Last week, Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha attended the 2023 Annual Meeting of The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) in San Diego, California.
At this gathering of global law enforcement leaders, The Kerr County Sheriff’s Office received the IACP/Booz Allen Hamilton Leadership in the Prevention of Terrorism Award. This award recognizes agencies that have demonstrated overall success in averting, stopping, or countering terrorist activity. The award highlights successful counter-terrorism investigations and educates law enforcement on instances of collaboration and communication best practices during terrorism investigations. The Kerr County Sheriff’s Office was selected from a field of eight domestic and two international nominees.
The award citation reads:
“Kerr County Sheriff's Office and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) San Antonio Joint Terrorism Task Forces worked jointly to disrupt an attempted mass shooting at a local retail store. Each agency leveraged its best resources and arrested the subject before he could carry out his planned attack. This investigation led to multiple disruptions domestically and internationally. All subjects, both domestic and abroad, shared the main subject's ideology and desire to harm others. Law enforcement utilized numerous sophisticated techniques to identify these individuals and shared all pertinent information.”
At the ICAP meeting, other agencies from across the world were recognized for their work in emerging issues, investigations, leadership, national security, transnational crime, technology, and transportation safety. Honorees came from agencies as far away as Dubai and Korea, as well as other US states and Canada.
During the event, Sheriff Leitha also served as a panelist in a forum concerning counter-terrorism and law enforcement cooperation.
“I am honored to accept this award on behalf of the entire Kerr County Sheriff’s Office. This international award is a testament to the outstanding work done by our Special Operations Division, investigators, deputies, and staff,” said Sheriff Leitha. “Almost three years ago, our Office set about creating and modifying strategies to aggressively root out crimes affecting our county, state, and beyond. In this case, a clear priority on cooperation with other agencies may have prevented mass harm not only in our community, but on the other side of the world.”
The Kerr County Sheriff’s Office thanks the FBI, Kerrville Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Secret Service for their cooperation.
About the IACP
The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) is the world’s largest and most influential professional association for police leaders. With more than 33,000 members in over 170 countries, the IACP is a recognized leader in global policing, committed to advancing safer communities through thoughtful, progressive police leadership. Since 1893, the association has been serving communities by speaking out on behalf of law enforcement and advancing leadership and professionalism in policing worldwide.
