U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), which was recognized in the 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced a massive, record-breaking seizure of counterfeit Super Bowl merchandise in Miami on Thursday, worth an estimated $123 million if it were it authentic.

The seizures of more than 176,000 counterfeit sports-related items, were part of Operation Team Player, an ongoing effort developed by the HSI-led Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Center in a collaborative enforcement operation targeting international shipments of counterfeit merchandise into the United States.

Operation Team Player targeted the illegal importation and distribution of counterfeit sports merchandise, and were revealed in Miami, Florida, at a joint press conference with the National Football League (NFL), HSI, CBP and the Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD).

“Every day, cargo containers containing billions of dollars’ worth of counterfeit goods enter the United States through its land, sea and air ports of entry,” explained HSI-led IPR Center Director Steve Francis.

“This year’s record-breaking ‘Operation Team Player’ results affirm HSI’s commitment to protecting American consumers, the economy, and legitimate business, by ensuring Super Bowl 54 is not compromised by transnational criminal networks exploiting fan enthusiasm for illicit profits.”

“Sports fans from around the world, who’ve spent their hard-earned money to support their favorite NFL team, deserve to receive genuine, high-quality officially licensed merchandise in return.”

(More than 176,000 counterfeit sports-related items, worth an estimated $123 million manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP), were seized last week through a collaborative enforcement operation targeting international shipments of counterfeit merchandise into the United States. Courtesy of ICE and YouTube. Posted on Jan 30, 2020.)

Special agents from HSI teamed with industry, CBP, Miami-Dade police officers and other partner agencies to identify flea markets, retail outlets and street vendors selling counterfeit goods during the week leading up to Super Bowl LIV (54).

Agents and officers targeted flea markets, retail outlets and street vendors during the week leading up to Super Bowl LIV, seizing counterfeit jewelry, hats, phones, jerseys along with thousands of other fake items prepared to be sold to unsuspecting consumers.

“Operation Team Player remains one of the most important national initiatives for protecting sports fans from the sale of counterfeit products and counterfeit tickets,” added NFL Vice President of Legal Affairs, Dolores DiBella.

“The joint efforts of the NFL, the IPR Center, HSI, CBP, and Miami area law enforcement have helped ensure that Super Bowl LIV remains an authentic and outstanding experience for our fans.”

“The NFL is committed to supporting these anti-counterfeiting and consumer protection measures, and extends its gratitude for the year-round support of law enforcement partners who drove the success of Operation Team Player.”

Last year, HSI announced that enforcement actions related to Operation Team Player resulted in the seizure of $24.2 million worth of counterfeit sports-merchandise.

Enforcement actions related to this year’s operation led to a 400% increase in the overall MSRP of seized goods from Super Bowl 53.

Throughout the year, the IPR Center led coordinated efforts with major sporting leagues to target contraband that impacts the economy, enables additional criminality and poses potential health and safety hazards to the public, having started at the conclusion of last year’s Super Bowl.

Christopher D. Maston, CBP Miami International Airport Port Director said, “To protect both private industry and consumers, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has made IPR enforcement a priority trade issue.”

“We have developed a multi-layered, strategic approach to IPR enforcement, that uses technology to increase interdiction of fake goods, facilitate partnerships with industry and enhance enforcement efforts through the sharing of information and intelligence.”

“We are honored to be working with a far-reaching network of law enforcement partners, public safety agencies and stakeholders to support efforts enforcing the nation’s Intellectual Property Rights laws in Miami for Super Bowl 54.”

“When fans spend their hard earned money on NFL tickets and merchandise, they deserve the real deal,” said MDPD Maj. Eric Garcia.

“The Miami-Dade Police Department is fully committed to collaborating and partnering with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners to proactively enforce laws related to counterfeit merchandise in order to protect businesses and consumers.”

The IPR Center (formally codified in the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015), is one of the U.S. government’s key weapons in the fight against criminal counterfeiting and piracy.

The center uses the expertise of its 25 member agencies to share information, develop initiatives, coordinate enforcement actions, and conduct investigations related to intellectual property theft and its enforcement of international trade laws.

