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Insights from• Naval Criminal Investigative Service• U.S. Park Police• U.S. Secret Service

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Learn how federal law
enforcement agencies
embrace new tech, 5G

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
NCIS on the value of 5G
in cross-agency
communications .................... 4
U.S. Park Police onleaning into evolving
technology ….............................. 7
U.S. Secret Service ontapping tech to meetthe mission ….…....................... 10
Why ‘blue sky
preparation’ matters ……....... 13

On the front lines
of collaboration
No federal law enforcement organization
works alone. These agencies are theultimate team players, regularly dependingon local and state organizations as well as
industry partners to help them with their assignments.
Although the federal government is home to some of the nation’s
oldest law enforcement groups — the U.S. Park Police have beenaround since the late 1700s, after all — they aim to deploy the latest
technologies.
“Computer technology, cell phone technology, cloud-based
technology — that’s all always improving, and it’s always evolving,”
notes Park Police Sgt. Thomas Twiname.
A large part of the desire to invest in and implement newtechnology comes from the need to collaborate closely withother law enforcement organizations. It’s essential to meeting themission, Twiname and leaders from the Naval Criminal Investigative
Service and U.S. Secret Service told Federal News Network during
interviews.
“Our agents will work with local, state and other federal agencies so
we can pick up the phone, communicate and say, ‘Hey, I need yourhelp,’ or ‘Can you give me some advice?’ ” points out Secret Service
Chief Information Officer Kevin Nally. “It’s really important.”
5G and smartphones are the order of the day, but so are manyother tools and technologies. In the pages ahead, we take a peekbehind the scenes at these three agencies and hear from people
inside those organizations about what’s driving their technology
modernization efforts.
We also talk with two Verizon federal experts about how they
partner with federal law enforcement agencies to prepare and be
ready no matter the crime, disaster or other worst-case scenario
they encounter.
We hope you find the insights and information helpful for your own“blue sky preparation” and meeting the needs of your teams on thefront line.
Vanessa Roberts
Editor, Custom Content
Federal News Network

Federal News Network Expert Edition: Learn how federal law enforcement agencies embrace new tech, 5G			

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How NCIS uses tech ‘bridge’
to maintain relationships
with other agencies
BY WFED STAFF

The Naval Criminal Investigative Service
operates globally and is responsible forinvestigating crimes and criminal activity
related to the Department of the Navy andMarine Corps.
Comprised of about 2,000 personnel,
NCIS is unique among military criminal
investigative organizations as it is a
civilian-run agency and is headed by acivilian law enforcement professional
who reports directly to the secretary of
the Navy.
It is responsible for investigating crimes
ranging from espionage and terrorism tomurder and sexual assault.
“We have a strong focus on the
counterintelligence side and the national
security side,” said Laukik Suthar, an
executive assistant director with NCIS.

“If there’s an espionage investigation,
we focus on protection of secrets,
ensuring that nothing is being sent out
that shouldn’t be sent out and ensuringthat people aren’t leaking information out
either,” Suthar said.

Cutting-edge tech brings
new opportunities
The emergence of 5G technology has thepotential to greatly enhance the ability ofNCIS to carry out its mission.
One of the key benefits of 5G is its speed
and bandwidth capabilities.
With 5G, NCIS can transmit large amountsof data quickly and efficiently, enabling
agents to access critical information inreal time.

The agency operates in approximately 191
locations in more than 40 countries.

That can be particularly useful in situations
where time is of the essence, such as
during a crisis or emergency.

It works closely with other law
enforcement agencies, both domestic
and international, to gather intelligenceand prevent threats before they can harm
military personnel or infrastructure.

“It’s not just communicating from point
to point. We’re talking about how you
communicate to the helicopter or theplane,” Suthar said. “You might be working
with another organization that has to4		Federal News Network Expert Edition: Learn how federal law enforcement agencies embrace new tech, 5G

transfer large amounts of information,and 5G has that capability.”

U.S. naval forces and assets, and pursue
joint proactive operations.

Another advantage of 5G is its ability
to support a wide range of connected
devices.

There can sometimes be a technology“language barrier,” however.

