Louisiana State Police

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 Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is another organization that organizes and sponors these trainings. The ADL is a non-profit that works to combat anti-Semitism and advocate for Israel. In this context, the ADL runs a National Counter-Terrorism Seminar that has sent hundreds of top ranking officials to Israel to learn about combatting terror since 2003. That same year the ADL established an Advanced Training School that brings delegations of Israeli law enforcement to speak to American law enforcement officials, involving over 1,000 U.S. participants since the program began.

The State Police of Louisiana is among the departments that have sent delegates to Israel. Colonel Mike Edmonson served as Superintendent of the Louisiana State Police between 2008 and 2017. Superintendent Col. Edmonson attended a training in Israel with JINSA as a delegate of the LEEP program. In 2016, senior officials from the Louisiana State Police attended the ADL’s Advanced Training School (ATS).

In a phone interview with NOLA.com, Edmonson said the lessons he’s learned from Israeli law enforcement officers can be applied to Louisianas own security:

“We saw firsthand how they secure a mall. They survey every car that goes in. People understand that, they accept that.” – Superintendent Col. Edmonson