Threats to our security can take many forms. We all remember the September 11, 2001 terrorism attack on our World Trade Center, Shanksville, Pa, and our Pentagon. As part of recommended changes following these attacks, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the State of Colorado Information Analysis Center (CIAC) developed a centralized information gathering and sharing program to deter and prevent terrorism and criminal activity related to homegrown violence, domestic or international terrorism. The Larimer County Sheriff’s Office, in partnership with these agencies, established a Threat Liaison Program to enhance and facilitate better information sharing, communication, and collaboration between local, state, and federal agencies as well as address the emerging issues of homegrown violence threats happening across the country.
Homegrown domestic violence has become a very serious threat to all communities today, not just the larger cities like New York, Denver, and others. Violent extremist groups are using internet and social media outreach to incite violence in disassociated, sometimes mentally ill individuals to reach for any tool (knives, guns, homemade bombs, trucks) and lash out in crowds or large social gatherings to do as much damage as they possibly can with what they have on hand. These threats are real and can happen in communities of any size. Most of these violent offenders do tell friends or family along the way about what they are thinking or planning on doing, and we find that by reporting this to our TLO’s, the violent act can be stopped before it ends in tragedy. By intervening before the person moves to acting out their violence, they can be stopped and the potential victims will be saved.
LCSO currently has about ten TLOs throughout the agency who are specifically trained in terrorism and homegrown violence awareness, intelligence dissemination, as well as suspicious activity reporting. Some of the duties of the TLOs at LCSO include training agency personnel, citizen awareness training, filtering potential terrorism related reports, filing reports with CIAC, maintaining constant contact with CIAC, as well as disseminating criminal and terrorism related information to the field units in Patrol, Investigations, and Jail Operations.
"IF YOU SEE SOMETHING SAY SOMETHING" is part of a nation-wide educational campaign to urge citizens to report suspicious activity, persons, and or vehicles and to be aware of possible terrorism indicators. This program has been instrumental in stopping not only acts of terrorism, but acts of violence by local citizens.
If you have a suspicious incident to report please call the Larimer County Sheriff's Office at 970-416-1985 (non-emergency dispatch line), 911 (for emergencies), or the Colorado Information Analysis Center at 1-877-509-CIAC (2422).
If you would like to have one of our TLO’s present to your business, club, religious community, or neighborhood call Barbara Bennett, TLO, at 970-682-0597 or email at bennetbe@larimer.org to schedule a presentation.
If you have concerns about a friend or relative that is exhibiting signs of troubling behavior, please call our communications center at 970-416-1985, provide your information and ask for a TLO to contact you to address your concerns, If your concerns are imminent, please call 911. You are our first line of defense.
