Police chief returns from counterterrorism training.

Harrell with an Israeli police commander at the Israeli Police’s Bomb Disposal Division.

By Accessmilton.com

Milton Police Chief Deborah Harrell has returned from an intensive two weeks of public safety training conducted by Israeli police.

Harrell traveled to Israel as part of a 14-member delegation of public safety officials from Georgia who studied best practices in counterterrorism, emergency management, and other types of public safety and homeland security strategies through the Georgia International Law Enforcement Exchange (GILEE).

“This was an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and a transformative experience,” said Harrell, who was hand-picked for the program. “I gained unparalleled knowledge of practices I would have had no exposure to before the trip.”
GILEE was founded prior to Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Games as a joint program between Georgia State University and the state’s law enforcement community. The program continuously works to improve public safety in Georgia and the nation by enhancing inter-agency cooperation and educational training among and world’s top law enforcement communities, with Israel a principal partner in this exchange.

Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, GILEE has provided more than 800 senior law enforcement officials worldwide – more than half from Georgia – critical knowledge in current public safety practices through more than 200 peer-to-peer training exchanges. More than 15,000 public and private leaders in law enforcement and public safety have attended GILEE’s special briefings, such as the annual Business Continuity Summit.

“I am an avid supporter of GILEE,” said GBI Director Vernon Keenan, a 1993 graduate of GILEE’s training exchange. “When we send our men and women into critical incidents, it is too late to worry about whether we have trained them properly. GILEE delegations gain valuable, peer-to-peer training with international partners where they are exposed to new techniques, new skills and new ideas – many that validate the public safety practices we use here.”