RALEIGH - North Carolina became the first state in the nation to initiate a counter terrorism training program for all law enforcement officers in the state when a series of training conferences began in May. Over an 18-month period, 35,000 federal, state, and local sworn law enforcement officers will be trained in the prevention and interdiction of terrorist activities in North Carolina.

The conferences are a partnership between the N.C. Department of Crime Control and Public Safety, (the Governor's Crime Commission and the National Guard), the N.C. Department of Justice (the Justice Academy), and the U.S. Department of Justice (three U.S. Attorneys' Offices in North Carolina).

The next training sessions for Phase One of the program will be held June 12-13 at the Airport Holiday Inn in Greensboro, and June 26-27 at the Ramada Plaza in Asheville. Phase One of the training is directed to persons who have been designated as the points of contact on terrorism issues for their respective agencies. In most cases, these will be police chiefs, sheriffs and the heads of state law enforcement agencies.

Phase Two of the training will be for mid-level managers and first line supervisors and will be held later this summer. Phase Three of the training will be for front line officers and will be conducted over the next 18 months.

Leading counter terrorism experts and trainers from across the nation will provide course instruction. The two-day program will include general overviews, security briefings, and training courses regarding terrorist activities, operations, prevention, and incident response for law enforcement.

Program registration begins at 7:00 a.m. with the welcoming ceremonies to begin at 8:00 a.m. Keynote speakers include Anna Mills Wagoner (U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina), Chris Swecker (FBI Special Agent-in-Charge for North Carolina), Bryan Beatty (CCPS Secretary), Linda Hayes (GCC Chairperson), Roy Cooper (Attorney General), and Robin Pendergraph (SBI Director). The program host for all of the regional conferences will be Craig Turner, Senior Drug Control Planner (GCC) and the program designer.

The media will be allowed in the Greensboro session for the opening remarks and the general overview of international terrorism. A separate media area and interview room will be made available for those members of the press who wish to conduct interviews with dignitaries and program participants. All sessions after the opening remarks and international overview on the first day will be closed to the press for security reasons. The conferences are not open to the general public.

If you have questions, please contact Craig Turner at 919-733-4564.