Seattle Police Officers Begin New Anti-Terror Training

By By Leslie Knopp Published: Jul 25, 2005 at 9:41 AM PDT Last Updated: Jul 24, 2009 at 12:02 PM PDT
Seattle Police Officers Begin New Anti-Terror Training »Play Video
SEATTLE - When the suicide bombs exploded in London, Seattle's police chief didn't see it as a faraway tragedy. He saw it as a warning for Western Washington.

"We've got to teach these officers and give them the skills to stop someone," said Chief Gil Kerlikowske.

Kerlikowske wants all his officers to learn how to respond to a suicide bombing or prevent one.

So, the Seattle Police Department plans to spend $30,000 for training to prevent suicide bombers for all officers, and it will include training from an Israeli general.

He will teach Seattle officers the steps a suicide bomber takes prior to an attack. It's information that's top secret.

"I think that the information that the officers have when they are responding to a variety of different calls -- some of which someone might think of as routine; that (thinking in the back of their mind) a suicide bomber really isn't there," Kerlikowske said. "Now we need to make sure that (they think): 'You know what, we need to think about this.' "

Seattle police officers should think about it because Western Washington law enforcement has already come face to face with one potential bomber: Ahmed Ressam.

In 1999, he tried to enter the country via the Port Angeles ferry with explosives to bomb Los Angeles' airport. A border agent noticed he was nervous and sweating and stopped him.

"Bombings are on the increase, especially internationally," said Seattle Police Detective Scott Kawaharn, with the Seattle Bomb Squad.

Just last month, Kawaharn used the department's new equipment bought with a Homeland Security Grant. He was the detective who went into the federal courthouse to X-ray a backpack that officers feared contained a bomb.

"For me, the training kicked in. It was an opportunity to do what I've trained to do," he said.

Seattle Police think now that the threat has elevated to include suicide bombers, so should officer's training. The department will start daily training with its street officers next month.