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Unit (HRVWCU) were Honored in 2018 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards

• ‘Excellence in Homeland Security’

• Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Unit (HRVWCU)

• The HRVWCC is comprised of ICE HSI’s Human Rights Violators and War Crimes Unit, ICE’s Human Rights Law Section, FBI’s International Human Rights Unit and HRSP.

• Established in 2009, the HRVWCC furthers the government’s efforts to identify, locate and prosecute human rights abusers in the United States, including those who are known or suspected to have participated in persecution, war crimes, genocide, torture, extrajudicial killings, female genital mutilation and the use or recruitment of child soldiers.

2019 ‘ASTORS’ Government Excellence Award Recipients Include:

Commissioner William J. Bratton

• 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Person of the Year

• Extraordinary Leadership in Homeland Security & Public Service

• Commissioner William (Bill) Bratton, one of the world’s most respected and trusted experts on risk and security issues and Executive Chairman of Teneo Risk a global advisory firm, was recognized as the ‘2019 ‘ASTORS’ Person of the Year’ for his Lifetime of Dedication and Extraordinary Leadership in Homeland Security and Public Safety.

• Commission Bratton, delivered an impassioned and compelling keynote address at the 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Luncheon,  as he walked attendees through 50 years of American policing history, the impacts on the communities, and the evolution of critical communication capabilities in our post 9/11 landscape.

• The Commissioner is widely sought by both national and international news outlets, law enforcement agencies, industry leading Fortune 500 companies and public safety agencies for his insight and vast expertise relating to crime, public safety, counterterrorism, risk mitigation, crisis management, and first responders interoperability (i.e., federal, state and local law enforcement, fire, EMS, health, hospitals) in the event of a critical incident or emergency.

• Over the course of his 46-year career in law enforcement, he instituted progressive change and achieved dramatic decreases in crime while leading six police departments, which includes seven years as Chief of Police for LAPD, and two consecutive terms as Police Commissioner of the City of New York, driving down crime, improving public safety, and working to strengthen community relations while in each post.

• As Executive Chairman of Teneo Risk, Commission Bratton regularly counsels clients on risk identification, prevention, and response, with an emphasis on six key areas which includes: cybersecurity, critical infrastructure protection, counterterrorism, health advisory, internal threat mitigation, and crisis management.

John F. Clark, CEO of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)

• Excellence in Public Safety

• Mr. John F. Clark was with the United States Marshals Service (USMS) for 28 years, serving as head of the USMS from 2006-2011.

 

• Prior to the USMS, Mr. Clark served with the United States Capitol Police and United States Border Patrol.

• He has served as the Chief Executive Officer of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) since 2015, where he has led a complete transformation of the organization.

• NCMEC is unique as an non-profit organization in that it has certain Congressionally established mandates such as the CyberTipLine, which is the nation’s 9-1-1 reporting mechanism for reporting potential child exploitation, child pornography and missing children.

(Hear from John Clark, president and the CEO of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, on Operation Cross Country X, and the importance of working together to fight child exploitation and sex trafficking. Courtesy of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and YouTube.)

Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

• Excellence in Homeland Security

• The National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Initiative

• The National Prescription Drug Take Back Day hosted by the DEA and its national, tribal and community partners aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications.

• In response to the dramatic increase in America’s teens use of vaping devices, the DEA for the first time on Saturday, October 26, 2019 began accept vaping devices and cartridges at all of its drop off locations across the nation.

(Hear directly from Acting DEA Administrator Uttam Dhillon. According to the CDC, almost 400,000 Americans died from prescription and illicit opioid overdoses between 1999 and 2017. In 2017, more than 2.1 million Americans were addicted to opioids. Courtesy of CBS This Morning and YouTube. Posted on Oct 22, 2019.)

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate

• • Excellence in Public Safety

  • Next Generation First Responder (NGFR) Program

• The Next Generation First Responder (NGFR) Program works with first responders across the country to ensure the technology they use while responding to an emergency keeps them better protected, connected and fully aware.

• These cutting-edge technologies will improve emergency response time and accelerate decision-making to save more lives.

• NGFR is comprised of more than 40 research and development projects geared towards making responders better protected, connected and fully aware.

