SHIELD also offers the possibility to follow online courses and trainings within your own work environment. By these means even more tools are offered to the public and private sector in fighting terrorism. Conferences will be organized to inform the SHIELD-members on the most recent developments in the city. The education side of SHIELD is inspired by the NEXUS project of the New York Police Department (NYPD).
The NYPD believes terrorists may portray themselves as legitimate customers in order to purchase or lease certain materials or equipment, or to undergo certain formalized training to acquire important skills or licenses. There is also a concern that these individuals may simply steal certain types of vehicles, equipment or materials from the inventory of legitimate businesses. Whatever the method, once appropriated these items could then be used to facilitate a terrorist plot.
Through Operation Nexus, the NYPD actively encourages business owners, operators and their employees to apply their particular business and industry knowledge and experience against each customer transaction or encounter to discern anything unusual or suspicious and to report such instances to authorities.
This is exactly what the Antwerp Police also wants to enable.