LA sheriff’s men to train Force One commandos

Chief Minister Ashok Chavan,who is in LA,visited the Los Angeles Emergency Operation Center where he met Baca. The Center is insulated against terror attacks,earthquakes,fire and national calamities and houses a unit of the police force along with an office for each basic civic amenity.

Baca,who is experienced in anti-terrorism operations and heads the largest sheriff’s department in the US with a budget of $2.4 million and a staff of 18,000,had invited Chavan to visit the Center.

The Maharashtra police had set up Force One,modelled on the Greyhounds and the NSG and trained by some retired NSG,SPG and Army officials,following the 26/11 attacks.

On Tuesday,Chavan signed a memorandum of co-operation with LA-based Mineta Transportation Institute to provide training and share research in security,develop a separate institutional mechanism and do a third-party review of security arrangements proposed for transport systems in Mumbai.

The training could lead to the creation of a special transit police adept at tackling terrorism and intrusions for passenger security on Mumbai’s latest transportation showpieces,the Metro and the monorail. The security may also be extended to the BEST and MSRTC buses.

The LA Metropolitan Transport Authority will give free training on ensuring a secure,effective transportation network. The CM also visited the BRTS in LA and the centre that controls Metro,overground and underground rail networks in LA.