That can allow NCIS to deploy numerous
pieces of equipment, such as cameras
and sensors, to monitor and secure
Navy and Marine Corps installations
and infrastructure.
For instance, 5G-connected cameras
could provide real-time surveillance ofsensitive areas, while sensors could
detect and alert NCIS agents to potential
security breaches.
In addition to its speed and connectivity
capabilities, 5G can support moreadvanced technologies such as machinelearning and artificial intelligence.
Those tools may be used to analyze
and process large amounts of data,such as social media activity or video
footage, to identify potential threats or
criminal activity.

Joining forces withother agencies
Agents with NCIS frequently operate inlocations where local, state or foreign
law enforcement agencies have primary
jurisdiction, meaning that partnering withother law enforcement entities is essential.
Through those partnerships, agencies
can work together to address criminal
incidents, identify and mitigate threats to“Different people are operating on
different frequencies all the time,” Suthar
said. “You have your traditional radios,Bluetooth, hard phone lines and also thephone you use on a regular basis just tocommunicate using 4G, LTE or 5G.”
It presents unique challenges, especiallywhen communication between various
agencies is needed immediately during ahigh-risk operation.
“Devices are not going to be compatible
all the time,” Suthar said. “Some agencies
aren’t going to have the same type ofcapability or advancement as others, so
we’ve got to have a bridge.”

It’s not just communicatingfrom point to point.
We’re talking about how
you communicate to thehelicopter or the plane.
— Laukik Suthar,
Executive Assistant
Director, Naval Criminal
Investigative Service

Federal News Network Expert Edition: Learn how federal law enforcement agencies embrace new tech, 5G			

5

Leaders on the state and local levels havejurisdiction over crimes that occur within
their respective regions, which can often
intersect with NCIS investigations.
That’s why it’s so important for NCIS to not
only create relationships with state andlocal law enforcement agencies but toconstantly reinforce and maintain them.

Devices are not going to
be compatible all the time.
Some agencies aren’t goingto have the same type ofcapability or advancement
as others, so we’ve got tohave a bridge.
— NCIS’ Laukik SutharLong-standing partnerships between
agencies can provide NCIS with vital
information and resources.
“If it’s the first time you meet with anorganization, it takes some time tounderstand each other’s systems,”
Suthar explained. “Once you build therelationship, it’s an easy call from ourtechnical specialists with their technicalspecialists, and they get together and thesystem is already set up and you have it in
a common language.”
Additionally, state and local agencies often
have a more thorough understandingof local criminal networks and social
dynamics, which can help NCIS identify
potential suspects, informants or
witnesses that might not have been
discovered otherwise.
“That communication where individuals
are working with one another is key,especially with our organization,” Suthar
said. “It happens every single day, and it
just doesn’t stop.”

Listen to the full interview
with NCIS’ Laukik Suthar on
the benefits of 5G for crossorganization communications.

6

Federal News Network Expert Edition: Learn how federal law enforcement agencies embrace new tech, 5G

U.S. Park Police sergeantsays interoperability ‘makes
us all stronger’
BY WFED STAFF

The U.S. Park Police is a federal law
enforcement agency with a unique
mission to protect the public and park
resources within the National Park
Service system.
Created in 1791, it is one of the oldest
uniformed federal law enforcement
agencies in the country.
“We serve a very distinct role because
we have a very large community
presence,” U.S. Park Police Sgt. Thomas
Twiname said.
Park Police officers are located in the
Washington, D.C., New York City and San
Francisco metropolitan areas.
The agency is responsible for the law
enforcement and security services at morethan 80 parks, monuments, memorials
and other sites under the jurisdiction of
the National Park Service, including major
national landmarks such as the Statue of
Liberty and the National Mall.
“It provides us the opportunity toexperience a lot of career growth andcareer development, with various
opportunities within our organization
as well as having the ability to work inseveral geographic areas within the
country,” Twiname said.
The primary mission of the Park Police
is to protect visitors, park resources andgovernment property while also enforcing
federal laws and providing emergency
response services.
Officers receive extensive training ina variety of areas, including criminal
investigations, crowd management,
emergency medical services andcounterterrorism.
They work closely with other federal,state and local law enforcement agencies
to ensure the safety of the parks andtheir visitors.

