Following the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1995, the U.S. Attorney General asked the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) to develop a counter-terrorism training program for law enforcement in the United States. Developed together with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the SLATT Program was designed to provide instruction to enable state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement to recognize the precursor indicators of terrorist activity in order to help prevent acts of terrorism in the United States.
The threat posed by terrorism—both international and domestic—has evolved significantly since 9/11. As the threat to the United States and U.S. interests evolves, we must adapt and confront these challenges by building partnerships that support the detection and response to threats of terrorism, targeted violence, and hate crimes.
Our nation’s law enforcement officers and criminal justice practitioners must have the proper training and resources to effectively address current and emerging threats within the homeland. The SLATT Program utilizes a multidisciplinary approach to deliver timely and relevant training that educates participants; emphasizes community trust; advocates for accountability and transparency; and safeguards the protection of privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties.
The SLATT Program offers an initial introduction to countering terrorism, targeted violence, and hate crimes for many law enforcement and criminal justice practitioners. The curriculum is designed to enhance their understanding of complex threats and their critical role in enabling community trust and transparency as a core component of our nation’s counterterrorism, targeted violence, and hate crime prevention strategies.
BJA believes that by working together, law enforcement and community partners serve as the front line of defense, and BJA is committed to supporting this partnership within the framework of the Constitution.
Since its inception in 1996, the SLATT Program has trained nearly 427,250 law enforcement professionals throughout the country.
