“Towards a More Safe and Secure World:
Cooperative Efforts in
Combating Transnational Crime”
Monday, May 8:
Workshop on Multi-Jurisdictional Task Forces to Combat Transnational Crime
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Monday, May 8: Opening Remarks
Monday’s workshop opened with inspirational remarks from community partners in St. Petersburg and the US Department of State: Ms. Taylor Herman, Lt. Governor, USFSP Student Government (and World Partnerships Intern), Patti S. Helton, Ph.D., Regional Vice Chancellor for Student Success, USFSP, the Honorable Kenneth Welch, Mayor of the City of St. Petersburg, and Ms. Kate Manolakos, Chief, Europe and Eurasia Branch, Office of International Visitors, U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. As quoted in the St. Pete Catalyst, Mayor Welch observed that “the focus of the International Visitor Leadership Program conference is building a more safe and secure world. Your presence here today and collaboration, and the information sharing and the honest dialogue that will follow, is a really important step towards that goal.” |
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Monday, May 8: Workshop on Multi-Jurisdictional Task Forces to Combat Transnational Crime
This full-day workshop was devoted to exploring the development of multi-jurisdictional task forces to build cross-border cooperation and information-sharing among local, state and Federal agencies, and expanding them across international borders. Discussions included: Establishing fusion centers; building private sector partnerships; methods of deconfliction; the rise of “digital borders” and cybercrime; transnational criminal investigation units; investigative techniques and new technology; prosecutorial techniques; money laundering and financial crime by financial institutions that “service money seeking secrecy”; and collaboration with military counterterrorism task forces. |
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Thanks to SPPD Police Chief Anthony Holloway and Major Phillip Beahn for bringing together an extraordinary lineup of speakers all focused on the importance of collaboration and information-sharing at all levels of law enforcement. Speakers included:
- Assistant Chief Michael J. Kovacsev, St. Petersburg Police Department
- Mr. Mark Brutnell, Special Agent in Charge, Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE)
- Supervisory Senior Resident Agent (SSRA) FBI, Mr. Michael Donovan, FBI Tampa, Pinellas Resident Agency
- Mr. Luis Aquino, Supervisory Special Agent, Homeland Security Investigations
- Mr. Walter Moran, Supervisory Special Agent, DOD Liaison, Homeland Security Investigations
- Mr. Michael Gordon, Assistant U.S. Attorney, United States Attorney's Office-Middle District of Florida
- Ms. Cheryl D. Harrell, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Tampa Field Division / Field Operations- East, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), DHS
- Mr. Robert Mazur, former DEA undercover agent, author, and one of the world’s leading experts on financial crimes
- Sergeant Robert Virant, St. Petersburg Police Department, and Lt. Colonel, Florida Army National Guard