ISIS/Extremism Community Briefing Materials

This page contains links to materials for the ISIS/Extremism Community Briefing, first public presentation on 25 January 2016 in Mount Vernon, Missouri, updated for presentation in Springfield on 20 June 2016 and Mount Vernon on 09 August 2016. The briefing will consist of a talk, question/answer session, and additional reading materials. We have divided the presentation into several sub-presentations so that we can mix-and-match for different audiences and time-slots.

Licensing:
The in-house briefing materials are licensed under the Creative Commons (CC-BY-4.0) which allows a wide variety of reuse with attribution. Source materials linked here not created by us are under the copyright and license of their respective authors.

Briefing Materials

Each presentation consists of a slides PDF and a handout PDF. The handout PDF is not just a printable copy of the slides but contains additional notes, material, and sources. If you want something to print for the presentation or missed the presentation, you want the handout PDF. The LyX/Beamer source for the presentation (for creating your own brieifing) is available on request (What is Lyx/Beamer? See Linked-In article.).

• Main Presentation "ISIS?Extremism Community Briefing"
  • Working Paper/Handout [View on Scribd] [PDF download]
  • Slides [View on Scribd] [PDF download]
  • There has been significant media attention to recent suspicious activities in Missouri in the context of ISIS-announced intent to conduct attacks in the US. The Lawrence County Sheriff's Auxiliary is providing a community briefing on the potential domestic ISIS terrorism threat (and extremism generally) in the context of 4Q2015 suspicious activity in Missouri. The briefing consists of a talk, a question-and-answer session, and materials for additional reading/viewing. This is the working paper for the top-level presentation; the briefing is designed to mix and match sub-presentations going into greater detail on specific subjects.
• Sub-presentation: "What Does Terrorism Look Like and How Do We Find It?"
  • Working Paper/Handout [View on Scribd] [PDF download]
  • Slides [View on Scribd] [PDF download]
  • An overview of US domestic terrorism trends, concentrating on 1995 to present, graphs, discussion, and resources for further exploration. This working paper is intended as an introduction for either local law enforcement or the public and relies only on open source information. Some data on effective policing techniques, the impact of social media and Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) recruiting, and possible future trends are included. Although the threat from terrorism is quite real, the trends will show that it is not a catastrophic one and that traditional policing techniques and Suspicious Activity Reporting (SAR) from the community can be effective in identifying threats. A background in criminal intelligence or terrorism is not assumed, but the citations should provide material for more advanced professionals.
• Sub-Presentation: "Considerations For Suspicious Activity Reporting: Efficient, Effective, and Safe Implementation in a Rural Community"
  • Working Paper/Handout [View on Scribd] [PDF download]
  • Slides [View on Scribd] [PDF download]
  • An introduction to considerations for collecting, processing, and sorting Suspicious Activity Reports (SAR) in a small, rural community. We discuss practical, legal, and moral (civil liberties) concerns for implementation of a collection program. We also discuss potential roles for a Volunteers In Police Service (VIPS) program or sheriff's auxiliary as well as neighborhood watches. Although national recommendations are for every community to have a suspicious activity reporting structure, almost no small communities do and there are significant hurdles for efficient, effective, and safe implementation. This working paper accompanies a sub-presentation to our ISIS/Extremism Community Briefing but should also stand alone.