The Business Watch Program

About the Program

Category: Criminal Justice and Public Safety (Best in Category)

Year: 2010

Created by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Airport Operations Division Training Team, this unique Business Watch Program specifically focuses on anti-terrorism. The program is a collaborative effort between local businesses and law enforcement. The program’s focus is to educate citizens on the current threat of terrorism, as well as to inspire an active awareness of suspicious activity in an effort to help prevent incidents. Homeland Security, the FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Force have endorsed the Orange County Sheriff’s Department efforts to share information that is developed from resources created by the program. There are three major components of the initiative: an introductory 30 minute course, continuous monthly informational updates and an annual mock emergency training exercise designed to facilitate contingency planning. The goal is a train-the-trainer approach, where attendees bring the knowledge back to their workgroups, thereby increasing the effectiveness of these anti-terrorism efforts. Open communication with the employees who received the course and Law Enforcement has been facilitated through e-mail and follow up personal visits.