With the changes that we have seen in the world over the course of the past year, the FBI has altered many of its programs. The FBI's Community Outreach Program is no exception.

Infragard

In the Portland Division, much of the community outreach effort has shifted towards security efforts. In recent months, the division launched an aggressive outreach program to sign up new groups interested in the Bureau's InfraGard program. InfraGard allows the FBI to open lines of communication between itself and private businesses, public entities, and the academic community. Information about possible threats is relayed to these groups along with tools to help counter those threats.

The Portland FBI is also working to establish new lines of communication with its law enforcement partners at the local, state, and federal levels. One new project involves publication and distribution of a monthly newsletter to interested parties in the state to help identify trends, big cases, and ongoing issues.

Volunteering in the Community

The Portland Division is also maintaining some of its long-term commitments dealing with education and protection of children in Oregon. In February 2002, the Division cosponsored a Race Against Drugs event at Whitaker - Rice Middle School. The students produced artwork and essays. The winning entries earned the students a visit from some well-known Monster Truck drivers as well as prizes from Clear Channel Motorsports and the Race Against Drugs program.

In addition, the Portland Division has had agents and support personnel alike volunteer to work at several events to fingerprint children. In the past six months, the Division has fingerprinted almost 3,000 kids.