CENTENNIAL, Colo.—Complacency in the United States could make car bombings and other suicide attacks more dangerous than in other terrorism hotspots, an anti-terrorism instructor said Wednesday.
While car bombs in Iraq contain between 30 and 70 pounds of explosives tucked inside the truck or underneath seats, a similar bomb in the states could contain more explosives because potential attackers may not have to try to hide their bomb.
“We cannot wait until this happens and then come up with a plan,” said Trooper Scott Casey, a member of Rubicon, the State Patrol’s anti-terrorism group.
His class on Wednesday is part of a three-day session kicking off a new approach to gathering tips and information to fend off potential terrorist threats, including bombings, and raise awareness about the possibility of such an attack happening in the middle of the country.
Modeled after an approach used in Arizona, the 62 police, fire, communications and emergency management officials being trained this week will be asked to share information with the state about any suspicious activity they see back home and raise awareness among their co-workers.
It’s the first statewide anti-terrorism class.
Capt. Jim Wolfinbarger, the head of the state’s Office of Preparedness and Security, said those tips—along with information from the general public—can be reviewed by the state’s information analysis center. The center is staffed by four people, including one FBI agent.
Wolfinbarger said Colorado has people involved with both domestic and international terrorist groups but he declined to provide specifics, including what groups and what roles they play in those groups. He said Colorado could be targeted because it is a transportation crossroads and has a large military presence, including Colorado Springs’ Fort Carson.
Colorado is also home to the Denver Federal Center, the largest collection of federal buildings outside Washington, D.C., and the Supermax federal prison in Florence, which holds the nation’s worst terrorists.
Wolfinbarger said the training wasn’t held because of next year’s Democratic National Convention in Denver but he said the information would be helpful to agencies involved in security there.
Mike Kuper, a police officer from Rifle attending the training, said potential terrorists would be more likely to strike in the more populated Front Range but they could train or buy materials to build explosives in smaller Western Slope communities like his. Or they could end up driving through other parts of the state after an attack.
Richard McMorran of the El Paso County sheriff’s office said no one thought a place like Oklahoma City could be hit by a terrorist attack.
“If you expect that something could happen in your community and you keep your eyes open then hopefully it won’t happen,” he said.
