Law Enforcement Innovations in Reaction to The 9/11 Terrorist Attacks and the Virginia Tech Massacre

While the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is one, centralized agency, securing the homeland involves the cooperation and collaboration of many, different agencies and organizations ranging from local law enforcement to national agencies such as the NSA, CIA, and FBI. Each of these agencies contributes to the development of homeland security intelligence. By carefully analyzing and commenting on the objectives, tasks, strengths, weaknesses, and roles of each agency, a larger picture emerges regarding the capabilities and limitation of intelligence in supporting homeland security efforts.

Homeland Security is characterized by crime control being the primary police function. It is best achieved through a collective effort by all law enforcement agencies. One of the strategies being used is Intelligence Led Policing. This strategy is not new, it can be traced back to the British is the 1990’s (Bailey, 2011). Intelligence Led Policing is an approach to crime that deals with all crimes and threats including terrorism. This approach is unique because it is threat driven instead of incident driven. It also is a long term approach and focuses on causes and conditions that add to crime through a collection of data.

September 11, 2001 showed that there were weaknesses in communication and emergency response. It also significantly changed the role police have with the prevention of terrorist acts. As Oliver stated, “... policing in the post-September 11 environment is not only a response to the specific events...but also an amalgam of change brought about by various political, economic, and social factors in the United States...” (Homeland Security for Policing, 2007, p. 43).

The horrific events of September 11, 2001, profoundly altered the way law enforcement agencies conducted business. The creation of new agencies arose, strategies, procedures, and training for law enforcement was necessary to prepare and combat terrorism. In this paper, I will analyze the before and after effects, the events of 9/11 caused in law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and what improvements I feel are needed to keep our nation safe from terrorism.

One key act was the Patriot Act that gave national security investigators provisions to track leads and dismantle plots before they occur. The Patriot act relaxed restrictions of information sharing between enforcement and intelligence officers, roving wiretaps, subpoena power for e-mail records, and other provisions set forth by this Act. The improved cooperation between the federal, state, and local authorities forming Joint Terrorism Task Forces (JTTF), where communication is the key from the lowest level to the highest level to get suspects off the street. Terrorist travel has been really watched with the security at the airport or even on the plane has been upgraded with more air marshals and the multiple security checks at the

The devastating events of 9/11 provided a forewarning to our country concerning the dangers of terrorism. However, it has created a particularly greater impact on the duties and standards expected of law enforcement agencies on all levels (local, state, and national). Law enforcement has begun implementing new tactics in an effort to prevent future terrorist attacks from threatening our national security. One aspect of policing in which terrorism has brought about is the process of information sharing between all levels of law enforcement. Our nation has also witnessed a change from traditional policing to that of a militarized one. Furthermore, after the incidents of September 11th, the

The formation of fusion centers is a step in the right direction to countering terrorist threats. By working efficiently and appropriately, information leading to arrests can be shared across county lines, state lines, and all around the world in a timely manner. Fusion centers can make law enforcement agencies more competent and effective in stopping crimes (to include terrorist attacks) before they take place. As long as the centers follow the laws they are governed by, they will remain ethical and can be a helpful addition in protecting the United States. Fusion centers in the United States perform a valuable role in countering terrorist threats, their positive influence far

Compare and contrast the pre and post 9/11 law enforcement response to terrorism. What strategies could be implemented to increase future law enforcement capability in countering terrorism?

For homeland security to be effective, the intelligence capability will require the integration of all state and local law enforcement agencies throughout the entire homeland security enterprise. These law enforcement officers are the Nation’s first preventers and the eyes and ears in the intelligence process. Homeland security intelligence is getting accurate and timely information from are officers in our hometowns, this is so critical in preventing further attacks against America.

As one of the most efficient States in fighting terrorism, Florida has avoided the Department of Homeland Security all together. Instead, Florida has an Office of Domestic Security and an Office of Statewide Intelligence in order to stop terrorist, respond, and recover from terrorist attacks (2). Aside from these organizations, Florida has more than a dozen other organizations/centers including the Research and Analysis Unit (RAU) Financial Crimes and Analysis Center (FCAC), and Florida Investigative Support Center (FISC) ("Florida Department of…” 1). What Florida has done well that the nation has not done well as a whole is communication. By splitting Florida into seven regions, communication between the regions has been effective and can be compiled easily. Each quarter, the information is compiled and then sent back to the agents in order to analyze crime and determine where distribution of resources will go (1).

The purpose of this paper is to define and give as much detail information about Homeland Security in the United States and law enforcement and how they are integrated. I hope after reading this paper you will be well informed on the duties and responsibilities of these agencies. People have always lived in fear but with the help of these agencies we will no longer have to live in fear. I will try to give as much detail information as possible to help with any problems or situation that might come up. Homeland Security in the United States and law enforcement have extensive research skills and knowledge in serving and protecting citizens and other important groups and agencies. Homeland

In the State of New York, fusion center is a perfect example of information technology optimizing their performance in reducing crime within their police departments. The New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Center serves as an information hub for law enforcement. According to (Johnson, 2008), the mass of intelligence data in the central location has proved to be a key factor in identifying individuals and organizations that are facilitating or carrying out terrorist activity in New York City.

“We have learned as a Nation that we must maintain a constant, capable, and vigilant posture to protect ourselves against new threats and evolving hazards. But we have also learned that vigilance and protection are not ends in and of themselves, but rather necessary tools in the service of our national purpose.”(Napolitano, 2010, p.iv) In the wake of the September 11th, 2001 attacks our nation has taken upon itself extreme vigilance to ensure the security and defense of the American people. The relationship between homeland security and homeland defense is one that is tightly knit. Each has a very distinct mission set but somewhere along the spectrum they cross over and mutually support each other in the best interest of the nation.

Terrorism is one of the most debated topics in the twenty-first century and this is primarily owed to the 9/11 events, a moment when people worldwide acknowledged that they were more vulnerable than they previously considered themselves to be. All levels of law enforcement got actively involved in and prioritized preventing future terrorist acts from that point on. This meant that law enforcement officers were provided with new responsibilities and that they became a part of homeland security initiatives developed in the states where they worked. Florida has been involved in devising anti-terrorist strategies before the 9/11 events actually took place and the authorities within the state's borders have had to focus on reducing the chances of a terrorist threat happening by directing a significant number of resources toward the concept.

Fusion centers were created to improve the efficiency of the state and local level of homeland security. "Fusion centers are owned and operated by state and local entities with support from federal partners in the form of deployed personnel, training, technical assistance, exercise support, security clearances, connectivity to federal systems, technology, and grant funding." (U.S. National Intelligence, 2013, p. 20). This initiative is extremely beneficial, because the state level does not always have the means to comb through data. Training also proves to be a costly burden the state cannot always fund. At the national and international level, the country utilizes the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Fusion centers are been extremely effective, because the intelligence gathered in this manner is much more relevant in terms of locale. For example, if the FBI acquires some intelligence about New York City, it does not do much good for California. If California focuses more on itself with the fusion