Leadership Matters - May 2013

Improving school safety through information sharing Illinois Statewide Terrorism and Intelligence Center launches program for schools

Lessons Learned

training held at the University of Illinois at Springfield May 22 – 24 called STEP (School Threat Evaluation Program). This specialized training seminar will include:  An introduction to school K-12 threat assessments led by Barry Spodak, who has served for 30 years as a training consultant to the nation’s elite law enforcement agencies in the field of threat assessments  Tips on how to do open-source research and dig

In response to the Sandy Hook massacre that took 26 innocent lives and many other school shootings across the United States, Illinois is fighting back. Spawning from the Governor’s summit on school safety in January, Illinois is starting the first program in the country to improve information sharing between the intelligence center, schools, and law enforcement to improve continued effort in preventing attacks. The Statewide Terrorism and Intelligence

Center, known as the STIC, is the state’s designated fusion center. It is a collaboration of state and federal governments created to look at all crimes and all hazards in order to protect the public. STIC has been fully functional since May 2003 as one of the first round-the-clock state fusion centers to emerge after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The School Intelligence program has established a School Information Sharing Advisory Board that will help identify intelligence

into the Internet for information that can be used to identify and verify threats, presented by Michael Bazzell, who has been a computer crime detective for the past 16 years.  Information on how to conduct a school-based threat assessment under current FERPA, HIPPA and other related Illinois school laws. This segment will be led by Ron Ellis, retired from the Illinois State Police, and his wife, Dr. Sandy Ellis, an adjunct professor at UIS. Ray will conclude the seminar by introducing the new information-sharing program at STIC.

and information requirements, priorities and gaps that pertain to schools in Illinois, and identify possible criminal activity and vulnerabilities. STIC, through partnership with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and the Illinois Terrorism Task Force (ITTF), has hired a School Intelligence Officer, Maria Ray, who will be responsible for putting the board’s suggestions into actions. Ray will be identifying points of contact within each K-12 public district, private school and college to start opening the lines of communication. This unique program will be introduced during a

To learn more information about this free informational training (worth 10 continuing professional development units for educators) click here . The conference registration deadline for those needing lodging is May 10 and for all others is May 17. To register you must have a conference code. Email ema.STEPconference@illinois.gov to get a code.

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