Developing Training Modules On Violent Extremism For Law Enforcement and National Security Practitioners

• In Event: Police Training: Evaluation and Development

Abstract

Access to training is a vital component of maintaining readiness for security forces in both the law enforcement and national security sectors. This study aims to pinpoint the most relevant elements of practitioner training for addressing domestic terrorism within the United States, focusing on incidents targeting government and security forces as well as minority and political groups. While the complexity and destabilizing potential of domestic terrorism is clear, the mechanisms behind successful training programs remain underexplored. Pairing the content analysis of literature on law enforcement and national security training with a dataset of more than 10,123 incidents and 5,618 perpetrators of violent far-right extremism in the United States (1990-2025), we developed and pilot tested training modules and a pre- and post-training survey to law enforcement, counterterrorism, and non-governmental organization (NGO) personnel. Preliminary results present both a need for and a desire to have practitioners participate in trainings, as well as a willingness to collaborate with educators. In addition to addressing the challenges and nuances of data-driven policing practices we discuss the implications of developing and implementing training as informed by community-oriented policing.

Author

• Katelyn Smith, University of Massachusetts Lowell