Peter Schorsch
Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno recently hosted executive management personnel from surrounding law enforcement agencies for the FBI Incident Management Symposium, which focuses on collaborative information sharing on critical incidents.
The September event featured speakers from the FBI Tampa Field Office and Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.
The effort is part of Marceno’s point position on creating a regional Targeted Violence Unit (TVU) along with the FBI aimed at building a multijurisdictional force that can adapt to rapidly changing threats of mass violence, as well as general community concerns.
The TVU model originated in Florida and has proven successful in building information sharing and actionable resources across law enforcement jurisdiction.
The TVU, along with events like the symposium, afford agencies the opportunity to train with the FBI and build a unit that can ensure public safety both within Lee County and throughout the Southwest Florida region.
The symposium included presentations from FBI Tampa Field Office Special Agent in Charge Matthew Fodor and Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Captain Randy Foley.
The goal was to establish priorities related to statewide information sharing on critical incidents. Resources gained include understanding the importance of initial response to incidents, after-incident debriefs among agency leaders and how to effectively reunite any victims and families impacted by the incident.
The idea that agencies compete against one another — something that has been caricatured in pop culture in shows and movies depicting local agencies groaning over turf wars — is being debunked with efforts stemming from Marceno’s Lee County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO). The LCSO notes that all first responder agencies — no matter the uniform they wear — play an integral role in ensuring safety and security among residents, businesses and visitors.
Marceno plans to announce future symposium dates soon, which will also focus on working cohesively alongside other agencies throughout the region to promote successful outcomes.
