Each day homeland security in Jersey City fights against major crimes and the threat of terrorism. Unfortunately these challenges to the city are bigger than any one organization, and inter-agency cooperation is therefore essential and a proven tool against these threats. A principle quality among those employed in homeland security jobs in Jersey City is the ability to work as a part of a team. This means participating in joint operations as well as joint homeland security training exercises. Agency collaboration includes working with:
- FBI’s New Jersey Joint Terrorism Task Force
- Bureau of Criminal Identification of the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office
- Jersey City Police Department
- New Jersey State Police
- DEA
Counter Terrorism Ops in Jersey City
From participating in the recent take down of two men planning to travel abroad and join an al Qaeda ally to aiding in a recent arrest of a Hezbollah money launderer, Jersey City homeland security officials have plenty of opportunities for on-the-job training. Working in cooperation with municipal police departments, agents were able to recently piece together clues that uncovered evidence of thousands of dollars in wire transfers to a group many countries identify as a terrorist organization: Hezbollah, responsible for launching numerous rockets against civilian targets in recent history. Homeland security officials promptly arrested the man responsible for the money transfers who had a previous criminal record for counterfeiting and money laundering.
A team including Jersey City homeland security officials had another success as two men they had previously arrested for planning to travel abroad and join a foreign U.S.-designated terrorist organization were recently convicted. The homeland security team were reassured to know they had gathered good evidence as the two suspects pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit murder overseas for a terrorist group.
Getting a Solid Homeland Security Foundation in Jersey City
Those interested in homeland security careers in Jersey City can prepare themselves to be competitive candidates by having the right background and education. The majority of homeland security jobs require applicants to be able to meet the following conditions:
- Valid driver’s license
- Ability to work effectively as part of a team
- U.S. citizen
- Ability to gain security clearance and pass a background investigation
- Have a relatively clean criminal record with no felony convictions
Some jobs will require and specify particular homeland security certifications, and having these can always pad a resume as well. New Jersey’s Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness offers a number of certification courses for the benefit of Jersey City residents that vary in length:
- Emergency Management and Incident Response
- Disaster Response
- Weapons of Mass Destruction:
- Biological/Chemical
- Radiation and Nuclear
There are also area universities and colleges that offer two and four year Homeland Security Degrees in Jersey City. An associate’s degree provides the student with solid foundation in homeland security’s history, philosophy and practice, while a Bachelor’s Degree in Homeland Security allows the student to specialize in an area such as:
- Intelligence Analysis
- Crisis Response Coordination
- Disaster Preparedness
- Sensitive Security Information