Manchester is home to some of New Hampshire’s finest law enforcement and investigative forces, who collaborate to create the state’s most effective homeland security defense. Through cooperation different agencies can overcome jurisdictional challenges and participate in an open exchange of intelligence that has proven to be essential, one of the lessons learned since the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Homeland security jobs have come a long way since then, and are continuing to improve and make places like Manchester a more secure city. Cooperating locally-based agencies that work on homeland security teams include:
- Manchester Police Department
- Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Department
- New Hampshire Department of Public Safety
- ATF’s Manchester Field Office
- DEA’s Manchester Resident Office
- New Hampshire Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee
Teams of homeland security officials recently made 12 arrests in Manchester, all on drug-related charges. Comprised of the local police department’s Special Investigations Unit, the FBI’s Safe Streets Gang Task Force, the Narcotics Investigation Unit of the State Police, DEA and ATF agents, plus the U.S. Marshals Service, these teams made the arrests as part of a larger effort in targeting gang violence and drug distribution in Manchester. The drugs cited in the charges were cocaine and crack-cocaine, two substances those with long experience in homeland security careers have witnessed destroy neighborhoods.
The same agencies participated in another recent drug sweep netting 24 suspects, though this time in addition to gangs and narcotics officers and special agents were targeting guns. Most drug charges were related to cocaine, though there were some for crack-cocaine, heroin, oxycodone, and hydrocodone, with an additional perpetrator facing a firearms charge and another facing a bank robbery charge. A sweep of arrests can happen in a day, and is the result of careful intelligence analysis, planning, and combined homeland security training exercises between participating agencies. The mission is a success when the suspects have all been arrested and no one is hurt in the end.
Manchester Qualifications and Training for Homeland Security Professionals
Most homeland security jobs in Manchester have some typical basic requirements that include:
- Being a U.S. citizen
- Having a mostly clean criminal record with the ability to pass a security clearance background check
- Previous experience, education, and/or training in an area of homeland security
There are several colleges and universities both online and from campus locations in the Manchester area that offer a Bachelor Degree in Homeland Security. Having this degree provides a solid foundation for candidates who are interested in pursuing a serious career in the field and can be the key that opens many doors. Typical coursework in this four-year program includes:
- Disaster Medical Operations
- Weapons of Mass Destruction – Hazardous Materials
- Terrorism and Political Violence
New Hampshire’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Bureau offers certification courses through a federal training program. These range from a single 15-credit hour class certification to graduate two-year certification programs. Whether candidates are looking to gain some extra credentials in their current field of employment or are new to homeland security, certification programs can be a helpful career booster or requirement, and include:
- Fundamentals of Homeland Security
- Terrorism in Today’s World
- Cyber Security
- Domestic Intelligence Operations
Specialists in homeland security may come from any variety of fields and hold associate or bachelor degrees in subjects such as:
- Foreign languages
- Business Management/Administration
- Social Sciences
- Information Technology
- Engineering