The city known as the Crossroads of the South is also the crossroads for violent international organized criminal groups smuggling weapons, people, and drugs between the United States and Mexico. The amount of illegal activity that affects the city is so vast that no single agency has the resources to combat the criminal networks at work here, and that is the reason for the widely recognized importance of inter-agency cooperation. The Jackson Police Department has task forces that work in partnership with these federal agencies:
- FBI Task Force
- ATF Task Force
- High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force
- DEA Task Force
The Mississippi Office of Homeland Security also collaborates with the state’s Department of Public Safety and the Mississippi Highway Patrol Office of Emergency Operations on the local level at several strategic locations and command centers throughout Jackson. Through cooperation, those entrusted with homeland security careers in Jackson cover all the bases at the local, state, and federal levels, providing the necessary expertise to significantly disrupt criminal networks.
Choosing the Right Homeland Security Degree and Certification Program
Degrees and certification in homeland security are widely available in Jackson through public, private, and online institutions. In the Jackson area, the following homeland security degrees and certification programs are available:
- Associate and bachelor degrees in:
- Information Technology
- Homeland Security
- Emergency Management
- Psychology
- Forensics
- Foreign Languages
- Law Enforcement
- Certification programs in:
- Sensitive Security Information
- Intelligence Analyst
- National Threat Analyst
- Homeland Security
- Anti-Sabotage
Terrorism and Smuggling in Jackson
Although Jackson has been fortunate enough not to have experienced any large-scale terrorist attacks, that does not mean residents needn’t worry. Not too long ago Mississippi saw its first case of terrorist charges against two suspects who were plotting to sell fake identifications to members of a foreign terrorist organization. Good detective work culminated in the arrest of the two men, who were likely busted in an undercover ops sting, although prosecutors could not reveal specific details citing security reasons. Training for homeland security careers in Jackson prepares agents for all the aspects of such an operation, including electronic monitoring, and wireless surveillance.
In an even more recent event, a Jackson judge sentenced a man for human trafficking in a case prosecuted based on evidence gathered in a joint investigation conducted by the Mississippi Highway Patrol and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. The perpetrator plead guilty to trafficking nine aliens to various locations for profit, thanks to the overwhelming quality of evidence gathered by officials working to make Jackson a safer place. Because of the high level of different types of skill required in this field, agents have a variety of choices when it comes to obtaining homeland security degrees and certification in Jackson.