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The ISA Executive Protection Training Program
Defending Democracy
Published on May 23, 2017
Executive Protection Training is made available to local and state law enforcement to combat the threats public officials face today.
Shortly after the January 8, 2011 assassination attempt of Congresswoman Gabrielle Gifford’s of Arizona, the CEO of ISA designed a training program to prepare local law enforcement to provide dignitary protection to their elected representatives. This was months before the incorporation of the company that became Independent Security Advisors.
Mr. Parker conducted this training for local law enforcement in Virginia, and after he retired from the US Armed Forces, and started the company, this five-day course was taught at the University of Maryland Public Safety Training Academy. This was a free class that over 200 members of local law enforcement took advantage of, and many of those officers are now working close protection for their mayors, county executives, and other officials.
Since the assassination attempt of Congresswoman Gabrielle Gifford’s in 2011, elected officials have received a record number of threats directed against them, their families, and staff. If you supported the Affordable Health Care Act (Obama Care) you received death threats. Supported new tax policy, threats, opposed a pipeline, more threats. Many of these threats resulted in damage to the homes and offices of many public officials.
Our political process has been hijacked by those not willing to listen and debate, with anger fueled by the rhetoric of the extreme right and left-wing media. And our elected officials now sit in the crosshairs of “Lone Wolf” extremists and organizations that are willing to use violence.
The most recent wave of anger and threats are coming against Rep Al Green the U.S. Representative from Texas’s 9th congressional district, and others who favor the impeachment of Pres Trump. Again, the political process our founding fathers envisioned is endangered by those who are unwilling to debate issues, but rather prefer hate, ignorance, and violence to honorable civil discourse.
Today
ISA still offers training to local law enforcement to prepare them to provide protective services to their elected officials, but since 2011 our programs have received multiple state accreditations so officers receive in-service or continuing education credit, and this was followed by college credit recognition agreements in 2012.
(Updated) ISA had two upcoming accredited programs in July 2017, located in Atlanta Georgia and in Chicago Illinois. These courses were hosted by private security companies, but law enforcement does have priority seating. In addition, we had four, two-day courses for the South Carolina State Police in Columbia South Carolina that started in August.
If we filled our minimum seating requirements we opened low and no cost seats to local law enforcement officers assigned to provide security to elected officials. For those departments that couldn’t send their officers to training in July, they had the option to host a program and receive free seats for their officers.
Continuing our Work
Since 2011 we have been helping law enforcement prepare their officers, deputy’s and troopers for the non-standard role of “bodyguard”, and doing so in a way that complemented the training available thru the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers, and other official training programs.
Now in 2017 with the threats increasing, and the strain of smaller budgets and manpower shortfalls experienced by some departments is law enforcement prepared for our elected officials to have a town hall meeting? Can they come home and meet with their constituents in safety?
ISA stands ready to help with the training and systems development departments need today to address these threats, and financial considerations will never be a motive or factor in our providing training to officers in need.
We hope to work with you in July or in the future. For more information please visit our website at https://www.eptraining.us or visit us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Independent-Security-Advisors-LLC-1293724307388514/
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