Crime & Safety

Hennepin County Sheriff's Office Hosts Workshop for Responding to Terrorism, Mass Casualty Incidents

The Twin Cities metro area was one of fourteen locations nationwide to receive the training

The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, in partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, and the National Counterterrorism Center concluded a two-day workshop on Aug. 28 on the prevention and response to terrorism and mass casualty incidents. 

The Joint Counter Terrorism Awareness Workshop Series (JCTAWS) brought together hundreds of partners in the public and private sector to discuss potential threats to communities. The Twin Cities metro area was one of fourteen locations nationwide to receive the training. 

“The training has improved the way we work together and it provided an opportunity for the law enforcement community to update our plans for a regional approach to emergency preparedness,” said Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek. 

Participants included leaders in counter terrorism, law enforcement, and the medical community. More than 300 people attended the two-day conference that took place at the Marriott Northwest, Brooklyn Park. More than two dozen agencies were represented, including the police departments from the following communities; Bloomington, Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center, Edina, Eden Prairie, Hopkins, Minneapolis, Plymouth, Richfield, and St. Paul. In addition, personnel attended from the University of Minnesota Police, Metropolitan Transit Police, and Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport Police. 

Representatives from ten different hospitals and several corporations that are headquartered in the Twin Cities attended as well.

“We worked to develop a full community response on the command level,” said Sheriff Stanek, “Everyone has an important role to fill and this is the team that will make the difference if a major incident does happen in our backyard.”


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