US Cops Study Terrorism in Middle East
Jim Kouri, CPP
August 12, 2005
A private US-Israeli company, Security Solutions International, is responding to the need for better quality training by sponsoring a training missions to Israel for US law enforcement and security officers.
While the Department of Homeland Security continues to fund courses for law enforcement at local community colleges and other educational institutes, they are not exactly what most first responders really need. "I think that while the curriculum in these courses is well thought out, law enforcement needs to have real-time, real-world experience of the terror situation to be able to really counter terror," says Henry Morgenstern, Security Solutions' President.
SSI looked at what first responders really need and has created a training mission that reflects US security needs. The participants will be looking at the main areas of Homeland Security -- Port Security, Airports, Malls and Public Events, Critical Infrastructure and Government buildings -- and seeing for themselves what security measures the Israelis have in place to protect against terror attacks.
According to Morgenstern, the group is a mixture of law enforcement personnel (from patrol officers right up to police captains) from local, state and federal agencies, and Fortune 500 and other private security officers. They will be going out every day to get a detailed view of the Israeli security arrangements and then coming back for another four hours of classroom training daily on a variety of subjects. The participants will be learning about a wide variety of subjects including: suicide bombers, IED (improvised explosive devices), dealing with suspicious objects and much more.
Despite the poor response from Homeland Security funding that clearly stipulates monies for learning about the terror threat as part of the Urban Area Security Initiative, many participants are willing to fund the cost of the training even if it comes from their own pockets.
"I tried with my department but could not get the grant money. I think this is so worthwhile so I decided to pay for the trip myself," says a police officer from Texas, "I mean where else can you find out what you really can do to stop terror if not Israel."
While the Department of Homeland Security continues to fund courses for law enforcement at local community colleges and other educational institutes, they are not exactly what most first responders really need. "I think that while the curriculum in these courses is well thought out, law enforcement needs to have real-time, real-world experience of the terror situation to be able to really counter terror," says Henry Morgenstern, Security Solutions' President.
SSI looked at what first responders really need and has created a training mission that reflects US security needs. The participants will be looking at the main areas of Homeland Security -- Port Security, Airports, Malls and Public Events, Critical Infrastructure and Government buildings -- and seeing for themselves what security measures the Israelis have in place to protect against terror attacks.
According to Morgenstern, the group is a mixture of law enforcement personnel (from patrol officers right up to police captains) from local, state and federal agencies, and Fortune 500 and other private security officers. They will be going out every day to get a detailed view of the Israeli security arrangements and then coming back for another four hours of classroom training daily on a variety of subjects. The participants will be learning about a wide variety of subjects including: suicide bombers, IED (improvised explosive devices), dealing with suspicious objects and much more.
Despite the poor response from Homeland Security funding that clearly stipulates monies for learning about the terror threat as part of the Urban Area Security Initiative, many participants are willing to fund the cost of the training even if it comes from their own pockets.
"I tried with my department but could not get the grant money. I think this is so worthwhile so I decided to pay for the trip myself," says a police officer from Texas, "I mean where else can you find out what you really can do to stop terror if not Israel."
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