Protecting the life and property of their residents is the number one goal of those honored to hold homeland security jobs in Missoula. This is accomplished through the collection and analysis of intelligence, the taking of preventative actions, and collaboration with other law enforcement agencies. The city’s police department works closely with the state Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation through joint homeland security training in Missoula as well as task forces including:
- Investigations Bureau
- Narcotics Bureau
- Civil Disturbance Unit
- Explosive Ordinance Disposal
Through inter-agency collaboration the forces of homeland security’s combined strength are greater than its individual departments. Unfortunately threats are constantly giving officers and agents an opportunity to test their skills, as demonstrated by two recent operations.
Homeland Security Education
Candidates who are interested in a future with homeland security should consider some formal education and/or homeland security certification. There are a variety of online programs that offer a basic 15 credit-hours undergraduate homeland security certification, and include classes like:
- Fundamentals of Homeland Security
- Weapons of Mass Destruction
- Protection of the Nation’s Critical Infrastructure
- U.S. Border Security: Policies, Strategies and Issues
Students are eligible for this certification program if they have at least two years of work experience and have not been disciplined by any state or licensing agency in the past decade. Candidates may also be interested in obtaining a six-month graduate certification in Homeland Security, studying courses such as:
- Graduate Certificate in Security Intelligence
- Homeland Security Field Experience
- Graduate Certificate in Homeland Security Emergency Preparedness and Response
Homeland Security degrees are also offered online and from at least two locations statewide. A two-year Associate’s of Science Degree in Homeland Security requires prospective students to either have a high school diploma, GED, or already have some college credit, and includes courses such as:
- Legal and Ethical Issues in Homeland Security
- Physical Security
- Introduction to American Government
Bachelor of Science degrees in Homeland Security are available online for all Missoula residents and include instruction in:
- Homeland Security Technology
- Mitigation and Disaster Recovery
- Vulnerability and Risk Assessment
- Domestic Terrorism
Missoula’s Threats from Biker Gangs to al Qaeda
In a major operation involving countless law enforcement and investigative agencies, nine Missoula men were recently indicted as part of a larger arrest of Bandidos motorcycle gang members across the Northwest on charges ranging from weapons violations to racketeering. Because of the coordinated operation, communities can look forward to a decrease in organized crime, drug trafficking, prostitution, and the vice caused in Missoula by drug addiction and crimes to support the habit. The arrests were the result of a two-year investigation by partner agencies including:
- DEA
- ATF
- Missoula Police Department
- U.S. Marshal’s Service
- Missoula County Sheriff’s Department
Responding to a different kind of threat, agents and officers working in homeland security careers in Missoula were recently alarmed to find an al Qaeda magazine encouraging wanna-be terrorists to set forest fires in Montana. Concerned parties included members of the Missoula Police Department, Missoula County Sheriff’s Department, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Department of Justice. Law enforcement officials cautioned that they have plenty of experience catching criminals cooking meth in the forest, and would have no trouble extinguishing wildfires and bringing to justice those who started them. Furthermore, Missoulan homeland security officials actively target any al Qaeda influence in the region as a number one priority.