Law Enforcement Training News

The Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) has named Assistant Chief Melanie Montroll as Chief of its Harbor Police Department (HPD), following a rigorous national search that included a number of highly qualified candidates. She is a 21-year veteran of the force and will serve as the department’s first woman Chief of Police. Montroll succeeds Chief Robert Hecker, who will retire after having led HPD for more than 26 years.“The Port, our tenants and the region rely on our strong, ethical, and professional Harbor Police Department,” said Brandy D. Christian, Port NOLA President and CEO.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris met Vietnam’s top leaders on Wednesday, offering support in several key areas including the enhancement of its maritime security in an effort to counter Beijing’s increasing assertiveness in the South China Sea.Harris also offered more visits by U.S. warships during her talks with Vietnam’s President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, according to a White House official who did not wish to be named.Harris’s seven-day trip to Singapore and Vietnam is part of a broader U.S.

The Coast Guard commissioned its newest National Security Cutter, the 418-foot Coast Guard Cutter James, Saturday during a ceremony at Coast Guard Base Boston. "Joshua James began his life-saving career at 15 and saved more than 600 lives," said Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Paul Zukunft. During the ceremony, Zukunft, Charlene James Benoit, of Milford, Connecticut, the ship's sponsor and great-great niece of the ship's namesake, and James' commanding officer, Capt. Andrew J. Tiongson, a native of Somerville, ordered the ship to "come to life", officailly appointing James as an active cutter in the Coast Guard's fleet. James's crew will play a vital role in the Coast Guard's ability to secure our nation's maritime domain and borders…

NATO Maritime Commander Vice Admiral Peter Hudson, CBE Royal Navy, visited the two-week Advanced Maritime Law Enforcement/Training of Trainers course taking place at NATO Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Centre (NMIOTC), in Souda Bay, Crete, Greece. The course is being conducted from February 23 to March 6 under the auspices of the Djibouti Code of Conduct (DCoC) and the Djibouti Regional Training Centre with the support and supervision of the IMO Secretariat’s Kiruja Micheni, and benefits from the high NATO standards embraced by NMIOTC.

On December 16, Secretary of State John Kerry announced an initial commitment of $32.5 million in new regional and bilateral assistance to advance maritime capacity building in Southeast Asia. Including this new funding, our planned region-wide funding support for maritime capacity building exceeds $156 million for the next two years. As an example of our commitment to strengthen maritime capacities in Southeast Asia, the United States intends to provide up to $18 million in new assistance to Vietnam to enhance the capacity of coastal patrol units to deploy rapidly for search and rescue…

Tom Ridge, President and CEO of Ridge Global, an international provider of security and risk management services, today announced that Thomas Betro, former Director of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), and VP at NTT DATA, has joined as an advisor. Betro will work closely with Ridge Global’s Flag Bridge strategic maritime team to help guide the expansion of a global maritime criminal investigation service. “We are fortunate to have a seasoned maritime law enforcement professional like Tom Betro on our team,” said Gov. Ridge.

An aircrew from the Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron operating from the cutter Active fired warning shots, followed by engine disabling fire to render a drug-running panga inoperable as it attempted to avoid capture. U.S. Coast Guard crews intercepted the panga boat with approximately 7,100 pounds of marijuana and three suspected smugglers aboard in international waters some 155 miles southwest of San Diego. In the most recent incident an aircrew aboard a Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules aircraft initially detected the 30-foot panga and multiple assets…

Security Dynamics LLC, a global security and risk management advisory firm, added three new Senior Advisors to its team of Subject Matter Experts. The news was announced by Kim E. Petersen, the firm’s Chairman and President. The new Senior Advisors will compliment Security Dynamics’ current team of experts bringing with them decades of career experience in intelligence, homeland security, infrastructure protection, intermodal transportation security and law enforcement training.