(The DHS S&T Next Generation First Responder (NGFR) Program recently partnered with public safety agencies from the City of Birmingham and Jefferson County, Alabama, for the NGFR Birmingham Shaken Fury Operational Experimentation (OpEx). The OpEx assessed first responder technologies that addressed the region’s public safety capability gaps to help ready agencies for the World Games 2021 and unexpected natural disasters. Courtesy of DHS S&T and YouTube. Posted on Oct 24, 2019.)

Federal Protective Service in Collaboration with the Argonne National Laboratory

• Best Big Data Analytics Solution

• Federal Protective Service Threat Assessment Report

• The Federal Protective Service Threat Assessment Report (TAR) is an automated, human-in-the-loop, machine learning (ML) new threat and vulnerability assessment framework that has significant, long-term impact for FPS and the greater national security community. 

• The new process uses hundreds of data points, including facility-specific information; historical threat-incident data; and external, open-source data (e.g., census and income information) for a data inform set of over 250 factors which guide the determination of a federal facility’s most likely threats.

Dean C. Alexander

• Excellence in Homeland Security

• Mr. Dean Alexander is the Director, Homeland Security Research Program & Professor at Western Illinois University.

• Mr. Alexander is a regular guest contributor to American Security Today.

• Prof. Alexander’s teaching, research, and speaking activities encompass terrorism, security, and legal issues.

• He has lectured in ten countries, including to law enforcement and military officials at North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), U.S. State Department, and National Intelligence University events.

United States Postal Inspection Service

• Excellence in Homeland Security

• Office of Investigations

• The United States Postal Inspection Service is the law enforcement arm of the United States Postal Service with jurisdiction of “crimes that may adversely affect or fraudulently use the U.S. Mail, the postal system or postal employees.”

• Their mission is to support and protect the U.S. Postal Service, its employees, infrastructure, and customers by enforcing the laws that defend the nation’s mail system from illegal or dangerous use.

• To protect the mail and to maintain the integrity of postal processes and personnel, the Postal Service relies on the investigative efforts of OIG special agents.

(The Postal Inspectors, Postal Police and Professional, Technical and Administrative staff of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service work hard every day to protect the mail. Hear from them how they do it. Courtesy of the U. S. Postal Inspection Service and YouTube. Posted on Oct 15, 2019.)

DHS S&T National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (NUSTL)

• Excellence in Public Safety

• Responder RAD Preparedness

• Responder RAD Preparedness – DHS Science and Technology Directorate, National Urban Security Technology Laboratory, in partnership with FEMA & the Department of Energy, & National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) provides guidance and exercises for first responders and emergency managers on how to plan for the first minutes of an radiological dispersal device, or “dirty bomb,” detonation.

• A radiological dispersal device (RDD), or ‘dirty bomb,’ detonation in a local jurisdiction will have significant consequences for public safety, responder health and critical infrastructure operations.

• First responders and emergency managers must quickly assess the hazard, issue protective action recommendations, triage and treat the injured, and secure the scene in support of the individuals, families and businesses in the impacted community.

(S&T’s National Urban Security Technology Laboratory collaborated with first responders, DOE, and FEMA to publish the “Radiological Dispersal Device (RDD) Response Guidance: Planning for the First 100 Minutes.” Courtesy of DHS S&T and YouTube. Posted on Apr 1, 2019.)

DHS S&T Office of Mission and Capability Support

• Excellence in Public Safety

• The FOVEA (Forensic Video Exploitation and Analysis) Tool Suite

• The FOVEA (Forensic Video Exploitation and Analysis) Tool Suite is an add-on suite of analytic tools for the forensic review of video in large-scale surveillance systems, developed by MIT Lincoln Laboratory under the DHS S&T Office of Mission and Capability Support (MCS) Surface Transportation Explosive Threat Detection (STETD) Program for Complex investigations.

• Surface transportation such as subway systems can be a unique security challenge due to the large crowds of travelers and the open, unstructured environment.

• S&T is developing technology to detect potential threat items on persons and in bags without negatively impacting the speed of travel – to solve the complex challenge of protecting subways and rail systems from attacks.

