INTERNATIONAL TRAININGS
Major national and international sporting events such as the Olympic Games, FIFA World Cup tournament, NFL Super Bowl, and Boston Marathon present many policing and security challenges for event hosts. By INTERPOL Project STADIA
Providing targeted training for police officers around the globe is one of INTERPOL’s key priorities. As the world’s largest police organization, INTERPOL seeks to reinforce the capacity of law enforcement in its 192 member countries and equip officers with the knowledge, skills and best practice to assist them in their daily work. By signing a cooperation agreement with The University of Southern Mississippi’s National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (NCS4) in 2016, INTERPOL opened the door to a strategic partnership, one which would strengthen law enforcement’s ability to ensure the safety and security of major events. This collaboration provides INTERPOL’s Project Stadia with the academic research and knowledge it needs to support member countries as they plan and undertake security preparations for major international events, such as the FIFA World Cup and the Olympic Games. “The NCS4 is proud to partner with INTERPOL’s Project Stadia to enhance safety and security capabilities through education, research and training,” emphasizes Dr. Lou Marciani, Director of NCS4. “The training courses leverage cutting-edge defense technologies and provide invaluable guidance to law enforcement officials in their planning and preparations for major international events.”
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International Sport Safety and Security Professional Certification In September 2017, Project Stadia collaborated with NCS4 to deliver its first training course entitled Sports Security Senior Management Training Course at the INTERPOL General Secretariat in Lyon, France. This event marked the beginning of a promising cooperation between the two institutions and a milestone towards certification, which will be awarded to senior police officials upon successful completion of a series of six mandatory courses. Twenty-seven law enforcement officials from 22 INTERPOL member countries attended the first training session. Observers included representatives from Project Stadia’s strategic partner, Qatar’s Supreme Committee of Delivery and Legacy (the government organization responsible for delivering the infrastructure for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar), as well as the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) and the Council of Europe. Six months later, INTERPOL and NCS4 conducted a second training course entitled Risk Management Challenges for Major International Sporting Events. This session included the participation of 27 law enforcement officials from 22 countries. A third training session, Evacuation Challenges for Major International Sporting Events, was recently held October 16-19, 2018, at INTERPOL’s headquarters. “Drawing on our global network of experts, Project Stadia organizes international conferences and training