Training
The SLATT Program’s primary objective is the delivery of specialized terrorism/extremism orientation, interdiction, investigation, and prevention training to state, local, and tribal law enforcement executives, command personnel, intelligence officers, investigators, analytical personnel, training directors, and prosecutors. Each course is specifically designed to meet the needs of the target audience, from the street-level officer to the executive who needs the information for policymaking purposes. This objective also includes activities necessary to the delivery of classes, including selection and development of instructors, preparation of training and resource materials, selection of training sites, liaison with potential trainees and cosponsors, and close coordination with the FBI, National Security Division Training Unit, and the Regional Information Sharing Systems (RISS) Intelligence Centers.
Training Formats
Anti-Terrorism Workshop for Campus Law Enforcement: A one- to two-day workshop designed to provide terrorism awareness training to campus law enforcement personnel. Course topics are tailored to the specific concerns of college and university campuses and include terrorism indicators, domestic and international terrorist/extremist groups, and officer safety issues.
Executive Briefing: A one-day briefing designed to provide chiefs, sheriffs, and other executive-level law enforcement officials with current information regarding the global terrorist threat. Information sharing and terrorist indicators are emphasized in this course. This briefing is conducted in conjunction with the local FBI office.
Investigative/Intelligence Workshop: A four-day course for law enforcement investigators, intelligence officers, and analytical personnel, including topics inherent in the investigation and prosecution of terrorism and criminal extremism. Another option is a one- to two-day workshop called the Advanced Investigative/Intelligence Workshop, that provides instruction concentrated on a specific subject, such as intelligence or interviewing, related to the investigation and prosecution of terrorists and criminal extremists.
Specialized Training Event: A workshop designed to provide an effective, flexible response to law enforcement training needs. Workshop length (four hours to two days) and topics are tailored to the specific needs of the requesting agency.
Train-the-Trainer Workshop: A 2.5 day course designed for qualified law enforcement trainers, intended to assist agencies in developing in-house anti-terrorism training capabilities by providing quality instruction and a take-home instructor guide to be used for further training.
Tribal Lands Anti-Terrorism Briefing: A customized briefing for tribal law enforcement officers that addresses anti-terrorism training needs and issues specific to Indian Country. Briefings are tailored to meet the needs of specific tribal areas and cover topics such as intelligence, indicators and warning signs, and legal issues.
Training Topics
Chechnya: Beslan School—This case study provides background on the issues the Russian government has dealt with in Chechnya over the past 15 years. It contains an analysis of the Beslan School attacks on September 1–3, 2004, including lessons learned and their applicability to U.S. law enforcement.
The Contemporary Law Enforcement Intelligence Function—This course is an overview of the contemporary law enforcement intelligence process as per the National Criminal Intelligence Sharing Plan. The session includes an explanation of terms and concepts, resources, and the development of the intelligence capacity in an agency. It also provides an explanation of and access to intelligence products, intelligence file guidelines, and liability issues.
Domestic Terrorism—This course explains the belief system of right-wing extremists and why they view the government as their enemy. It examines investigative, response, and officer safety strategies for agency use in identifying and managing domestic extremist cases.
Explosives and Explosive Devices—This presentation offers a unique look at how information associated with explosives or explosive devices is forwarded to Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTF). It also presents simple but critically important strategies to implement in order to identify future violators and to prevent terrorist acts that use explosives. This presentation is NOT the usual bomb squad “look but don’t touch” class.
Financial Investigations and Terrorism Funding—This presentation examines law enforcement methodology for obtaining information from the banking industry, conducting a financial criminal investigation, and preparing a source and application of funds to use for forfeiture warrants and search warrants. This presentation also includes an overview of Iraq’s financial infrastructure and what law enforcement can learn from Iraq’s tactics to conceal bank accounts intended for illegal activities.
Jihadist Operations—This overview discusses the international Jihadist movement, its goal and its operations, basic Jihadist tactics, and models of suicide bombings. Also reviewed are psychological profiles of Jihadist leaders and types of Jihadist groups.
