ICE/IACP hold state and local symposium to forge partnerships
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) held an inaugural ICE State and Local Symposium Oct. 22 in Chicago, Illinois, in advance of the annual IACP Annual Conference and Exposition. The symposium was the result of a joint ICE and IACP effort to leverage the annual gathering of law enforcement leaders.
In addition to the seminars, ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Executive Associate Director (EAD) Peter T. Edge and IACP President Richard Beary, who also serves as the University of Central Florida Police Department chief of police, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to establish the “Visiting Law Enforcement Fellow Program.” This MOU will enable ICE to assign an HSI special agent to the IACP for one year, to provide HSI support to critical IACP policy work and on state and local law enforcement engagement. This is a first for both ICE and IACP and it is envisioned that the detail will result in increased coordination between ICE and IACP.
EAD Edge and Chief Beary each gave welcoming remarks to attendees, including ICE personnel, state and local police chiefs from across the country, international law enforcement leaders and other high-level state and local law enforcement officials.
“Many of our state and local law enforcement partners are familiar with several particular aspects of HSI’s portfolio,” said EAD Edge. “The goal of the symposium was to give a broad overview of ICE, as well as more in-depth information regarding mission-specific areas in which ICE enforces federal laws governing border control, customs, trade and immigration, and how ICE and our state and local partners can assist one another in furthering public safety and the security of the homeland.”
During the symposium, ICE leaders provided state and local law enforcement with overviews of several priority investigative areas, ranging from cybercrime, financial investigations, intellectual property theft, counterfeiting and the Department of Homeland Security’s Southern Border Campaign, of which HSI supports as the Department’s primary federal investigative agency. The intention of the symposium was to use these sessions as a means to discuss solutions and ways to better work in partnership to combat current and emerging threats.
HSI presentations were given by Michael Prado, acting associate deputy assistant director, Cyber Crimes Center and Forensics Laboratory; Mark A. Witzal, assistant director, Investigative Programs; Joseph W. Burke, unit chief, Bulk Cash Smuggling Center; Lev J. Kubiak, assistant director, International Operations; Vince Hawkes, commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police; Bruce Foucart, assistant director, National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center; David Marwell, director, Joint Task Forces-Investigations (JTF-I) and Robert Hammer, chief of staff, JTF-I.
ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) leaders discussed ICE’s Priority Enforcement Program, the Law Enforcement Notification System and also provided information regarding the Criminal Alien Program, the Law Enforcement Support Center and the National Fugitive Operations Program, among other topics. ERO presentations were given by: Matt Albence, assistant director, ERO and Marc Rapp, deputy assistant director, ERO Field Operations.
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