Muslim organizations say police training teaches bigotry

A coalition of 30 Islamic organizations on Wednesday criticized the way Florida police are trained in counter-terrorism methods.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has used materials that spread fear and bigotry against Muslims, according to Nezar Hamze, South Florida executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations(CAIR).

In particular, the coalition singled out materials used by Sam Kharoba, president of the Cape Coral-based Counter Terrorism Operations Center (CTOC), saying they make "vile accusations against Islam, sweeping generalizations targeting all Muslims and factual inaccuracies."

The organizations "request that the FDLE establish guidelines that vet and make sure individuals that are training our law enforcement officers have the proper academic credentials and/or experience," Hamze said at a news conference at CAIR's South Florida headquarters in Pembroke Pines.

FDLE spokeswoman Gretl Plessinger confirmed that the department had received a faxed letter from the coalition on Tuesday night.

Besides CAIR, the letter was sent in the name of mosques and other Muslim organizations statewide.

"We have utilized [Kharoba] in the past as a counter-terrorism instructor and received positive feedback on those taking the course, no complaints," Plessinger said. "But we will review [the coalition's] concerns."