Law Enforcement Guide to Arabic Culture and Islam—This course covers the five pillars of Islam, Islamic holidays, Islamic religious customs, and significant Islamic names. It explains how to use knowledge of Middle-Eastern culture and customs in interviewing and interrogating, along with recognizing and understanding Middle-Eastern clothing. Muslim/Arabic name analysis (understanding the structure of names—i.e., nicknames and titles) is emphasized. Students also learn some Arabic words to utilize during interviews and interrogations and for officer safety.
Local Law Enforcement—This course discusses identifying and investigating traditional crimes that may be associated with terrorist activities. Included are several successful case studies, as well as some suggestions for improving both the observation and investigative skills of uniformed officers and investigators.
Lockerbie—This case study of the December 21, 1988, bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 is delivered by the FBI official in charge of the American task force for the duration of the investigation. The presentation analyzes the investigation and discusses the lessons learned during the process that are of benefit to law enforcement officials worldwide in investigating major cases, including terrorism cases.
Money Laundering and Terrorist Finance—This overview discusses money laundering and its inverse partner, terrorist finance. The course details how, historically, “following the money” has been one of the most successful investigative techniques in combating criminal activity. The course indicates that the money trail often leads directly to the top of the criminal organization. The course also explains why the network of “financial transparency,” put in place primarily to fight the war on narcotics, is inadequate to fight the war on terrorist finance.
Preparing and Conducting the Interview and Interrogation—This course provides fundamental topics and discussions essential in preparing for high-impact subject interviews in which a confession is crucial. The instructor also presents the theory of interrogation and defines several methods of conducting interrogations that have led to positive outcomes. The course is geared toward all law enforcement practitioners whose duties include interviewing and interrogating.
Preventing Terrorism Through Impostor Detection and Fraudulent ID Training—This course provides a familiarization with identity theft as it relates to criminal and terrorist acts, with an understanding of how criminals and terrorists use fraudulent identification. It presents a description and demonstration of security features used on driver’s licenses, U.S. passports and Permanent Resident Cards, and other federal documents. It provides information regarding the detection of impostors by utilizing facial recognition techniques.
The Psychopathology of Hate Groups—This course presents the basic human behaviors, a knowledge of which is needed to successfully conduct a wide variety of interviews, including the Middle-Eastern target. It also provides verbal and nonverbal tools for investigators to use to overcome resistance during an interview and to detect deception. Also discussed are ways to overcome the interview impasse.
Recognizing Terrorist Indicators and Warning Signs—This overview provides a comprehensive look at warnings and indicators, with an emphasis on integrating terrorism intelligence into traditional criminal investigations. It explores how to identify early warning signs often exhibited by criminal extremist groups and individuals. Information sharing is a key component of the presentation.
Special-Interest/Anarchist Groups—This course explores the development of animal rights and ecological terrorism and the impact of the criminal anarchist movement. It also provides detailed information on the realities of ecoterrorism from a law enforcement perspective.
Terrorism Overview—This course introduces the subject of terrorism and defines the term. It explores the current terrorist threat in the United States and highlights unique aspects of “terrorist” criminals as opposed to the offenders that police normally encounter. The reasons why terrorists present a greater and broader threat today than in the past are also described.
Understanding Terrorism in the Middle East—This overview provides a basic understanding of Middle-Eastern culture, religion, and politics as they relate to current terrorism issues. A basic introduction to Islam is provided, including a special focus on the historical and contemporary development of radical Islamic ideology. Specific extremist groups are identified and discussed in terms of leadership, financing, and tactics. Groups identified include active Palestinian groups (e.g., HAMAS, Islamic Jihad, and PFLP), Sunni groups (e.g., al Qaeda, Jemaah Islamiya, and Muslim Brotherhood), and Shi`ite groups (e.g., Ishmaelites and Hezballah). The entire presentation focuses on the impact of these groups on U.S. law enforcement, with the goal of achieving the prophetic statement of Sun Tzu—“Know your enemy!”
The Violent True Believer and the Psychopathology of Terrorists—This presentation deals with the five commonalties of all terrorists and how such traits can be exploited to identify, penetrate, disrupt, and neutralize terrorists. It explores why understanding the psychopathology of terror allows investigators to better focus investigations, target informants, recruit sources, and develop investigative strategies.