The importance ofworking together

The practice of developing andmaintaining relationships with state andlocal agencies allows the Park Police
to effectively coordinate emergency
response efforts and share intelligence.
Building partnerships with other agencies
helps to establish clear communicationand facilitate coordination in times ofFederal News Network Expert Edition: Learn how federal law enforcement agencies embrace new tech, 5G

7crisis, and it helps to promote a senseof collaboration and mutual support.
For example, when responding to anatural disaster or other emergency, thePark Police may need to work closely withlocal law enforcement, fire departments
and other first responders to ensure aneffective and timely response.
“Agency cooperation and agency
interoperability are a very essential
component to our mission that we doon a daily basis,” Twiname said. “Therelationship that we have with thesepartners — whether that be at a local,
state, regional or even a federal level— makes us all stronger.”
Twiname said one of the most vivid
examples of interoperability came inJanuary 1982, when an Air Florida jettrying to fly out of D.C. in a snowstorm
crashed into the 14th Street Bridge
before plunging into the Potomac River.
As the aircraft attempted to climb, it
became clear that it was not gaining
altitude as expected. The pilots attempted
to correct the problem by increasing
engine thrust, but it was too late. The
crash killed 78 people in all, including 74
on the plane and four on the ground.
“It was really one of those things that
was at the forefront at a time wheninteroperability was just sort of in
an infancy stage,” Twiname said. “Itshowcased the importance of being
able to work with partners in law
enforcement, taking into consideration
fire departments and the Coast Guard.”

8		

Agency cooperation andagency interoperability are
a very essential component
to our mission that we doon a daily basis.
— Sgt. Thomas Twiname,
U.S. Park Police

The various agencies worked together
to provide an effective response, which
included search and rescue operations,recovery of victims and investigation of
the crash.

Better tech playsa critical role

The Park Police has benefited from theadoption of more advanced technology inrecent years, which has led to improved
efficiency, effectiveness and safety for theagency.
“We’re constantly evaluating thetechnology that we can use to help us
do our job,” Twiname said. “Technology
never slows down.”
Just as smartphones have changed
everything for civilians, advanced
communication tools have opened up
new opportunities for the Park Police.

Federal News Network Expert Edition: Learn how federal law enforcement agencies embrace new tech, 5G

Officers now communicate with one
another and with other law enforcement
agencies in real time.
It enables them to quickly respond toincidents, coordinate resources andshare critical information, which can be
instrumental in preventing and solving
crimes.
“There are always open lines ofcommunication,” Twiname said. “We havethe ability to talk to the people that weneed to talk to instantly, which is a hugebenefit to us.”According to Twiname, cutting-edge
technology has been particularly helpful
for officers who are investigating crashscenes, for example.
The investigations are now more concise
and more detailed, and officers are able toget major roadways cleared more quickly.

Computer technology,
cell phone technology,
cloud-based technology —that’s all always improving,and it’s always evolving.
— U.S. Park Police’s Sgt. Twiname“Computer technology, cell phone
technology, cloud-based technology —that’s all always improving, and it’s always
evolving,” Twiname said.
Listen to the full interview with
U.S. Park Police Sgt. Thomas
Twiname on the value of evolving
technology to policing.

Federal News Network Expert Edition: Learn how federal law enforcement agencies embrace new tech, 5G		

9In-house tech tools help
the Secret Service meetits mission
BY WFED STAFF

The U.S. Secret Service is a well-known
federal agency with a mandate to protect
the president, vice president and theirfamilies, as well as to investigate financial
and cybercrimes.
To do that effectively, the agency must
develop and utilize close partnerships withstate and local agencies.
Law enforcement officials on the state andlocal levels are often the first responders
to incidents that may involve the president
or other designated individuals.
For example, if the president is visiting
a city, local law enforcement will be
responsible for securing the area aroundthe event and managing any crowd
control issues.
“If the president wants to go to Richmond,
Virginia, then agents are going to workwith law enforcement agencies in andaround Richmond,” said Kevin Nally, chief
information officer for the Secret Service.
By working closely with other agencies,
the Secret Service can ensure that local
law enforcement is trained and equipped10		

to handle the unique security challenges
that come with guarding the president andother high-level officials.
“They’ll do protection and work together
in a coordinated effort, and that’s huge,”
Nally said.
If the Secret Service is investigating acrime, state and local agencies may
have information about individuals ororganizations that are involved in illegal
activities.
By sharing that information, state and local
officials can help to ensure that crimes are
effectively investigated and prosecuted.
“Our agents will work with local, stateand other federal agencies so we canpick up the phone, communicate and say,
‘Hey, I need your help,’ or ‘Can you giveme some advice?’ ” Nally said. “It’s really
important.”
As they work together and share
information, the various agencies canbuild strong working relationships that
can help to improve overall security andpublic safety.