• The FOVEA tool allows public safety agencies to speed up the process of reviewing and analyzing security footage in the aftermath of an attack or during an event of interest by creating a summarized video that can be hundreds of times shorter than the original video, well beyond what can be observed via fast forward.

• A path reconstruction tool guides the operator to the next relevant camera view, allowing the operator to quickly follow a person through many cameras and assemble a composite video of the activity, and a prototype of this tool has been deployed to two mass transit facilities and integrated into their video management systems.

Grant Coffey

• Excellence in Public Safety

• Portland Fire & Rescue Hazmat Team Coordinator (Ret), CBRNE Industry Expert, Guest Author and FLIR Systems Brand Ambassador

• With over 37 years in the Fire/Hazmat Industry, Mr. Coffey is focused on using his skills and experience to train and educate first responders and hazmat professionals.

• As Director of Tribute to Honor, Mr. Coffey says he is dedicated to “Helping Those That Helped Us” – responder, military heroes, and their families.

(How often do you expose your equipment to hazardous conditions on the job? And can you claim to have never dropped an expensive tool? In FLIR PRIMED episode 36, Grant Coffey explains important rugged features your equipment should have, and how these features are rated according to international standards. Courtesy of FLIR Systems and YouTube.

• FLIR PRIMED (Prepare, Recognize, Input, Monitor, Experience, Decision) Online CBRNE Training Video Series by FLIR Systems was recognized in the 2017 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program.

United States Marshals Service

• • Excellence in Public Safety

  • Fugitive Task Forces

  • The U.S. Marshals Service currently leads 60 Regional fugitive task forces which combine the efforts of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to locate and apprehend the most dangerous fugitives and assist in high profile investigations. 

(See a brief introduction to the United States Marshals Service narrated by John Walsh from America’s Most Wanted. Courtesy of Shane T. McCoy and YouTube.)

Sheriff Tom Knight, Sarasota County Sheriff (FL)

• Excellence in Public Safety

• Sheriff Tom Knight

• Sheriff Tom Knight, the 10th Sheriff of Sarasota County, has served since January 6, 2009, following a 20 year career with the Florida Highway Patrol.

• He has demonstrated a lifetime of devotion to public safety and protecting children from abuse and exploitation, most recently with Operation Intercept VI a 4-day initiative focused on protecting Sarasota County children from online predators and human trafficking which resulted in the arrest of 25 child predators.

(Suspects ranging in age from 19-65 responded to Internet-based ads, online apps and social media sites to engage in sexually explicit written and verbal conversations. One of the suspects rode a three-wheel bicycle to the home while in possession of cocaine and another brought with him two firearms and several narcotics. One man attempted to lure the child into his vehicle while several sent explicit photos and brought condoms with them. Ultimately all 25 arrestees traveled with the intent of having sex with a male or female child. Courtesy of the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office and YouTube. Posted on Jul 26, 2019.)

Dr. Sean Lawler

• Excellence in Homeland Security

• Supervisory Special Agent
  for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

• Dr. Sean Lawler is a Supervisory Special Agent with the US Drug Enforcement Administration. SSA Lawler was previously assigned to work international narcotics investigations in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area and he currently is assigned as the Aviation Division’s Training Officer/Chief Instructor Pilot.

• Additionally, SSA Lawler serves as a DEA Primary Firearms Instructor, Tactical Instructor, Tactical Emergency Medical Technician, and Active Shooter Instructor.

• Prior to joining DEA, SSA Lawler was a Major in the US Air Force, where he served as an Instructor Pilot, Human Intelligence (HUMINT) Case Officer, and Combat Interrogator.

• The Aviation Division’s mission is to provide aviation support to operational and intelligence elements within DEA and the law enforcement community to detect, locate, identify, and assess illicit narcotics-related trafficking activities.

• Aviation support is critical to DEA’s strategic goal of disrupting and dismantling drug trafficking organizations that have a significant impact on America’s illegal drug availability.

United States Border Patrol

• • Excellence in Homeland Security

  • Border Patrol, Search, Trauma and Rescue (BORSTAR)

  • The Border Patrol, Search, Trauma and Rescue (BORSTAR) Unit is a specialized unit of the United States Border Patrol trained in emergency search and rescue & primarily assists injured or stranded migrants who enter the United States illegally from Mexico at remote desert locations.

