NYC Metropolitan Transit Authority

One of the organizations that organize and sponsor these trainings is the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA). JINSA is a think tank that advocates for US-Israeli security cooperation, increased domestic military spending, and military aid to Israel, and has board members with close ties to US defense contractors. JINSA launched its Law Enforcement Exchange Program (LEEP) shortly after 9/11, and since 2002 has run annual trips to Israel for US federal, state, and local law enforcement. Over 11,000 additional American law enforcement officials have attended LEEP conferences nationwide, which bring in Israeli security officials as experts.

The New York City Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) is among the transportation agencies that have sent delegates to Israel. Louis Anemone served as Chief of the New York Police Department from 1994-1999, and then as Director of Security at the MTA between 2001 and 2003. William A. Morange served as Director of Security and Deputy Executive Director of the MTA between 2003 and 2011. Anemone was on JINSA’s 2002 Board of Advisors for LEEP.  Morange attended a training in Israel with JINSA as a delegate of the LEEP program in February 2008.

Anemone is now President of Anemone Consulting, a private sector consulting firm where, according to Truthout, he “helps homeland security contractors sell their weapons and gadgets.” In 2005, Louis Anemone joined the advisory board of ICOP Digital Inc., a Kansas-based maker of mobile video surveillance systems mounted in patrol cruisers. The lack of contracts with big police departments and federal agencies had been a financial risk to the company, and according to Truthout: “As compensation “ and enticement to drum up maximum business for ICOP “ Anemone was issued warrants for 25,000 shares in the company, exercisable at $7.50 per share, according to an SEC filing. Under the deal, if Anemones reputation and contacts created enough business for the company, its stock value would rise proportionately, making his 25,000 warrants very profitable.”

In 2005, New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind secured $1.2 million in state funds for 120 closed-circuit television cameras at 9 South Brooklyn stations in his district only. He had sponsored a bill that year to allow New York State Police to focus on “Middle Easterners” while conducting terrorism prevention searches, and in 2009 he introduced legislation to allow racial profiling during “stop and frisk” searches. Hikind has held a position as New York State Assemblyman since 1982 as a Democrat for district 48 in the Borough Park neighborhood, but in 2018 he announced he would not seek reelection.