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May 7, 2008 8:49 pm US/Eastern
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FBI Ignites Bombs In Anti-Terrorism Training On LI
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
The FBI is training local police on Long Island on what to look for in a crime scene involving bombs. According to the agency, the training is aimed to provide defense and security against terrorism.
They were powerful, colorful and educational. Explosives of all sizes were set off by the FBI on a Long Island field as fifty officers from local and state police agencies watched and learned with undivided attention.
"The bombs do a lot of damage, they're very scary," said Nassau County Crime Scene Officer Joe Acqualina.
On Wednesday, the class in session was told about some of the bombing techniques being used by terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan. Many officers were surprised at the punch packed by something so small.
"It seems so small - C4 - you say it's only a little bit, but it's really a massive explosion," said Suffolk County Police Officer Tobie Monaco.
The goal is to get these student officers to roll up onto a crime scene and be able to identify what blew up, what caused it to blow up and hopefully find some clues left behind.
When CBS 2 asked NYPD Detective Ray Rodriguez just how difficult it is to pick up clues after a bomb detonates, he had this response.
"It's not easy. It's a tough thing, like finding a needle in a haystack."
Rodriguez is already a NYC Detective, but he's still learning how to pick up clues from the clouds.
"Each chemical dissolves in a different way. Some had more cloud, some burned longer, some were louder, so based on that you can determine what kind of device it was," said Rodriguez.
"We're just trying to learn about how to handle investigations when it comes to bombing and it's been a great experience so far," said NYPD Joint Terrorism Task Force Detective Mike Dowd.
It's an experience aimed in part at keeping up with terrorists, said an FBI spokesperson.
"Terrorists are smart. Criminals are smart. They'll figure out something else to counteract our counter measures," said Bomb Technician Pete Licata.
It's an evolution that shows no signs of ending, which is why there are lessons like this. The 40-hour class goes until the end of this week. This is the first time the FBI has taught this topic to local and state police agencies in New York.
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