For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010
CHICAGO - Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano today traveled to Chicago to join law enforcement officials from around the world at the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Conference, and deliver remarks on the Department's partnership with the first responder community.
"Homeland security begins with hometown security, and the IACP has both informed and strengthened many of the programs and initiatives the Department has put in place since 9/11 to keep our nation safe," said Secretary Napolitano. "DHS is committed to continuing to support law enforcement and first responders on the frontlines through training, information sharing and collaboration on joint task forces as well as the national network of fusion centers."
During her remarks, Secretary Napolitano highlighted the Department's collaboration with the law enforcement community through increased information sharing at all levels through initiatives such as the National Terrorism Advisory System, the "See Something Say Something™" public awareness campaign, and fusion centers across the country. Through these and other initiatives, DHS is continuing to build its capabilities to combat new and emerging threats.
Secretary Napolitano also emphasized the Department's work over the past three years training frontline officers regarding suspicious activities through the Suspicious Activity Reporting Initiative. More than 160,000 law enforcement officers have now received SAR training. DHS also provides a range of training opportunities to law enforcement officials through the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC), which offers hands-on training to federal, state and local law enforcement to help deter and combat threats. Last year, FLETC trained nearly 22,000 state, local, and tribal law enforcement personnel.
While in Chicago, Secretary Napolitano also joined IACP President Mark Marshall to deliver remarks and present awards to recipients of the IACP/Alcatel-Lucent International Police Officer of the Year Award.
For more information, please visit www.dhs.gov.
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