Tribal Law Enforcement Officials Attend Counterterrorism Briefing

Native News Network Staff in Native Briefs. Discussion »

Combat Violent Extremism

Native Brief: WASHINGTON - Tribal law enforcement officers from several tribes joined state and local law enforcement officials from around the country on Wednesday in Washington to hear a briefing and to discuss the Obama's administration's Strategic Implementation Plan for Empowering Local Partners to Prevent Violent Extremism in the United States. The plan was released in December.

US Attorney General Eric Holder, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, and Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism John Brennan at the White House were on hand to meet with the officials.

Representatives from the International Association of Chiefs of Police, Major Cities Chiefs Association, National Sheriffs' Association, National Native American Law Enforcement Association, Governors Homeland Security Advisors Council, and Criminal Intelligence Coordinating Council, as were police chiefs of major cities in the country, were in attendance.

"Engaging local communities is critical to our nation's effort to counter violent extremism and violent crime, and this meeting brings together many of our partners,"

said Secretary Napolitano.

"The Department of Homeland Security will continue to collaborate with our state and local law enforcement partners and engage the public in our efforts to combat violent extremism, while protecting civil rights and civil liberties."

During the meeting, Secretary Napolitano underscored the Department of Homeland Security's efforts to support local communities by enhancing existing partnerships to focus on information-driven community-based solutions, building government and law enforcement expertise, supporting community oriented policing practices and expanding grant prioritization to counter violent extremism and violent crime regardless of ideology.

In addition, the Department of Homeland Security is continuing to implement recommendations from the department's Homeland Security Advisory Council Countering Violent Extremism Working Group, such as developing a curriculum for state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement focused on a community-oriented policing approach to countering violent extremism and violent crime. The department's Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties also works to educate communities and state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement on cultural awareness across the nation.

Secretary Napolitano also reiterated President Obama's call for Congress to take action to prevent layoffs of law enforcement and first responders, and keep our communities safe by passing legislation such as the American Jobs Act. The legislation would provide $5 billion in assistance to states and local communities to create or save thousands of law enforcement and first responder jobs across the country.

Over the past year, the Department of Homeland Security has worked with the Department of Justice on the Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting Initiative (NSI) - an administration effort to train state and local law enforcement to recognize behaviors and indicators related to terrorism, crime and other threats; standardize how those observations are documented and analyzed; and ensure the sharing of those reports with the FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Forces for further investigation.

Department of Homeland Security has also collaborated with federal, state, local, and private sector partners, and the general public, to expand the "If You See Something, Say Something" campaign. Originally implemented by New York City's Metropolitan Transportation Authority and now licensed to Department of Homeland Security for a nationwide campaign, the "If You See Something, Say Something" campaign is a simple and effective program to engage the public to identify and report indicators of terrorism, crime and other threats to the proper transportation and law enforcement authorities.

The Department of Homeland Security will continue to expand the "If You See Something, Say Something" campaign nationally to ensure America's businesses, communities, and citizens remain vigilant and play an active role in keeping the country safe.

posted January 19, 2011 6:10 am est