Post 9/11 Law Enforcement Response to Terrorism Essay Example
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?
“We’re in a new world. We’re in a world in which the possibility of terrorism, married up with technology, could make us very, very sorry that we didn’t act.” (Rice, 2002).
Law enforcement response to counter-terrorism fundamentally changed as a result of the unprecedented events of September 11th 2001 in New York and Washington (Kaldas, 2002, p61-62). This essay will examine how law enforcement has evolved in response to the changing nature of terrorism, with an emphasis on how this has impacted Australia. An analysis of arrests and subsequent convictions of terrorist related incidents since 9/11 in Western democracies throughout the world, highlights that law enforcement agencies have demonstrated a significant capacity to respond to the threats of terrorism as they arise. It is imperative for law enforcement to embrace the notion that counter terrorism is the responsibility of all law enforcement officers (O’Hare, 2006, p1). Unequivocally, Police perform a crucial role in counter-terrorism due to police being best placed to prevent and detect the emergence of local terrorist threats, and to respond and investigate local terrorist attacks (Clarke and Newman, 2006, p 9). It is critical that law enforcement continually work on effective strategies, strengthen capabilities, and maintain collaborative workable relationships within the communities they serve. To achieve this outcome, law enforcement needs to continually understand the changing nature of terrorism threats and to treat each and every threat as a crime. Terrorism is a crime, (The Counter-Terrorism White Paper, 2010, p 23) having no like or equal which requires an effective, holistic law enforcement response.
The term ‘terrorism’ comes ‘from the era of the French Revolution describing state-directed policy of
“We’re in a new world. We’re in a world in which the possibility of terrorism, married up with technology, could make us very, very sorry that we didn’t act.” (Rice, 2002).
Law enforcement response to counter-terrorism fundamentally changed as a result of the unprecedented events of September 11th 2001 in New York and Washington (Kaldas, 2002, p61-62). This essay will examine how law enforcement has evolved in response to the changing nature of terrorism, with an emphasis on how this has impacted Australia. An analysis of arrests and subsequent convictions of terrorist related incidents since 9/11 in Western democracies throughout the world, highlights that law enforcement agencies have demonstrated a significant capacity to respond to the threats of terrorism as they arise. It is imperative for law enforcement to embrace the notion that counter terrorism is the responsibility of all law enforcement officers (O’Hare, 2006, p1). Unequivocally, Police perform a crucial role in counter-terrorism due to police being best placed to prevent and detect the emergence of local terrorist threats, and to respond and investigate local terrorist attacks (Clarke and Newman, 2006, p 9). It is critical that law enforcement continually work on effective strategies, strengthen capabilities, and maintain collaborative workable relationships within the communities they serve. To achieve this outcome, law enforcement needs to continually understand the changing nature of terrorism threats and to treat each and every threat as a crime. Terrorism is a crime, (The Counter-Terrorism White Paper, 2010, p 23) having no like or equal which requires an effective, holistic law enforcement response.
The term ‘terrorism’ comes ‘from the era of the French Revolution describing state-directed policy of