In February, CP3 terrorism prevention experts presented briefings on the critical role that law enforcement personnel play in preventing terrorism and targeted violence in the homeland at the National Sheriffs' Association (NSA) 2025 Winter Conference in Washington, D.C.
Chartered in 1940, the NSA serves Offices of the Sheriff and their affiliates by providing training, education, and informational resources for law enforcement. The NSA represents thousands of sheriffs, deputies, and other law enforcement, as well as public safety professionals and concerned individuals across the United States.
From Feb. 1-5, the NSA Conference brought together almost 800 attendees, including NSA’s most active sheriffs, police, homeland security, members of Congress, federal agency officials, the FBI, CIA, first responders, and other law enforcement professionals. Attendees discussed pressing law enforcement issues, explored new technologies and products to create a better future, and connected with fellow sheriffs and others in the field.
On Feb. 1, CP3 briefed the NSA’s Court Security, Transportation of Prisoners, and Civil Process Committee. The chair of the committee, Sheriff James Brown of Charlottesville, Va., invited CP3 to speak after he took a trip to the site of the Oklahoma City Bombing.
On April 19, 1995, terrorists exploded a bomb in a truck parked by a federal building in downtown Oklahoma City. The bombing killed 168 people and injured about 850. Moved by this tragedy and the memorial representing it, Brown wanted to understand how to better prevent similar attacks from occurring.
The CP3 Strategic Partnerships Associate Director shared with the committee how CP3 enhances the country’s ability to prevent terrorism and targeted violence nationwide through increased public awareness, funding, training, and strategic partnerships at every level of government, the private sector, in local communities, and with law enforcement. She stressed how CP3 supports local efforts to help individuals get access to support before they engage in an act of violence. Brown thanked CP3 for sharing the expertise in this presentation.
On Feb. 2, the CP3 Director spoke to the Training Committee. The CP3 Director highlighted the importance of behavioral threat assessment and management (BTAM) efforts to protecting communities from acts of violence. Terrorism and targeted violence are often preventable if we act early and BTAM practices play a critical role in identifying potential threats before they escalate.
Multidisciplinary teams, including law enforcement, can use a BTAM process to provide alternatives to criminal justice interventions for those who may be on the path toward violence. CP3 has supported the creation and expansion of BTAM programs through the Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention Grant Program, as well as through federal resources and guidance from Regional Prevention Coordinators.
During the conference, the CP3 team also strengthened partnerships with sheriffs, other law enforcement professionals, and government agencies by exhibiting a booth. Through driving important conversations with law enforcement partners at the NSA Conference, CP3 spread its mission of bolstering our homeland’s ability to prevent terrorism and targeted violence, and how law enforcement is a crucial component of that prevention.