Security Briefing on Terrorism

The eyes and ears of Arizona! How private security agencies play a major role in the fight against terrorism; they are, in many cases, our first line of defense. Preventing terrorist acts is no longer the sole responsibility of government agencies, but rather a shared responsibility. With population growth and the number of law enforcement officers to cover a sprawling metropolitan community, there are not enough Police Officers to be everywhere at once. There must be a partnership between government agencies and the private sector who work together to ensure the security of the citizens of Arizona as well as its infrastructure.

There are 221 private security companies in the state of Arizona who employ 21,887 security officers. These Security Officers are working around the clock in locations that a normal Patrol Officer may not cover during the shift. The Private Security Officer is conscious of suspicious activities in their area of responsibility because of their familiarity with what is normal and abnormal behavior for the area. The Security Officer is familiar with the intricate operations of the site that he/she protects, enabling them to better understand what is out of the ordinary.

The Arizona Counter Terrorism Information Center is developing a partnership with Private Security Agencies in Arizona. The partnership will “fuse” Law Enforcement with the private sector as force multipliers, in an effort to enhance the information/intelligence gathering and sharing capabilities, as set forth by the Governors Homeland Security Plan. The cornerstone to this program is the ability of the Security Officer to understand what activities are linked with terrorism, and the tools they have to report those activities to the proper authorities.

This is being achieved by reaching out to the Security Agencies that have responsibilities for securing those locations deemed critical to the survival of the state. There has already been one meeting between the AcTIC and the Security Agencies in the state. Twenty-one people from ten different agencies participated in the first meeting, and results of that meeting are already presenting themselves. Nearly all the agencies expressed an energetic willingness to participate in the program, and expressed a desire for more training and meetings in the future.

The program will continue to grow as the partnership between the Security Agencies and the AcTIC strengthens through meetings and information sharing. The mission of the AcTIC is to protect the citizens and critical infrastructure of the State of Arizona. The success of the mission is not contingent upon high-tech gadgetry but rather relationships developed through trust and mutual understanding as developed in this partnership.

For more information or to participate in the partnership with the Arizona Counter Terrorism Information Center, contact Detective Todd Parenteau, #4182, AZ DPS Terrorism Liaison Unit, P.O. Box 6638, Phoenix, AZ 85005, or call 602-644-5930 to speak to Detective Parenteau.