Intelligence gathering is the first line of defense against terrorism. Through use of intelligence, law enforcement and military operations can be designed to disrupt terrorist organizations and preempt their operations. Prior to September 11, 2001, most state and local law enforcement agencies viewed intelligence gathering on global terrorist groups as the purview of the federal…
Problems in the field do not improve until someone takes charge. From the simplest radio call to a major terrorist incident, the situation doesnt move from chaos to normalcy without a leader. Thinking back on your career you can likely remember situations spiraling downward because a lack of leadership caused poor communications, inconsistent missions and…
The State of Preparedness In June 2003, the International Association of Chiefs of Police announced the results of their Homeland Security Preparedness Survey. The survey, sponsored by ITT Industries, was sent to more than 17,000 state and local law enforcement agencies[i]. The results of the survey were not surprising; nine out of ten law enforcement…
There are many challenges and conflictions when trying to select Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and full body PPE suits. The equipment needs to fit well and stop the bullets in and ever growing society of hostilities directed towards law enforcement officers. With these increasing numbers of personal attacks on the law enforcement community have forced…
National Response Plan: The Local Perspective The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) promotes the National Response Plan (NRP) as a comprehensive all-hazards approach to enhance the ability of the United States to manage domestic incidents[i]. However, the federal, state and local response to Katrina should have every first responder asking serious questions. Earlier…
After the bombing of the Murrah Building and damage to the outlying areas, and the murder of 168 innocent people, I, a deputy Sheriff then was assigned to guard the United States Marshal’s Office Control Center. During that time I was approached by a man of mid-eastern decent carrying a small package. He requested to…
A great deal has appeared in the British press regarding the very tragic death of the Brazilian, Jean Charles de Menezes, on the 22nd July 2005, particularly as a result of the successful prosecution at the end of 2007 of the police at Scotland Yard under Health and Safety legislation and the publication of the…
While the United States has not experienced a major terrorist attack since September 11, 2001, there have been continual terrorist attacks around the globe. According to the National Counter Terrorism Centers (NCTC) Worldwide Incident Tracking System (WITS)[i], during 2004 there were only five terrorist incidents in the US (accounting for one injury). Conversely, during the same time period there were 3,192 terrorist incidents worldwide, resulting in…
Terry Lynn Nichols (born April 1, 1955) was a U.S. Army veteran who was convicted of being an accomplice to Timothy McVeigh, the man convicted of murder in the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building (Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S, April 19, 1995), which claimed 168 lives. Nichols was convicted of eight counts of…
Introduction The definition of a crime dictates our response. For instance, while responding to a robbery-in-progress call you and your partner should be formulating your tactical plans. Indeed, as you receive more information, perhaps from dispatch, other units or air support, you change your plans based on the information. In addition to affecting your…