Federal News Network Expert Edition: Learn how federal law enforcement agencies embrace new tech, 5G

A truly prestigious agency
Just about every single person livingin the United States has heard of theSecret Service.

It is a prestigious and critically importantorganization.
“It’s an honor to come here every day
to work for and support the Secret
Service,” Nally said. “It’s just an extremely
professional and precise workforce.”
Before his current role, Nally spent morethan 30 years in the Marine Corps.
He retired from military service in2015, but he quickly realized that hemissed the fast-paced team environmentthat he thrived in while serving in thearmed forces.
“During my time in the Marines, I’d gohome at night, and I felt like I reallyprovided value to something greaterthan myself,” Nally said.
He went looking for something that gave
him a comparable level of satisfaction.
“I really feel comfortable here at the
Secret Service,” Nally said. “With mybackground being a Marine, I didn’t haveto prove anything to anybody, and I was
well-accepted and well-integrated.”

Secret Service apps
are different

Technological advancements have playeda crucial role in helping the Secret Service
carry out its mission.

We have 5G on ourgovernment-issued cell
phones. That has been
beneficial in terms of speed.
— Kevin Nally, Chief Information
Officer, U.S. Secret Service

In particular, improvements incommunication tools have greatly
enhanced the agency’s ability to react
in the face of emergencies or potential
threats, Nally said.
One of the key ways that cutting-edgecommunications tools have helped theSecret Service is by providing real-timecommunication and information-sharing
capabilities.
The Secret Service now uses encryptedradios and other communication devices
that enable agents to connect instantlywith one another, regardless of theirlocation.
That lets agents quickly respond andcoordinate with other law enforcement
agencies in a way that was not possible
before.
“We have 5G on our government-issued
cell phones,” Nally said. “That has been
beneficial in terms of speed.”

Federal News Network Expert Edition: Learn how federal law enforcement agencies embrace new tech, 5G		

11

With the advent of new tools, such asadvanced smartphones and encrypted
messaging apps, agents can communicate
more effectively and securely.
“When I first got here, we were using
Windows phones, and that wasn’t
providing much capability for theoperators,” Nally explained.
The agency explored a number ofsmartphone options and ultimately ended
up choosing the Apple iPhone as the main
device for Secret Service personnel.
Apps used by people in the Secret Service
are not your average apps, however.
“Literally, we develop in-house apps within
the Secret Service,” Nally said. “I’ll caveatthat by saying we do have contractors thatassist us, but they work for us.”The apps go through a special agency
cybersecurity process before employees
are allowed to download them onto their12		

We develop in-house apps
within the Secret Service. I’ll
caveat that by saying we dohave contractors that assistus, but they work for us.
— U.S. Secret Service’s Kevin Nally

personal devices or their governmentissued iPhones.
“No one in the Secret Service can go to
the App Store and say, ‘I like this app so
I’m going to download it,’ ” Nally said.
“You just can’t do that.”
Listen to the full interview with
the U.S. Secret Service’s Kevin
Nally on the ways the agency taps
technology to meet its mission.

Federal News Network Expert Edition: Learn how federal law enforcement agencies embrace new tech, 5G

Verizon prepares for public safety
events, helps federal law enforcementwith ‘blue sky preparation’
PROVIDED BY VERIZON FRONTLINE“Blue sky preparation” refers to theprocess of proactively preparing forincidents, practicing deployments, testing
interoperability with partners and the likewhen there is no active engagement.
“Blue sky” is a way of lining up resources
so they are in place and ready to go when“gray sky” days come around.
It is a crucial aspect of any partnership
between a telecommunications company
like Verizon and federal law enforcement
agencies, as well as other federal, stateand local partners because it enables
everyone to work together effectively
in the pursuit of national security andpublic safety with respect to criticalcommunications.
“Blue sky preparation is extremely
important,” said John Larregui, amanaging partner with Verizon.
The primary responsibilities of Larregui,
his team and the Verizon Frontline Crisis
Response Team are to help ensure thatfederal agencies are receiving the criticalcommunications that they need 24/7.
“If we know that a hurricane is coming, we
can preposition our assets,” Larregui said.

