Training

The Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting (SAR) Initiative (NSI) training strategy is a multifaceted approach designed to increase the effectiveness of state, local, and tribal law enforcement professionals in identifying, reporting, evaluating, and sharing pre-incident terrorism indicators to prevent acts of terrorism. The overarching goal of the training strategy is to facilitate agency implementation of the SAR process and to enhance a nationwide SAR capability. The strategy involves three separate but coordinated training initiatives targeting law enforcement professionals with varying duties and responsibilities―agency executives, analytic/investigative personnel, and line officers.

• Executive Briefings―Law enforcement executives play a vital role in ensuring that the SAR process is not only successfully implemented but effectively supported. The SAR Executive Briefings focus on executive leadership, policy development, privacy and civil liberties protections, agency training, and community outreach. Fusion centers, law enforcement professional associations, and additional entities conduct these types of briefings in a variety of venues.
• Analytic Training―Ensuring that SARs are properly reviewed and vetted is critical to promoting the integrity of information submitted; protecting citizens’ privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties; and successfully implementing the SAR process. The SAR Analytic Role Training focuses on the evaluation of SARs to identify behaviors that may be associated with pre-incident terrorism planning and the process for sharing terrorism-related SARs nationwide. Through this curriculum, analysts and investigators are trained to recognize terrorism-related pre-incident indicators and to validate—based on a combination of knowledge, experience, and available information—whether the behavior has a potential nexus to terrorism and meets criteria for submission. The training is delivered in an eight-hour workshop format.
• Line Officer Training―Frontline law enforcement personnel are trained to recognize behavior and incidents that may indicate criminal activity associated with terrorism. Their routine duties position them to observe and report suspicious behaviors or activities. The SAR Line Officer Training focuses on the critical role line officers have in the effective implementation of the SAR process by identifying and documenting suspicious activity.
  • Online Viewing Opportunities: To efficiently deliver training to a large number of line officers in a timely manner, this training is delivered in a 15-minute presentation that has been posted on several Web sites:

    • The National SAR Initiative Web site (this Web site) at http://nsi.ncirc.gov/sarlot/

    • LEAPS.TV at http://www.leaps.tv/programdetail.php?program_code=201008031500

      LEAPS.TV is the Law Enforcement And Public Safety channel for law enforcement and public safety officers, serving police, sheriff, constable, fire/rescue, emergency medical services, emergency management, homeland and border security, corrections, and related areas.

    • MIPT at http://www.mipt.org/SARTraining.aspx

      MIPT (Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism) is a U.S. Department of Homeland Security training partner serving the nation's uniformed officers and law enforcement leadership to enhance the public safety through training, professional development, and education.

  • On-Site Training Opportunities: MIPT also provides on-site training to your agency regarding suspicious activity reporting. InCOP 1, the first of the four courses, builds upon and reinforces the processes and policies for gathering, documenting, processing, analyzing, and sharing information about terrorism-related suspicious activities, which is the core of the NSI. MIPT has been designated as one of the official providers of this training, with InCOP being approved by both the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of Justice. Any agency seeking SAR MIPT training may contact MIPT at (405) 278-6319 or training@mipt.org. Additional information can be found on the MIPT Web site.

  Please contact the fusion center in your jurisdiction to learn about additional SAR training opportunities for line officers.