in Legal Studies-Criminal Justice degree. He is currently a criminal justice faculty member at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, PA, where he teaches undergraduate and graduate-level courses.

Jacen is RHL Group’s defensive tactics and control coordinator, leading our hands-on practical courses and applications. Jacen served honorably as captain of the City of Connellsville, PA, Police Department, retiring in 2023 following a 20-year career. He is also a certified instructor for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Municipal Police Officers’ Training and Education Commission (MPOTEC) in Act 120 and Act 235 training programs, instructing at the Westmoreland County Community College Police Academy.

Jacen has developed several comprehensive defensive tactics programs for law enforcement and security/civilian applications. He maintains numerous instructor and instructor/trainer certifications in subject areas such as ground control, edged weapons, violent patient management, inmate control, disruptive student management, threat pattern recognition, firearms, and immediate action teams (IAT) active shooter training.

He is also a certified National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) personal trainer and group personal training specialist. Jacen has trained with some of the nation’s most respected self-defense and use-of-force experts. Using his vast knowledge and experience, he has applied his training to real-world applications. He enjoys sharing his expertise with law enforcement, emergency medical personnel, military, and civilians nationwide.