Protective Force Gets Valuable Upgrade with New Training Area

The Kansas City National Security Campus (KCNSC) is working on an infrastructure expansion project designed to support the KCNSC’s rapidly growing demand for space. One team finding the new space especially beneficial is the Protective Force, also known as the Pro Force, which will soon be able to enjoy a spacious area designated solely for teaching and training its officers.

The Pro Force, a vital security component of the KCNSC, currently houses officers and operators and anticipates this number expanding over the next year. The group works around the clock to assure that all assets – employees, programs, equipment and products - in and around the facilities remain safe and secure.

As its ranks grow, the Pro Force’s need for effective and efficient training has grown as well. That’s where Lieutenants Alex Williams and Doug Snooks step in. The two are responsible for coordinating and conducting training for both new and current Pro Force officers, a job which, until this month, was becoming more and more difficult given the current space constraints.
But, those issues are now a thing of the past with a new, dedicated training area for the Pro Force.

“It will have everything we do not currently have,” said Lt. Williams, a 10-year veteran of both the Marine Corps and Cass County Sherriff’s Office - now in his seventh year at the KCNSC. “This new area will give us a dedicated space for our training and we will also be able to consolidate all of our training equipment.”

Lt. Snooks, who also spent over a decade at the Cass County Sherriff’s office before joining the Pro Force in February 2019, agrees that this new facility will greatly simplify his and Lt. Williams’ planning efforts.

Both say that this infrastructure investment by the KCNSC for the Pro Force and their teaching efforts is encouraging. The unit prides itself in recruiting and hiring those already possessing years of law enforcement or military experience, and the chance to further the knowledge of these officers in the best facilities will only strengthen an already stout group of professionals.

“With this type of investment, we are going to be even better at providing a safe and secure environment for the employees at KCNSC,” said Lt. Williams. “Here in the Protective Force you can never be too good -- there is always room for improvement. We are excited to be able to seek out new and challenging ways of improving.”