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PARTNERSHIPS
PROTECTING AMERICA
Assistant Director Louis Quijas Discusses the Importance of Federal, State, and
Local Law Enforcement Partnerships
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01/30/04
 How
do you prevent terrorist attacks on U.S. soil in a post
9/11 world? With a shield .. made up of agents, police,
and sheriffs standing shoulder-to-shoulder.
How
do we create such a shield?
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By
shaping national strategies and approaches in tandem;
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By
working seamlessly at the ground level to investigate
potential threats and suspicious activities in local
communities; and
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By
fully sharing terrorist-related information ... details
on everything from wanted suspects to potential targets,
from threats on communities to terrorists' methods
and operations.
On
Wednesday, Louis Quijas -- the FBI's Assistant Director
for the Office of Law Enforcement Coordination -- sat
down with the press to talk about specifics.
Among
those specifics:
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Standing
up Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTFs) -- made up of
local, state, and federal experts -- in 56 FBI field
offices to investigate terrorist-related matters together;
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Creating
Director Mueller's Law Enforcement Advisory Group,
with members representing 11 national law enforcement
organizations, to discuss ideas and develop strategies;
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Setting
up JTTF Executive Boards in each of the FBI's 56 field
offices; these boards keep local and state law enforcement
up-to-speed on counterterrorism matters in their respective
districts;
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Granting
more than 4,000 secret and top secret security clearances
to law enforcement executives and JTTF members so they
have access to the classified information they need
to protect their communities;
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Initiating
an Executive Fellows Program that brings police and
sheriffs into FBI Headquarters for six months for operational
work; and
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In
concert with the Department of Homeland Security, holding
national conference calls with state and local officials
on vital issues.
Through
these and other efforts, AD Quijas says that the FBI
has made "giant steps in getting information out
of this building [FBI Headquarters] and into the hands
of our state and local partners."
Better
yet, terrorism is increasingly being addressed by a single,
informed community of equal partners. Says Quijas: "Prior
to 9/11, there was the FBI. There was county policing.
There was municipal policing. After 9/11, it became 'policing.'
We're all in this business together."
Related Link: Office
of Law Enforcement Coordination
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