Learn what it takes to become a Border Patrol Agent. Training can be emotionally and physically taxing.

The latest episode of the FEDtalk podcast takes listeners on a highlights tour of the Women in Federal Law Enforcement (WIFLE) 2020 Annual Training, which was postponed due to the coronavirus until August 2021. WIFLE President Cathy Sanz, Vice President Jessie Lane, and FEDtalk host Debra Roth sat down with two conference presenters who offered webinars in place of the in-person trainings and two of the 2020 award winners from the Drug Enforcement Agency.

In an event on August 6, the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) outlined mass public attack trends and prevention strategies from their Mass Attacks in Public Spaces-2019 report. The events highlighted changes in mass public attacks from 2018 and advised law enforcement personnel on strategies for responding to and preventing future mass public attacks.

For the first time since the scorecard’s creation, none of the 24 federal agencies reviewed through the Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA) scorecard received a failing grade. The scorecard requires an agency’s Chief Information Officer (CIO) to report to agency leadership and Congress on the agency’s IT modernization efforts.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has released a memo to agency leaders regarding the implementation of the Trump Administration’s June executive order (EO) on reforming the federal hiring process to increase use of skills assessments and interviews with subject matter experts.

On July 15th, 2020, Twitter experienced a widespread hack that affected over 100 prominent Twitter accounts. There were three hackers allegedly responsible for perpetrating the attack. Mason Sheppard, aka “Chaewon,” 19, of Bognor Regis in the United Kingdom and Nima Fazeli, aka “Rolex,” 22, of Orlando, Florida were charged in criminal complaints in the Northern District of California. The third defendant is a juvenile whom the DOJ referred to the State Attorney for the 13th Judicial District in Tampa, Florida.

In this TEDx Talk, Troy Riggs discusses the possibilities of using a data-based approach to public safety based on his thirty years of experience.

Life insurance protects your family from the uncertainty of what the future holds. Your policy with WAEPA is a safeguard you put in place to provide you and your loved ones with peace of mind. This protection is both a precaution, and a crucial component of your overall financial security.

Many people know about the National Law Enforcement Memorial and Museum’s mission to remember the fallen. The nation’s only living monument to the brave men and women who died in the line of duty, the National Law Enforcement Memorial currently has the names of 22,217 fallen officers engraved on its walls. Sadly, more names are added each year as officers continue to die while trying to keep their communities safe.

U.S Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has received $15 million from the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) to update its systems relating to tracking and processing imported goods. The fund was created in 2018 through the Modernizing Government Technology Act and allows agencies to apply for funds that are to be repaid over three to five years.

In a letter to House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Financial Services and General Government, the Office of Personnel Management’s Office of the Inspector General (OPM OIG) outlined how the central management agency has failed to comply with the laws requiring OPM to provide the OIG with “timely access to agency records.”

Thousands of Oklahoma convictions of Creek Nation members on reservation land may be dismissed following the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in McGirt v. Oklahoma. In that case, the Supreme Court held that only the tribes and federal government may prosecute Native Americans living in most of Eastern Oklahoma for crimes committed there. This holding may be extended to dismiss potentially thousands of state convictions for retrial by either tribal governments or the U.S. Department of Justice.

A Lebanese national named Ghassan Diab, wanted in Florida for the alleged laundering of drug proceeds to support Hezbollah, and a Cypriot national named Joshua Polloso Epifaniou, wanted in Arizona and Georgia for cyber intrusion and extortion, were both extradited to the United States from the Republic of Cyprus.

Worried about getting a security clearance? Check out this video that breaks down common myths about the process.

In an announcement Friday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) outlined plans to resume hearings for asylum seekers under Migration Protection Protocols (MPP). Court dates have been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and will resume based on a combination of state and federal guidelines.

In a proposed rule submitted to the Federal Register on July 20, the Office of Personnel Management implements provisions within the FY 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (FY 2020 NDAA) that ensure the continuation of certain federal benefits and services in the event of a lapse in appropriations. The FY 2020 NDAA names certain Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program and Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) services as emergency services under the Antideficiency Act.

From the Oval Office last week, President Donald J. Trump announced the conclusion of a multi-year investigation led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) that led to the takedown of 17 members of the MS-13 gang. These arrests took place in Las Vegas and Los Angeles with the assistance of Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). During this bust, HSI seized five pounds of methamphetamine, $28,000 in cash, and 14 firearms. Gang members were charged on 21 counts, including a violation of the Kingpin statute and transporting large quantities of methamphetamine from Los Angeles to Las Vegas.

In 2018, the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit held the MSPB acted arbitrarily and capriciously when it dismissed an ATF employee’s Individual Right of Action appeal. The Seventh Circuit’s 2018 opinion found that the employee “properly alleged a ‘protected disclosure’ and exhausted his administrative remedies so that the Board had jurisdiction to evaluate the merits of his claim.” The MSPB AJ denied relief, and the employee appealed to the Seventh Circuit again. On July 16, 2020, the appeals court again held that the MSPB acted arbitrarily, capriciously, and contrary to law. This time, the remand to the MSPB was only on the extent of relief to the employee.

In the most recent FEDtalk podcast episode, Alice Mercer, Chairperson of the Blacks in Government (BIG) Committee on Affirmative Action/ Equal Employment Opportunity, Margaret Williams, Vice-Chair of the Senior Executives Association (SEA) Board of Directors, and Chad Hooper, National President of the Professional Managers Association (PMA) discuss the implications of racism within federal agencies. BIG is a government-wide organization that strives for racial equality in governance for black Americans. SEA is the professional association for career members of the Senior Executive Service (SES) and other senior government leaders. PMA represents management and non-collective bargaining unit eligible employees at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

The Department of Justice Community Relations Service provides insight on bridging the gap between law enforcement officers and their communities.