MSU will receive a $3 million dollar grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in order to set up national training sessions on how to analyze and use intelligence information.
The grant, which was announced today by U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Brighton, would fund MSU-run training programs for about 1,100 law enforcement agencies across the U.S.
Criminal Justice professor David Carter, who helped pen the application that secured the grant, said professors in the department of criminal justice had been working to secure the monies since last fall.
"I was quite pleased and surprised when I heard about the amount of money given to us," Carter said. "We only applied for 1.5 million. Now it's a question of what do we have to do with the rest of the money? I am anticipating an increase in the number of agencies we educate that would make this program even bigger."
It is important for state and local law enforcement agencies to develop a capacity to analyze and use intelligence information to prevent attacks, Carter said. Through a series of workshops, that will begin on Oct. 1, Carter said he hopes to teach them how to do that.
"Every law enforcement agency should have an intelligence capacity," Carter said. "People should be hooked to secure communications systems and know what info they can collect."
When attending the workshops, law enforcement officials would learn not only how to analyze and act on intelligence information, but they would become familiar with security procedures, Carter said.
"When they get intelligence threat reports, what do they do with them?" Carter said. "We will help them learn the legalities of what info they can keep in ways that meet legal standards."
Carter said a Web site will also be set up where those who have attended the workshops can learn about the developments in homeland security.
"If a new law is passed regarding security, they can go there and learn about it," Carter said. "By doing this, people can receive follow-up training after their session."
The $3 million is part of the state and local government total terrorism prevention grant. Through the grant, a total of $500 million was given to different agencies across the country.
Sylvia Warner, spokeswoman for Rogers, said although she wasn't sure exactly how many grants of this type were given out, there is a "very limited" number of them.
Because the university will be receiving a large sum of money for the program, students said the national spotlight is on MSU and they want to see results.
"A lot of times they talk about acting on things and don't act, "sociology freshman Lucy Clay said.
But Carter said MSU has been involved in security education for 15 years. Through training, providing technical assistance and educating about private security, Carter said MSU has covered "every aspect of intelligence and organized crime."
This made the university a good candidate for the grant, Warner said.
"The congressman was very impressed with their track record on working with law enforcement training programs," Warner said. "He went very strongly to bat for the university regarding this grant."
Staff writer Erica Pluff contributed to this report.
