U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING CENTERS
Protocol and Communications Office
September 12, 2018
U.S. Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) and the Singapore Home Team Academy (HTA) co-organized an International Program on Crisis Leadership September 4-6, 2018, at the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. FLETC Assistant Director Dominick Braccio, Australian Institute of Police Management Executive Director Warwick Jones, and HTA Deputy Chief Executive Teo Tze Fang co-facilitated the event. A total of 15 senior-level law enforcement officers from 11 countries attended the program. The uncertainty in the global security climate is a key concern worldwide. Acts of violence resulting in mass casualties have occurred in numerous countries, and law enforcement leaders around the world have to be well-prepared to respond to and manage such crises. Among the many discussions, officer resiliency and mental health care were key observations for strategic consideration by participants and presenters.
In his opening remarks, Mr. T. Raja Kumar, Deputy Secretary (International and Training), Ministry of Home Affairs and concurrent Chief Executive, Home Team Academy said, “Having a diversity of officers is a good feature and key strength of this Program. The diversity provides opportunities for sharing of best practices, and building cross-boundary relationships that you can tap on in your future work.” According to FLETC Assistant Director Braccio, “The goal of this program was to better prepare today’s law enforcement’s leaders for tomorrow’s crisis in the complex world of terrorism and transnational crime. To do that, subject matter experts from around the world participated in sharing experiences and best practices on collaboration and communication, as well as managing emotion and biases to allow for better critical thinking and strategic decision making during an emerging crisis.”
Australian Institute of Police Executive Director Warwick Jones address the seminar (courtesy photo) / Executive Director Warwick Jones and FLETC Assistant Director Dominick Braccio address the class (courtesy photo)
HTA and FLETC collaborated to provide this platform for international practitioners and experts to gather as a community to share knowledge, experience and best practices. The program also enabled participants to develop stronger relationships with their regional and international counterparts, paving the way for closer cooperation in crisis management. Participants discussed emerging trends and best practices in crisis management through group discussions covering key principles of crisis leadership, strategic approaches to managing different crisis situations, and the role of science and technology in enhancing effectiveness of crisis leadership and management. Chris Jones, Deputy Chief of the Community Policing Patrol Division, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said, “Sharing information with our international counterparts and how to get leadership to make the right decisions during a crisis. That’s what this whole Program is about. It says a lot that Singapore is hosting this. As good as they are, they still want to learn. I’m very impressed overall.”
During the program, senior law enforcement leaders who were involved in the management of past crises, namely the Las Vegas Mass Shooting in October 2017, the Nice Truck Attack in France in July 2016, and the Lindt Café Siege in Australia in December 2014 shared their perspectives and insights. Their sharing helped participants sense-make and glean key strategic principles in crisis management from different kinds of crisis situations such as multiple casualty shootings, hostage-taking and negotiations, and attacks using vehicles. “Strong partnerships are critically important when responding to significant incidents such as mass casualty events and even natural disasters,” said Diane Jennifer Sabatino, Director of Field Operations, Office of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
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Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers
Protocol & Communications Office
Contact: 912-267-2447