I recently returned from the 2025 Homeland Security Summit, an annual meeting of community security directors across the US and Canada. We number almost 120 now, and 18 of them began after our 2024 conference. As I’ve said before, we’re all connected throughout the year, but seeing each other in person helps all of us do our work better. When we’re together, we share best practices, getting help on issues, and commiserating on things we’d love to see working better.

The three days of speakers highlighted a wide variety of topics. We heard an overview of the Secure Community Network’s (SCN) Duty Desk and how they are managing the 3,000+ threat-to-life incidents and social media postings they triaged in the past year. Those numbers are staggering, and their workload is heavy. A high percentage of these threat actors will never take action, but it’s impossible to know which ones will, so each requires law enforcement engagement and action. In addition to the FBI, the Duty Desk is linked to Fusion Centers across the US to help manage those threats when the perpetrators have been identified. I’ve written previously about how SCN will be embedding analysts into regional hubs to better serve incidents in their geographic proximity. I expect that ultimately, Oregon will be served by analysts in Salt Lake City or Denver. I believe having someone in our time zone, more tuned into Western issues and our specific people of interest, will make for a more integrated support system.

We heard overviews of the bias incidents in Washington, DC, San Antonio, and Boulder, CO. It’s helpful to hear how Security Directors handled those issues, how they responded when they happened, worked with their communities to share the news, provided ongoing updates, and handled the aftermath.

We had great breakout sessions. These included Federation/City size groups meetings, where we discuss the unique aspects of security with similar sized communities. There were also sessions on new technologies (which I’ll be sharing with all the organization leadership), and I presented on a session for new Security Directors.

I was also introduced to the White Rose Society. The name “pays homage to the Weiße Rose (White Rose), a non-Jewish resistance group founded by students at the University of Munich in 1942...the Weiße Rose called on their fellow students and the German public to take action to decry Nazi crimes and resist the Nazi state.” Today, the White Rose Society honors individuals who have demonstrated friendship and moral courage in their support for the Jewish Community. We attended a ceremony at the “The Temple” or Hebrew Benevolent Congregation in Atlanta (famed for the 1958 bombing of its sanctuary by white supremacists). It appears to be a national program, and I wondered if it was an effort that could be started here in Oregon.

It was a great week of improving professionally and connecting personally. This is the best part of getting together in person, and I’m again grateful you allow me the time away to attend.