NCJ Number
225148
Date Published
2007
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This paper discusses the state of police training in counterterrorism response in friendly urban environments.
Abstract
The authors--who have studied counterterrorism efforts of police forces around the world and trained well over 1,500 police in counterterrorism tactics--recommend a two-pronged approach. The first prong is called “programmatic/ strategic.” This involves determining new criteria for the deployment of law enforcement resources in accordance with the assessed threat risk and tactics of terrorism. The second prong is entitled “operational/tactical,” which consists of identifying new partners needed for effective counterterrorism efforts; ways of ensuring that traditional law enforcement work does not suffer as a result of the additional counterterrorism efforts; and a determination of who will collect, analyze, and disseminate information specifically related to the terrorist threat. The authors note a trend toward establishing specialized police units for counterterrorism efforts; however, this is not appropriate for most police departments in the United States, which are small. For small departments, all officers should receive comprehensive training that includes how to identify and respond to local terrorist cells. Counterterrorism training should begin early in an officer’s career during the basic academy curriculum. This should include basic modules on intelligence gathering. Training should be reinforced and updated throughout the officer’s careers. It should be offered in specialized, in-service modules. 9 references