The Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis and the Secure Community Network Announce Hiring of Former FBI Special Agent Bradley Swim to Bolster Community Safety and Security

Swim Will Serve as Regional Security Advisor and Will Advise, Direct, and Enhance Community Security Program to Reach Jewish Communities Across Entire State of Indiana

The Secure Community Network (SCN), the official safety and security organization for the Jewish community in North America, and the Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis today announced the hiring of Brad Swim as the new Regional Security Advisor for Indiana. Swim will grow the existing Indianapolis community security program ‘Safe Indy’ to serve all Jewish communities across the entire state of Indiana. The security program is designed to increase safety and security for all those who participate in synagogues, day schools, museums, service organizations, and other centers of Jewish life.

Swim was hired to take the place of Grant Mendenhall, who was promoted to oversee the entirety of Secure Community Network’s local and regional security programs as its new Deputy Director of Operations. Mendenhall, a native of Indiana, joined SCN in March of 2020 as the Community Security Director for the Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis. Prior to joining SCN, Mendenhall served in numerous leadership roles at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, including as the Assistant Director of the Counterterrorism Division. Swim and the community will also continue to be supported by SCN Regional Director Bevan Stauffer, who will provide oversight of the Safe Indy program.

“SCN is proud of our partnership with the Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis and excited to grow security coverage across Indiana through the hiring of Brad as Regional Security Advisor,” said Michael Masters, National Director and CEO of SCN. “Our goal is to ensure the safety, security, and resiliency of all Jewish communities, and this partnership is helping to do just that.”  

“Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis is excited to continue its partnership with SCN and formally welcome Brad to our team,” said Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis CEO Marc Swatez. “As America faces dramatic increases in antisemitic threats and incidents, Jewish communal security has never been more important. Brad has extensive experience and knowledge of safety and security issues, making him an enormous asset to our community.”

The Federation program is part of the growing network of Jewish Federations and communities that have partnered with SCN to launch community-wide security programs designed around an “all threats, all hazards” approach to preparedness, safety, security, and resiliency. Each program is connected to SCN’s national operations, providing direct access to SCN’s National Jewish Security Operations Command Center and Duty Desk, as well as best practice security resources and support related to policies, procedures, physical security, facility assessments, training, and incident response.

The Indianapolis security initiative is being made possible through professional support from the Federation and SCN; funding through the collaborative efforts of the Federation local donors, and community partner organizations; and national donor support from SCN and LiveSecure, the partnership between The Jewish Federations of North America and SCN to fund and create a collective security framework.

To lead the effort, former FBI Supervisory Special Agent Brad Swim has been appointed the Regional Security Advisor.

Prior to joining SCN, Swim spent 25 years with the FBI. He was a founding member of the Joint Terrorism Task Force in the Pittsburgh Field Office, where he worked on domestic and international terrorism matters including white supremacy and violent extremism. He also became the Pittsburgh Field Office’s lead FBI case agent for all 9/11-related leads and evidence control after being among the first FBI personnel on the ground at the Flight 93 crash site.

Swim was promoted to an FBI headquarters role as Supervisory Special Agent for the National Joint Terrorism Task Force, and later was selected to lead the Joint Terrorism Task Force in Denver where he handled matters relating to domestic terror investigations, outreach, and security trainings, Weapons of Mass Destruction, and Special Events Preparedness. He retired from the FBI in 2022.

“It is an honor for me to contribute my law enforcement knowledge and experience to working with the Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis and SCN toward the safety and security of the Jewish community in Indiana,” said Swim. “I look forward to leveraging these experiences and community relationships to help everyone become more prepared and resilient against all forms of threats.”

Swim will succeed former Community Security Director Grant Mendenhall who was hired to launch ‘Safe Indy’ in 2020. Swim completed an intensive onboarding process and will serve as SCN’s full-time representative based in Indianapolis. He will oversee and administer a comprehensive security program that provides risk mitigation, security consultations, assessments, and training to Jewish institutions throughout Indiana, and teach SCN’s flagship training courses such as Be Aware: Introduction to Situational Awareness, Countering Active Threat Training, and Stop the Bleed®.

# # #

 

The Secure Community Network (SCN), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is the official homeland safety and security organization of the Jewish community in North America. Founded in 2004 under the auspices of The Jewish Federations of North America and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, SCN serves as the central organization dedicated exclusively to the safety and security of the American Jewish community, working across 146 federations, 50 partner organizations, over 300 independent communities, and other partners in the public, private, nonprofit, and academic sectors. SCN is dedicated to ensuring that Jewish organizations, communities, life, and culture can not only exist safely and securely but flourish. Learn more at securecommunitynetwork.org.

 

The mission of the Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis is to promote the vision of a vibrant, engaged, inclusive, and sustainable Jewish community by serving as its central philanthropic, planning, community engagement, and unifying partner. Learn more at https://www.jewishindianapolis.org/