(John Welter, a Border Patrol agent in the San Diego sector, explains how a little-known team called the Border Patrol Search, Trauma, and Rescue Unit, or BORSTAR, has largely gone under the radar. Courtesy of The Daily Signal and YouTube.) 

Dr. Konstantinos Papazoglou and Dr. Daniel M. Blumberg

• Excellence in Scientific Research

• Co Authors of ‘Power: Police Officer Wellness, Ethics, and Resilience’

• ‘Power: Police Officer Wellness, Ethics, and Resilience’ collectively presents the numerous psychic wounds experienced by peace officers in the line of duty, including compassion fatigue, moral injury, PTSD, operational stress injury, organizational and operational stress, and loss.

• Drs. Papazoglou, a Postdoctoral Scholar, Yale School of Medicine Affiliated Researcher, Teachers College – Columbia University of New York, and Blumberg, a licensed clinical psychologist who has spent the past 33 years providing all facets of clinical and consulting psychological services to numerous local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, describe the negative repercussions of these psychic wounds in law enforcement decision-making, job performance, job satisfaction, and families.

• The book encompasses evidence-based strategies to assist law enforcement agencies in developing policy programs to promote wellness for their personnel.

• The evidence-based techniques presented allow officers to get a more tangible and better understanding of the techniques so that they apply those techniques when on and off-duty.

• The book is an excellent resource for police professionals, police wellness coordinators, early career researchers, mental health professionals who provide services to law enforcement officers and their families, and graduate students in psychology, forensic psychology, and criminal justice.

The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey Police

• Excellence in Public Safety

• The Port Authority Police Department (PAPD), protects and to enforces laws at PANYNJ facilities including airports, seaports, and bridges and tunnels, plus three bus terminals, the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan, and the PATH train system.

• The PAPD is the largest transit-related police force in the United States.

(Media Relation’s Rudy King photographs a recent training climb by the ESU up the George Washington Bridge and interviews a member of the elite squad afterward.. Courtesy of New York City Department of Correction and YouTube.)

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)

• Excellence in Public Safety

• The CyberTipLine

• The NCMEC congressionally mandated CyberTipline is a reporting mechanism for cases of child sexual exploitation including child pornography, online enticement of children for sex acts, molestation of children outside the family, sex tourism of children, child victims of prostitution, and unsolicited obscene material sent to a child available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.

(After over 20 years in operation, the NCMEC CyberTipline has received more than 45.2 million reports of suspected child sexual exploitation – more than half of those in just the last two years. Recognizing this explosive growth, Congress unanimously passed, and the president signed, a new law to streamline the CyberTipline process and tackle new trends we’re seeing in child sexual exploitation. Courtesy of NCMEC and YouTube. Posted on Jan 23, 2019.)

United States Marine Corps

• Best Cyber Security Program for Government or Military

• U.S. Marine Corps 1700 Cyberspace Operations

• The U.S. Marine Corps 1700 Cyberspace Operations Occupational Field cyberspace workforce works to compete successfully on future battlefields & adapt to the rising threat of near-peer adversaries like Russia and China.

• Additionally, these positions support “the maturation of the Marine Corps’ cyberspace workforce through the establishment of specific career paths, standardized training continuum, and mechanisms to retain trained and qualified Marines within the cyberspace community.”

(See how the new 17XX military occupational speciality is revolutionizing how we do cyber security. Courtesy of the Marines and YouTube.)

Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (PA)

• • Excellence in Homeland Security

• Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (PA) is being recognized for his work on aviation security H.R. 91– Saracini Enhanced Aviation Safety Act of 2019 which would require the installation of secondary cockpit barriers on existing aircraft, and for other purposes.

• Fitzpatrick is a former Special Assistant United States Attorney and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) supervisory special agent in California.

• At the FBI, he served as a national supervisor for the Bureau’s Public Corruption Unit, and led the agency’s Campaign Finance and Election Crimes Enforcement program.