“If we know that something is happening
with the Department of Justice, we can
preposition assets and we can get people
in place so that when something may or
may not happen, we’re ready.”
By engaging in blue sky preparation,
Verizon and federal law enforcement
agencies can identify potential response
and communications bottlenecks anddevelop enhanced training approaches.
Additionally, strategies can be developed
to help address concerns before theyWith the thousands ofpieces of hardware anddevices and tools that wehave, we have to make surethey’re up and ready from a
deployment standpoint anda user standpoint.
— Andrew Fusco,
Frontline Crisis Response
Manager, Verizon

Federal News Network Expert Edition: Learn how federal law enforcement agencies embrace new tech, 5G 			

13become serious problems when a graysky event occurs.
That may involve sharing intelligence withother federal, state, local and industry
partners or collaborating on security
measures such as network monitoring,
threat analysis and incident response
planning.
Ultimately, the success of any partnership
between Verizon and law enforcement
agencies depends on the ability towork together in a rapidly evolving
threat landscape.
“With the thousands of pieces of hardware
and devices and tools that we have, wehave to make sure they’re up and readyfrom a deployment standpoint and a user
standpoint,” said Andrew Fusco, a Verizon
frontline crisis response manager.

and emergencies. The preparations aredesigned to ensure that they are able torespond quickly and effectively to any
situation, from a manhunt to a terrorist
attack.
One of the most important aspects
of preparation for law enforcement
agencies is training, which Verizon often
plays a role in.
“There’s nothing better than to be in that
open environment and have the ability tohave something fail and fix it in the field,”
Fusco explained. “The agencies are so
open to that partnership when they’re in
the field with us, and we’re both learning
side by side.”
Strong partnerships between federal law
enforcement agencies and state and local
agencies are essential.

When heading to the scene of an
emergency, for example, first responders
don’t want to make themselves any more
vulnerable than they already are.

Federal law enforcement agencies
work closely with other government
agencies and first responders to ensure acoordinated response to any emergency.

“The last thing you want is to have an
incident where you’re scrambling to gethardware that needs an update, and you
don’t have the capacity to do the updatein the field,” Fusco said. “It is always betterto identify those communications concerns
early versus in an active deployment.”

That involves establishing clear lines ofcommunication, situational awareness,
sharing information and resources andcollaborating on response plans.

Preparedness amongfeds and Verizon
Federal law enforcement agencies
employ a range of strategies and tactics toprepare for responses to a host of threats14		“In many cases, local agencies or stateagencies are responsible for what’s
happening in their area, so the federal
government or the federal agencies comein to help support them,” Larregui said.
“It’s going to be state, local and federal
working together because nobody can
do it alone.”Federal News Network Expert Edition: Learn how federal law enforcement agencies embrace new tech, 5G

You can utilize newtechnology that wasn’t
available in the past andput it on that network, andyou’re going to get thatseamless video.
— John Larregui,Managing Partner,
VerizonNew tech for now andthe future

The latest developments with 5G
technology have the potential to greatly
enhance preparatory activities for federal
law enforcement agencies by providing
faster and more reliable communication,
data transfer and real-time monitoring
capabilities.
Law enforcement agencies can transmit
large amounts of data and video feeds
more quickly and efficiently than withprevious cellular or communications
technologies.
That can help enable more robust
communication and collaboration between
agencies, allowing them to coordinate
response efforts more effectively.
“What 5G is going to help bring to thefront lines is that high-speed, low-latency
capability,” Fusco said. “Law enforcement

agencies and fire departments areusing more and more video — which is ahigh-bandwidth solution to get situationalawareness and understanding of anincident — and 5G allows for that tostream in real time and in high def.”
In addition, 5G can support the useof advanced technologies such as
drones, autonomous vehicles andfacial recognition systems.
“You can utilize new technology thatwasn’t available in the past and put iton that network, and you’re going to
get that seamless video,” Larregui said.
“This technology is always changing, andthere are more and more uses for it every
single day.”For federal law enforcement agencies,
blue sky preparation is important because
they are responsible for investigating andpreventing some of the most serious andcomplex crimes and threats to national
security.
By engaging in blue sky preparation,agencies can gather intelligence on
potential threats and criminal activities,
identify key players and organizations
involved and develop strategies to disrupt
or prevent their activities.
It can help to prevent attacks before theyoccur and protect the safety and securityof individuals and the nation as a whole.
Listen to the full interview with
Verizon’s Andrew Fusco and John
Larregui on teaming and training
with federal law enforcement to beready for any threat scenario.

Federal News Network Expert Edition: Learn how federal law enforcement agencies embrace new tech, 5G 			

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