March 07, 2012 - cnsnews.com - by Edwin Mora

An FBI budget proposal to eliminate a seven year-old body designed to help counter gang activity is a "mistake" that will hinder efforts to combat violent gangs, Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.) told the bureau's director during a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing Wednesday.

The same budget request that proposes closing down the National Gang Intelligence Center (NGIC) states that gang activity in the U.S. is increasing the potential for "terrorism-related events associated with criminal enterprises."

  Read the full article on the cnsnews.com website.

The National Gang Intelligence Center (NGIC) was established in 2005.

The NGIC integrates gang intelligence from across federal, state, and local law enforcement on the growth, migration, criminal activity, and association of gangs that pose a significant threat to the U.S. It supports law enforcement by sharing timely and accurate information and by providing strategic/tactical analysis of intelligence. Located just outside Washington, D.C., the NGIC is manned by analysts from multiple federal agencies.

The Government Training Institute offers our Gangs and Terrorism course to assist the law enforcement community in understanding gangs and terrorists and how they work together. Students will have the training to identify the indicators of terrorist activities involving gangs and terrorist groups within their community. The Gangs and Terrorism course consists of 3 days (24 hours) of lecture delivered by the author, retired NYPD officer and supervisor of the NY Terrorist Interdiction Unit, Lou Savelli. An additional 2 day course, Gangs and Terrorism: Investigation and Interdiction, is offered to allow students to utilize criminal interdiction methods as a counterterrorism strategy.

For more information on the Gangs and Terrorism courses please contact:
GTI at 803-259-1935 or via email at info@gtitraining.org

February was a busy month for me as GTI traveled to California, Tennessee, and Idaho while also conducting a class at the Joint Operations Center in South Carolina.

We started the month off in Santa Ana where we trained 59 officers in the span of 6 days with our Immediate Action Teams class. Officers from eleven different agencies participated.

We were then off to TN, where we conducted a four day Custom Basic SWAT class for 25 officers from eleven different agencies. A special thanks to Jenny Holden in TN Homeland Security District 2 and to our instructors Mike Wheeler and Keith Thrower for all their hard work. I received a nice letter from District 2 Director William Cole after the training event was completed:

   Dear Alec,

   As you know, from February 20-23rd, 2012, GTI conducted a Custom Basic Swat Course for tactical team members from law enforcement agencies of the sixteen counties of TN Homeland Security District 2. Twenty five operators from local and state agencies participated in the training.

   Comments from the attendees of this training were highly complementary, both as to course content and methods of instruction and quality and skill and knowledge of the instructors. GTI Instructors Mike Wheeler and Keith Thrower were most helpful and related extremely well to the officers participating in the courses. The tactics and practical techniques presented were valuable to the attendees. Additionally, we would like to express our appreciation to you and to Dennis O'Connor for your assistance both before and after the class.

   The above training, as well as other classes presented by GTI, has significantly enhanced the capabilities of our tactical response teams. We deeply appreciate the training provided by your organization and hope to schedule more in the future.

   Sincerely,
   Bill Cole

After TN, GTI headed to Boise Idaho where we conducted a 7 day Basic SWAT class for 29 officers from 10 different agencies. A good time was had by all. Thank you to Gina Marchwinski and Joe Lombardo for all their help with setting up the class.

To finish off the month, GTI hosted 12 officers from the Virgin Islands PD for a Type 3 SWAT class as well as two airmen from McChord AFB who participated in a Custom Rappel and Fast Rope course at GTI's Joint Operations Center.

It was great to get to know these men personally and we all learned a lot during the 13 days we spent together. We look forward to working together again soon!

Alec Sarrazolla
Training Coordinator, Government Training Institute
Contact info@gtitraining.org 803-259-1935 - Office

CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL, RADIOLOGICAL, NUCLEAR, EXPLOSIVES

The JOC is a former nuclear fuels reprocessing plant that has been converted into an all hazards training site. With much of the structures remaining complete, including control room, tanks, miles of pipes, etc., the JOC can offer a real world training experience.

Scenario Based Training Facilitations for:

• Chemical agent production or incident
• Biological agent production or incident
• Radiological agent production or incident
• Nuclear agent production or incident
• Explosive production or incident
• IED rigged buildings and lanes
• Clandestine labs
• Confined space rescue/recovery
• Chemical and Biological WMD-Warfare
• Radiological WMD
• Industrial Agents WMD
• Asymmetrical Weapons
• Decontamination

For more information about the JOC CBRNE training capabilities contact GTI by calling: 803-259-1935, Email: info@gtitraining.org or visit our site JOC CBRNE.

• Officers will learn proven dynamic entry and slow and deliberate tactics during practical exercises and force on force scenarios.
• Officers become familiarized with SWAT operations to include: High Risk Warrant Services, Vehicle Assaults, Citizen Team Member Recovery, and Ballistic/Mechanical Breaching.
• Students receive detailed practical applications in tactical shooting techniques associated with close quarter's battle engagements.
• Students receive a detailed block of instruction on Terrorism, as well as tactical considerations when dealing with a terrorist threat such as improvised explosive devices, and weapons of mass destruction.
• Students receive daily physical training to increase their physical performance in SWAT related mission environments.

To register for this or any of GTI's courses, please contact GTI: Email: info@gtitraining.org Phone: 803-259-1935

Apr 2nd - Apr 21st
Apr 2nd - Apr 25th
Apr 9th - Apr 13th
Apr 12th - Apr 14th
Apr 16th - Apr 18th
Apr 30th - May 4th
May 7th - May 9th
May 12th - May 18th

Facility Rental (Barnwell, SC)
Type II SWAT (Boise, ID)
DHS Basic SWAT (Charleston, SC)
Immediate Action Teams (IAT) Active Shooter (Santa Ana, CA)
Immediate Action Teams (IAT) Active Shooter (Santa Ana, CA)
Gangs and Terrorism: Investigation and Interdiction (Charleston, SC)
Custom Rappel and Fast Rope Course (Knoxville, TN)
DHS Basic SWAT (Stroudsburg, PA)

Founded in 2003, GTI is a center of excellence for law enforcement officers and military personnel whose mission is to train the nation's first responders. GTI's staff comprises 400 years of operational military and law enforcement experience and combines traditional classroom work, research-based training and real-world field exercises to address the requirements of government and law enforcement agencies. GTI delivers more than 30 highly-specialized training programs in the fields of anti-terrorism, terrorism countermeasures, police sniper operations, specialized patrol, high-risk policing activities and a host of law enforcement and military topics relevant to the post 9/11 world.

GTI's Type III SWAT, Type II SWAT, Type I SWAT, Immediate Action Teams (IAT) Active Shooter, Basic SWAT and IED Awareness curricula are approved by the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) grant funding program. In 2008, GTI relocated its training facility from Boise, Idaho to South Carolina. The company is headquartered in Eagle, Idaho.