Sent on behalf of DHS Office of Infrastructure Protection Houston District.
The State of Texas, through its Infrastructure Liaison Officer Program (ILO), is building a robust statewide network of public and private sector volunteers, in an effort to help Texas law enforcement reduce vulnerabilities to critical infrastructure. The ILO programs are networks of trusted public sector volunteers or law enforcement officers who are selectively recruited and trained to partner with fusion centers, which house a diversity of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. Liaison officers are trained to recognize and report suspicious activities to fusion centers across America. In turn, centers use the reporting to create investigative leads and intelligence to guard against all crime, including terrorism.
The Texas Department of Public Safety’s Joint Crime Information Center (JCIC) is the state’s only fusion center covering all of Texas 24/7. As an ILO, you will help protect the state’s nationally significant infrastructure, from the oil and gas industry and our electrical energy grid, to our railways and seaports. Together, we can make Texas – and the nation – safer and more secure. The JCIC houses representatives of a multitude of federal agencies, as well as personnel from many other state law enforcement agencies. By joining our ILO program, participants will have access to a unique concentration of law enforcement and intelligence capabilities to help solve crime problems.
The ILO course provides eight TCOLE credit hours and eight TCEQ continuing education hours (Water/Waste Water Sector).
The link for information, applications and instructions: http://www.dps.texas.gov/IntelligenceCounterterrorism/ilo.htm
Online brochure that provides additional information on the program: http://www.dps.texas.gov/IntelligenceCounterTerrorism/ictILOBrochure.pdf.
If interested or require additional information, please contact Todd Bensman, Manager, Texas Homeland Security Unit, Intelligence and Counterterrorism Division, Texas Department of Public Safety, Todd.Bensman@dps.texas.gov. You can also contact Michael Macha, Michael.Macha@hq.dhs.gov, regarding the Program.