Notes

The events of 9/11, and multiple other terrorists, have opened the doors for various nations to further their reach in the areas of counter-terrorism. Many federal agencies in the United States, such as the Department of Defense which operates with issues beyond and out of the country, and Department of Homeland Security which primarily focuses on preventing issues and terrorist organization from striking within the borders of the United States. However, not only have federal agencies and organization improved their methods but so have local and state police departments as well.
One agency that has heavily been involved in solving issues that are related to terrorism, is the Department of Homeland Security, also known as DHS. After the events of the September 11, 2001 attacks, the United States had realized that the threat of terrorism is constantly evolving as time passes and that specialization in preventing it would be needed. One of the various things that the DHS looks at, when it comes to monitoring for potential threats or suspicious activity, are domestic terrorists, racially or ethnically motivated extremists, anti-government and authority extremists, or any other violent extremists within the borders of the country. To monitor them, the DHS performs risk bases assessments of technological advances in order to filter out any possible threats or dangers, such as terror plots or early warnings, coming through the internet or other forms of devices or technology. Besides the internet, the DHS also implemented the use of the Customs and Border Patrol division, which is a force that tackles and intercepts any possible threats or dangers at the countries border. (Strategic Framework, 2019) Similar to the DHS, which primarily operates on a nationwide scale, smaller law enforcement agencies, such as the New York Police Department, have also contributed to taking actions in response to counter-terrorism.
After the World Trade Center attacks, the NYPD took the initiative to strengthen its intelligence and anti-terrorist divisions. In an effort to make a difference in upon impact, Raymond W. Kelly had reformed and upgraded the Intelligence Division upon his appointment in 2002. Through the multiple connections, he appointed ex CIA members in order to bring the experience into the department. Regarded as the “ Gold Standard” for an intelligence program (Kelling & Bratton, 2006), the NYPD executed various forms of field intelligence to infiltrate suspected violent militant, and/or radical or extremist, groups in order to gain intelligence on possible threats and terror plots. Another method that was implemented by the NYPD was the use of thousands of security cameras in lower Manhattan. Inspired by London’s “ Ring of Steel,” thousands of cameras were installed throughout lower Manhattan that would be linked under a program known as the “ Domain Awareness System.” The system would incorporate the videos and images captured by the city’s many cameras and would search a database trying to match descriptions of possible criminals or terrorists. (Dahl, 2014)
Although terrorism has been rooted deeply in human history, efforts to contain and prevent it had been taken to a higher level since the September 11th World Trade Center attacks. Various agencies, such as the Department of Homeland Security and the New York Police Department, had executed various methods in order to fight future acts of terror. In the case of the DHS, it had implemented the use of various filters on both the internet and real-life settings through the use of the Customs and Border Patrol agency. Similarly, the NYPD had also reformed and heightened its intelligence and counter-terrorism divisions with the use of field intelligence and surveillance. This method has been proven to be effective due to its constant use of surveillance and filters to expose and isolate possible terrorists and criminals. Although the NYPD and DHS are two agencies that have incorporated such methods into their line of work, other agencies across the United States have also taken the initiative to improve their methods and actions against terrorism.
















Department of Homeland Security Strategic Framework For Countering Terrorism and Targeted Violence (2019, September). Retrieved 9AD, from https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/19_0920_plcy_strategic-framework-countering-terrorism-targeted-violence.pdf
Kelling, G., & Bratton, W. (2006, September). Policing terrorism. Civic Bulletin no. 43. New York, NY: The Manhattan Institute.
Dahl, E. (2014). Local approaches to counterterrorism: The New York Police Department model. Journal of Policing, Intelligence and Counter Terrorism, 9(2), 81-97.