• During his time in the FBI, he spent time in Kiev, Ukraine, Mosul, Iraq and Washington, D.C. He was embedded with U.S. Special Forces as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Personnel Management (OPM)

• Excellence in Public Safety

• Federal Risk Management Process Training Program

• The Federal Risk Management Process Training Program is  Interagency Security Committee certified for Facility Security Officials, Federal Security Supervisors and those involved with Federal facility acquisition, construction, and renovation projects.

• On October 19, 1995, six months after the Oklahoma City bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, President Clinton issued Executive Order 12977, creating the Interagency Security Committee (ISC) to address continuing government-wide security for federal facilities.

  Prior to 1995, minimum physical security standards did not exist for nonmilitary federally owned or leased facilities.

New York State Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services (NYS DHSES)

• Excellence in Public Safety

• NYS Unmanned Aircraft Systems/Drone Training Program

• The NYS Unmanned Aircraft Systems/Drone Training Program helps to safely and effectively leverage UAS in support of the agency’s mission & includes UAS training courses created to help agencies develop their own UAS programs and train UAS Operators.

• One component of the DHSES UAS Program is series of UAS training courses created to help agencies develop their own UAS programs and train UAS Operators.

• The UAS training programs range from basic awareness level training about UAS operations to advanced operator curriculum involving flying UAS in realistic, tactical scenarios. 

Ewart Williams

• Excellence in Homeland Security

• Mr. Williams is an Adjunct Professor for New Jersey City University tailoring courses and mentoring the next generation of National Security and Intelligence professionals.

• The NJCU Professional Security Studies Department has been designated by the National Security Agency (NSA) as a National Center of Academic Excellence.

• The National Security Agency’s program goal is to “reduce vulnerability in our national information infrastructure by promoting higher education and research in Information Assurance (IA) and producing a growing number of professionals with IA expertise in various disciplines. Certification… assure(s) the very finest preparation of professionals entrusted with securing our critical information.”

• Mr. Williams works in this framework teaching courses in National Security and Intelligence Programs.

Stanley I. White

• Excellence in Homeland Security

• International Association for Counterrorism & Security Professionals (IACSP)

• As Counterintelligence Advisor Mr. Stanley I. White collects intelligence (OSINT, HUMINT and other available sources) and analyzes the subject information using SWOT techniques.

• His skillset also includes basic Israeli Security methodologies, counter elicitation, anti-surveillance, personal awareness, Keysource Intelligence collection as well as holding certifications as a Protection Specialist, Behavioral Detection and Anti-Terrorism Officer.

• He is also internationally published over the last 18 years on the topics of personal protection/security, intelligence, counterintelligence, hand to hand combat and defensive tactics.

For a complete list of award winners, click here.

The 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program

The 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program surpassed expectations with a record number of nominations received from industry leaders and government agencies, and drew over 200 attendees to the ‘ASTORS’ Awards Presentation Banquet – an exclusive gourmet luncheon and networking opportunity which filled to capacity, before having to turn away late registrants.

The event featured an impassioned and compelling keynote address by William J. Bratton, former police commissioner of the New York Police Department (NYPD) twice, the Boston Police Department (BPD), and former chief of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), as he walked attendees through 50 years of American policing history, the impacts on the communities, and the evolution of critical communication capabilities in our post 9/11 landscape.

Commissioner Bratton, one of the world’s most respected and trusted experts on risk and security issues and Executive Chairman of Teneo Risk a global advisory firm, was recognized as the ‘2019 ‘ASTORS’ Person of the Year’ for his Lifetime of Dedication and Extraordinary Leadership in Homeland Security and Public Safety.

Why the 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program?

American Security Today’s comprehensive Annual Homeland Security Awards Program is organized to recognize the most distinguished vendors of physical, IT, port security, law enforcement, and first responders, in acknowledgment of their outstanding efforts to ‘Keep our Nation Secure, One City at a Time.’

