LV marshals get special training from Israelis

Thursday, June 26, 2003 | 9:25 a.m.

Seven Las Vegas City Marshals are spending the week training in homeland security techniques with two Israeli law enforcement experts.

They were joined on the range for a couple of hours Wednesday by Mayor Oscar Goodman.

The seminars, provided by Alpha Firearms Training Limited, involve firearms and tactics training, a city spokeswoman said. The city is paying $7,000 for the training being conducted at the Desert Sportsman Range off Charleston Boulevard east of Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

Sgt. John Fudenberg, spokesman for the marshals, said that the training will further prepare marshals for security situations they may encounter.

"In the wake of 9-11 this is something that we and a lot of other law enforcement agencies are concentrating on," Fudenberg said. "This kind of training is becoming more and more important."

The training includes hand-to-hand combat techniques and security tactics for keeping VIPs safe.

"We have a lot of events for the city where we get a VIP attending," Fudenberg said. "This is something that they (the Israelis) deal with all the time, and they're the best at it."

Alpha Firearms Training was established in 1996 and provides training in establishing national and civilian security units in Israel and around the world, city officials said.

The city marshals provide law enforcement services at more than 190 city properties including parks, community centers and city offices.

Marshals also oversee the city's detention and correctional services including the City Hall Jail and the City Detention Center at 3200 E. Stewart Ave. Parking enforcement, animal control, a drug-sniffing dog and a bike patrol unit are also supervised by the marshals.

The homeland security training is done in eight-hour blocks and concludes Friday.