Local Law Enforcement Responds To Terrorism

This document discusses the types of resources that police may want to consider when developing their terrorism prevention and response plan. To deal effectively with the threat of domestic terrorism, the police must be able to manage and coordinate different sources of data and intelligence. They must also process them in such a way as to provide an enhanced understanding of actual or potential criminal activity. In recent years, technological advances have resulted in vast improvements in data gathering techniques, including in-field laptops, automated computer aided dispatch systems, and geographical information systems. Some police departments are finding value in combining law enforcement data with other types of data to examine crime problems in greater depth. These data are being used both in the aggregate and at the incident level. The importance of incident level data is that it can be analyzed by different levels of geography (address, beat, reporting district) as well as by other variables. Non-law enforcement types of data such as pawn information and drug court information are often available in incident level format and when combined with the more traditional law enforcement data, can allow for numerous analytical possibilities. Agencies are now recognizing the benefits of data sharing across institutions and jurisdictions. There is also the need to ensure that police personnel receive the necessary training to make certain that they have the tools required to effectively respond to terrorist attacks. The importance of communications interoperability was reaffirmed during the recent terrorist attacks. Technology can assist local law enforcement by delivering timely and consistent information to the community. Agencies need to assess the community2s needs and develop an approach that is tailored to the distinctive characteristics and requirements that exist within each individual jurisdiction.

This document discusses the types of resources that police may want to consider when developing their terrorism prevention and response plan. To deal effectively with the threat of domestic terrorism, the police must be able to manage and coordinate different sources of data and intelligence. They must also process them in such a way as to provide an enhanced understanding of actual or potential criminal activity. In recent years, technological advances have resulted in vast improvements in data gathering techniques, including in-field laptops, automated computer aided dispatch systems, and geographical information systems. Some police departments are finding value in combining law enforcement data with other types of data to examine crime problems in greater depth. These data are being used both in the aggregate and at the incident level. The importance of incident level data is that it can be analyzed by different levels of geography (address, beat, reporting district) as well as by other variables. Non-law enforcement types of data such as pawn information and drug court information are often available in incident level format and when combined with the more traditional law enforcement data, can allow for numerous analytical possibilities. Agencies are now recognizing the benefits of data sharing across institutions and jurisdictions. There is also the need to ensure that police personnel receive the necessary training to make certain that they have the tools required to effectively respond to terrorist attacks. The importance of communications interoperability was reaffirmed during the recent terrorist attacks. Technology can assist local law enforcement by delivering timely and consistent information to the community. Agencies need to assess the community2s needs and develop an approach that is tailored to the distinctive characteristics and requirements that exist within each individual jurisdiction.

The introductory chapter of this book presents the concepts of the bene?ts inherent in the study of comparative approach for an effective counterterrorism response on the local law enforcement level and overviews the inception of the project. Throughout the twentieth century and into the twenty-?rst century, especially after the events of September 11, 2001, the legitimacy of law enforcement practices has been cited as a major concern for international criminal justice. As policing pr- titioners and scholars throughout the world shifted focus from a traditional reactive, crime control stance to the need for accountability mechanisms to ensure the s- port of citizenry in combating crime and terrorism, the democratization of policing was seen as the best mechanism for achieving long-term gains in public order at the same time as protecting human rights. While the need to maintain human rights remains an important issue, balancing these concerns with the important public safety interests of societies is paramount.

Police officers on the beat, officers on patrol, all cops - local, state, tribal and federal, 750,000 strong - doing what they do every day are the first and most effective line of defense against terrorist acts committed in the Homeland. This manual is designed to overcome the failure of our national counter-terrorist strategy to better utilize local cops in homeland security by providing essential and practical knowledge local officers can use to identify terrorist precursor activities and more effectively interdict and prevent terrorist attacks from occurring. The goal is to acquaint officers with proactive “first preventer” knowledge and tactics so they can make police counterterrorism an integral part of their duties. Numerous case studies flesh out concepts such as terrorism, homeland security, terrorist threats posed by different terror groups, police counterterrorism intelligence, lone wolf terrorism, behavioral indicators of Islamist radicalization, terrorist tradecraft, terrorism indicators and warning signs, the terrorist attack cycle, terrorist attack tactics such as sniping, weapons of mass destruction, arson, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), suicide bombing tactics and surveillance detection techniques. This manual is an excellent source of basic to intermediate training for intelligence analysts, members of Joint Terrorism Task Forces, criminal intelligence investigators, and all police officers.

In the aftermath of 9/11, many law enforcement agencies (LEAs) shifted more resources toward developing counterterrorism (CT) and homeland security (HS) capabilities. This volume examines the effects the focus on CT and HS has had on law enforcement since 9/11, including organizational changes, funding mechanisms, how the shift has affected traditional crime-prevention efforts, and an assessment of benefits, costs, and future challenges.

This brief focuses on translational criminology practices as they relate to counter-terrorism and homeland security. The work provides a detailed and practical examination of how global threats (such as, terrorism and cybercrime) are managed through local response. It covers emerging strategies in data collection procedures, inter-agency cooperation, and new analytical techniques including risk-terrain modeling. In addition, it presents a common methodology, including steps in risk assessment, risk management, and decision-making, that can be used to frame and analyze global and local threats. The authors examine these issues using examples of how law enforcement responded to specific security threats including the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, the 2003 terrorist attack in Istanbul, Turkey, and the 2010 Stuxnet attack on the Natanz nuclear facility in Iran. This work expands on existing literature covering the impact that globalization has on cross national threats, drawing on disciplines related to criminology, such as international relations and political science.

Examines how state and local law enforcement agencies conducted and supported counterterrorism intelligence activities after 9/11. The report analyzes data from a 2002 survey of law enforcement preparedness in the context of intelligence, shows how eight local law enforcement agencies handle intelligence operations, and suggests ways that the job of gathering and analyzing intelligence might best be shared among federal, state, and local agencies.