• Instructor:            Rob Finch
• Date:                   October 30, 2019
• Location:             RCCC-North, Building 400, Room 4133
• Time:                   8 am – 5 pm
• Hours:                 8

Domestic Terrorism and Hate Groups

This one-day training will provide law enforcement officers with an introductory overview of numerous domestic terror groups and criminally subversive subcultures which are encountered by law enforcement professionals on a daily basis. The course will provide a definition of violent extremism and focus on individuals and groups that attempt to advance social or political beliefs through force or violence in violation of state or federal law. Movements and ideologies covered will include white supremacy, white nationalism, black identity extremism, animal rights and eco-terrorism, anti-government, and other radical separatists groups.

In addition to the previously mentioned training topics, and due to several recent highly publicized violent protests and demonstrations, a large portion of the course will focus on Antifa/Anarchists and their current method of operation around the United States. Law enforcement will be taught to recognize criminal actors and understand the goals and desires of this often violent and destructive sub-culture. Current conflicts between white nationalists and Antifa will be covered at length, including both groups’ savvy use of social media and frequent violent clashes in public space.

During the full-day training, law enforcement professionals will be educated on the First Amendment and the Constitutional protections afforded to all groups discussed. At the conclusion of the course, law enforcement professionals will be trained to identify racially motivated violent extremism and discern between criminal activity and First Amendment protected speech and actions.

Additionally, attendees will be able to:

1. Identify racially motivated violent extremism and associated ideologies.
2. Recognize and understand the numerous criminal subcultures and extremist groups living and operating in their jurisdiction.
3. Understand and predict the dynamics of encounters with the various criminal subcultures presented.
4. Complete safe, competent and thorough investigations involving criminally subversive groups and/or racially motivated individuals.
5. Define, explain, and train fellow officers on the tactics of various criminal subcultures and domestic extremist groups present in their jurisdictions.

Instructor Bio:

Rob Finch is a North Carolina Detective with over 15 years experience working in a large criminal intelligence unit. His daily responsibilities involve monitoring, documenting and prosecuting subversive criminal organizations and domestic terrorism subjects that include sovereign citizens/anti-government extremists, outlaw motorcycle gangs, anarchists, white supremacists, black identity extremists and animal/earth extremists. Finch has worked numerous criminal cases on the state and federal levels that have resulted in successful prosecutions of these groups. He is well versed on covert and overt surveillance techniques used during intelligence operations and has worked several large regional and national operations in multiple jurisdictions.

To register for this class, please send your request to LETrain@rccc.edu.