Over 200 distinguished guests representing Federal, State and Local Governments, and Industry Leading Corporate Firms, gathered from across North America, Europe and the Middle East to be honored among their peers in their respective fields which included: 

• The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
• National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)
• United States Marine Corps
• The Federal Protective Service (FPS)
• Argonne National Laboratory (ANL)
• United States Postal Inspection Service
• DHS S&T 
• United States Marshals Service (USMS)
• The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey Police (PAPD)
• The Department of Justice (DOJ)
• The New York State Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Services (NYS DHSES)
• United States Border Patrol
• AlertMedia, Ameristar Perimeter Security, Attivo Networks, Automatic Systems, Bellevue University, BriefCam, Canon U.S.A., CornellCookson, Drone Aviation, FLIR Systems, Hanwha Techwin, HID Global, IPVideo Corp., Konica Minolta Business Solutions, LenelS2, ManTech, Regroup Mass Notifications, SafeLogic, SolarWinds, Senstar, ShotSpotter, Smiths Detection, TCOM LP, Trackforce, Verint, and More!

Why American Security Today?

The traditional security marketplace has long been covered by a host of publications putting forward the old school basics to what is Today – a fast changing security landscape.

The traditional security marketplace has long been covered by a host of publications putting forward the old school basics to what is Today – a fast changing security landscape.

American Security Today is uniquely focused on the broader Homeland Security & Public Safety marketplace with over 75,000 readers at the Federal, State and local levels of government as well as firms allied to government.

American Security Today brings forward a fresh compelling look and read with our customized digital publications that hold readers eyes throughout the story with cutting edge editorial that provides solutions to their challenges.

Harness the Power of the Web – with our 100% Mobile Friendly Publications

The AST Digital Publications is distributed to over 75,000 qualified government and homeland security professionals in federal, state and local levels.

‘PROTECTING OUR NATION, ONE CITY AT A TIME’

AST Reaches both Private & Public Experts, essential to meeting these new challenges.

Today’s new generation of public safety and security experts need real-time knowledge to deal with domestic and international terrorism, lone wolf attacks, unprecedented urban violence, shifts in society, culture and media bias – making it increasingly difficult for Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, First Responders, Military and Private Security Professionals to implement coordinated security measures to ensure national security and improve public safety.

These experts are from Government at the federal, state and local level as well as from private firms allied to government.

AST provides a full plate of topics in our AST Monthly Magazine Editions, AST Website and AST Daily News Alerts, covering 23 Vital Sectors such as Access Control, Perimeter Protection, Video Surveillance/Analytics, Airport Security, Border Security, CBRNE Detection, Border Security, Ports, Cybersecurity, Networking Security, Encryption, Law Enforcement, First Responders, Campus Security, Security Services, Corporate Facilities, and Emergency Response among others.

AST has Expanded readership into integral Critical Infrastructure audiences such as Protection of Nuclear Facilities, Water Plants & Dams, Bridges & Tunnels, and other potential targets of terrorism.

Other areas of concern include Transportation Hubs, Public Assemblies, Government Facilities, Sporting & Concert Stadiums, our Nation’s Schools & Universities, and Commercial Business Destinations – all enticing targets due to the large number of persons and resources clustered together.

To learn more about the 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Award Winners solutions, please go to the 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Championship Edition Fully Interactive Magazine – the Best Products of 2019 ‘A Year in Review’.

The ‘ASTORS’ Champion Edition is published annually and includes a review of the ‘ASTORS’ Award Winning products and programs, highlighting key details on many of the winning firms products and services, includes video interviews and more.

It is your Go-To source throughout the year for ‘The Best of 2019 Products and Services‘ endorsed by American Security Today, and can satisfy your agency’s and organization’s most pressing Homeland Security and Public Safety needs.

From Physical Security (Access Control, Critical Infrastructure, Perimeter Protection and Video Surveillance Cameras and Video Management Systems), to IT Security (Cybersecurity, Encryption, Data Storage, Anti-Malware and Networking Security – Just to name a few), the 2019 ‘ASTORS’ CHAMPIONS EDITION will have what you need to Detect, Delay, Respond to, and Mitgate today’s real-time threats in our constantly evolving security landscape.

It also includes featured guest editorial pieces from some of the security industry’s most respected leaders, and recognized firms in the 2019 ‘ASTORS’ Awards Program.

For information about advertising opportunities with American Security Today, please contact Michael Madsen, AST Publisher at mmadsen@americansecuritytoday.com.

AST strives to meet a 3 STAR trustworthiness rating, based on the following criteria:

• Provides named sources
• Reported by more than one notable outlet
• Includes supporting video, direct statements, or photos

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