The U.S. Coast Guard will transfer a decommissioned 378-foot High Endurance Cutter to the Philippines at 1 p.m. May 22 at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, Pier Papa in North Charleston, S.C. The former Coast Guard Cutter Dallas will be transferred in a ceremony presided over by Rear Adm. John Korn, assistant commandant for Acquisition. “Since 1967, Coast Guard Cutter Dallas has served the American people well, from Vietnam and the Pacific to its final Coast Guard patrol in the Mediterranean, where the crew interdicted 4,000 pounds of cocaine and 940 pounds of marijuana,” said Korn.

Fluoramics Inc. has developed a revolutionary, rust-inhibiting lubricant that is solvent free, non-aerosol based, and odor free. Frank Reick, the inventor of HinderRUST has many credits to his product portfolio. He is the original developer of Tufoil, which holds the title of “The World’s Most Efficient Lubricant” by the Guinness Book of World Records. In addition, while working with the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Brunswick, Georgia, he developed a product called Gun-Coat, which protects guns from corrosion.

Fluoramics Inc. has developed a revolutionary, rust-inhibiting lubricant that is solvent free, non-aerosol based, and odor free. Frank Reick, the inventor of HinderRUST has many credits to his product portfolio. He is the original developer of Tufoil, which holds the title of “The World’s Most Efficient Lubricant” by the Guinness Book of World Records. In addition, while working with the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) in Brunswick, Georgia, he developed a product called Gun-Coat, which protects guns from corrosion.

President Bush’s fiscal year 2009 budget request for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) represents $50.5 billion in funding, which is an increase of 6.8 percent over the 2008 fiscal year level – excluding funds provided in emergency supplemental funding. The request targets five areas, detailed in the following release of information from the DHS. The Department of Homeland Security’s main priority is to prevent terrorist attacks against the nation and to protect our nation from dangerous people. DHS will continue to prevent the entry of terrorists while facilitating the legitimate flow of people by strengthening border security efforts and continuing to gain effective control of America’s borders.

On December 7, the Senate approved an emergency spending bill for homeland security as part of the Department of Defense FY'02 Appropriations bill. Although Senator Byrd (D-WVA) had to drop his additional funding for homeland security, $50 million for port security was included in the Senate-passed bill. An additional $50 million would be spent in FY '02 on Coast Guard ($12 million); Customs ($15 million), and the Maritime Administration (MARAD) ($23 million); $12 million of this would be for loan guarantees. House/Senate negotiations on the final bill are expected to take place soon. The House version does provide money for Customs and Coast Guard, but does not fund MARAD's programs. On Dec. 13, U.S.

Senator Hollings' port security bill, which puts into action transportation recommendations from the 9-11 Commission Report, passed the Senate last night and now must be approved by the House of Representatives. "I am glad the full Senate has acted," Senator Hollings said. "We're saying port security is a priority. We are implementing the 9-11 transportation recommendations, and long-standing concerns I have had regarding the security of our nation's ports. The bill, the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2004, was first introduced last April even before the Commission's Report was out. Federal grants to help ports around the country implement security plans must be awarded based on risk assessment…

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Woody Paschall, Commander, U.S. The United States Coast Guard (USCG) Middle East Training Team (METT) embarked USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) (BHR) and BHR Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) ships June 8-11 to enhance the ESG’s humanitarian assistance and search and rescue (SAR) capabilities through training and cooperation. During the embark, they trained BHR’s Operations Department to use streamlined search procedures and additional search patterns based on weather conditions, including current, visibility and wave height. “Judging by the responses from the crew, they seemed confident and appreciative of the training we could give,” said USCG Boatswain’s Mate 1st Class Scott Titilah, a METT member.

Anti-terrorism and physical security specialist Melchor Becena has been named Security Administrator for Broward County’s Port Everglades, announced Port Director Ken Krauter. Becena joins Port Everglades after a search for a top level security/safety advisor to South Florida’s burgeoning cruise, cargo and petroleum seaport. He comes to the South Florida Seaport from the Security and Intelligence Division, Public Safety Business Center, in Fort Bragg, N.C. where he was a Physical Security and Anti-terrorism specialist. He has more than 20 years of experience in security specializing in counter-terrorism, anti-terrorism, intelligence and physical security. He has a Master’s degree in Business and Organizational Security Management from Webster University, St. Louis, Mo. Highlights of Mr.