NCJ Number
193273
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 69 Issue: 2 Dated: February 2002 Pages: 35-38
Date Published
2002
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article examines 14 issues facing law enforcement in their effort to combat terrorism and the actions law enforcement should take to prevent a terrorist incident.
Abstract
The new war on terrorism presents local law enforcement with a number of issues: 1) Security at major events--large crowds create opportunities for terrorist strikes, and law enforcement will be needed to assist in security planning and intelligence; 2) tactical actions--SWAT and similar tactical teams may encounter explosives, biological and chemical weapons, or countersnipers; 3) nuclear, biological, and chemical threats--law enforcement must be aware of the new methods of delivery of hazardous materials i.e. biological agents such as anthrax can be placed in envelopes; 4) investigations--suspected terrorist crimes will require investigations to determine the identification of suspects and their possible links to crime networks; 5) Intelligence--citizens will supply information about possible terrorist plans or the location of terrorists; 6) bomb threats--bomb threats will be taken more seriously due to the difficulty in distinguishing hoax calls from actual events; 7) suspicious packages--people now realize that biological and chemical weapons can be concealed in envelopes; 8) suspicious people--local law enforcement is receiving calls about suspicious people at airports, bus, and train terminals and shopping malls; 9) hate crimes--people of Arab descent will experience increased animosity; 10) civil unrest--as the United States continues its military campaign in Central Asia, local opposition in the form of protests will increase; 11) critical facility security--it is necessary to examine the security of critical facilities such as power plants; 12) dignitary protection--terrorism increases the danger to elected officials; 13) regional coordination of intelligence gathering and antiterrorism efforts--communication among agencies is needed to ensure the sharing of information; and 14) balancing civil liberties and security--there must be a balance between the need to collect vital information with the preservation of civil liberties. In regard to the prevention of a terrorist attack, agencies should take the following actions: establish antiterrorism units, examine the management of information, and review interagency coordination.