Running head: POLICING
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Policing
July 7, 2021
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Policing
Imprint of Terrorism on Policing
Terrorism is seen as an act of violence and terror that could happen but not exclusively
until the wakeup call of September 11, 2001, in which the catastrophe profoundly altered the
impact of policing on terrorism. Policing previously consisted of responding to criminal acts of
negligence and violence that occurred, but circumstances and events have caused law
enforcement agencies to become proactive in how they handle all forms of violence and unsafe
environments where human lives are involved. Council of State Governments (2006) felt
policing changed drastically in their preparation procedures, in preventing future acts of
terrorism, and preparing for massive response operations with new paradigms, at all levels
federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.
Policing methods of preventing terroristic attacks involved recreating priorities with
homeland security at the state level, sharing information collected on a national level involving
attacks, protection of the infrastructure, borders and sea ports, collaborating with all level law
enforcement to secure task forces and alert all law enforcement officials with the possibility of
other terroristic attacks, by securing effective response equipment, training officers to govern
their territory with learning new tactics of defense. This requires the police departments to
develop strong networking support with other law enforcement agencies and community
policing.
Terrorism instills fear in citizens and causes distrust in the strong network system
established. Straub (2020) stated law enforcement officers have seen the devastating impact to
individuals and communities that come out of terrorist and targeted attacks, in which families,
and first responders are overwhelmed with grief and devastation. Terrorism will destabilize the
social order causing internal strife and conflict with survival, and personal perceptions of
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protection and security. Terrorism leaves a lasting imprint on society and law enforcement
agencies of unsafe environments existing to threaten survival exemplifying the most visible
impact of terrorism, creating a widespread fear of victimization among citizens.
Terrorist attacks are deceptive and unannounced acts of overt violence. As a result of this
blind deception law enforcement must prepare for the unknow possible attacks based on
information and evidence collected from other attacks. According to Hasisi, Perry, and
Wolfowicz (2020), policing efforts that focus on high concentrations of crime in so called
"hotspots" or among high-risk offenders, enforce proactive measures, and use community-based
strategies demonstrate consistent evidence of effectiveness and improving relations between the
police and the public. Based on this evidence, policing agencies that implement proven,
proactive anti-terrorism strategies are better able to integrate their new role and focus into their
broader law enforcement functions (2020). Terroristic acts are unforeseen forces against
humanity, in which law enforcement departments will consume their resources to provide tactical
survival strategies and will impact how they interact with the public as a whole.
American law enforcement community is now under pressure to better prepare the
American people for potential chemical, radiological, biological, nuclear, explosive, or suicide
attacks. According to Hasisi, Alpert, and Flynn (2009), intelligence plays a significant role in
combating terrorism. Intelligence is effective in thwarting terrorist actions because it allows
counterterrorism forces to undermine the element of surprise provided by hotspots and unsecured
locations by defense forces. Police intelligence units have extensive experience operating in
civilian environments, and they can coordinate with key informants in the community to gather
information about potential criminal activities. The police have been developing new strategies
such as secured screening of air transit in and out the country, conducting checkpoints
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concerning the stability of the infrastructures, and sustaining vital societal functions through
continuation of Government and continuation of operations plans programs. Carrying out these
proactive measures requires active partnership with the community to create awareness.
Terrorism's imprint on the community has resulted in the police devoting more time and
effort to employing effective strategic measures to enforce counterterrorism attacks and tactics,
and less time to problem solving and reaching out to the community to build relevant
relationships. Collectively, police officers face significant challenges in gathering criminal
intelligence and deploying resources to combat terrorism and protect the public. As a result,
public trust in the police is a critical component in the fight against terrorism, and police
accountability is a major variable in the public's cooperation with the police.
Massive terrorism has been identified as a major component to be addressed in the crime
prevention framework. Terrorism is difficult to link with other types of crime because it is a
distinct entity. To determine which crimes are considered precursors to supporting terrorism-
related activities, research and evidence is required. More concrete evidence can pave the way
for more effective and strategic counter-terrorism measures.
Rules that Govern Police Interrogations and Confessions
The due process voluntariness approach governs police interrogations and confessions,
implying that all confessions must be voluntary. Sage Publications (2015) stated several rules
apply to interrogations and confessions: Due Process, Miranda Right and the fifth, sixth, and the
14th amendments impact interrogations and confessions:
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The Fifth Amendment protects confessions and admissions, in which the Miranda rights,
are derived from the Fifth Amendment.
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Confessions and admissions are also protected by the due process clause of the
Fourteenth Amendment. The due process voluntariness test is provided by the
Fourteenth Amendment.
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The sixth amendment expands the right to counsel, prohibits officers from eliciting
information that can be used to initiate a criminal proceeding, requires that the accused be
given the right to an attorney and read their Miranda rights upon arrest, and only the
accused may waive their Miranda rights. Each accused person has the right to a fair trial,
the right to remain silent, the knowledge that anything they say can and will be used
against them, and the right to counsel appointed or hired by the court.
US Supreme Court Examples of Police Infringing A Suspect’s Constitutional Rights
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Legal Information Institute (1984) stated the case of New York vs Benjamin Quarles
exemplifies the fact that the officers infringed upon his constitutional rights. Miranda
warnings should be given before a suspect's answers are admitted into evidence, and
officer Kraft asked only the question necessary to locate the missing gun before advising
respondent of his rights. Exception is unrelated to the motivation of the officers.
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According to Wolff (1991), in Minnick v. Mississippi, the Court considered whether
police could resume interrogation after a suspect had consulted an attorney. Due to the
coercive nature of custodial interrogation, the Court concluded that once the suspect
asserts the right to counsel and has in fact consulted with counsel, police may not resume
interrogation without the suspect's attorney present. According to Minnick, he was told
that he would "have to talk" to Denham and that he "could not refuse." Minnick claimed
that his statements to Denham were taken in violation of his fifth and sixth amendment
rights to counsel (1991).
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References
Council of State Governments. (2006). The Impact of terrorism on state law enforcement:
adjusting to new roles and changing conditions.
https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/216642.pdf
Hasisi, B., Perry, S. & Wolfowicz, M. (2020). Proactive policing and terrorism.
https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264079.013.639
Hasisi, B., Alpert, G. & Flynn, D. (2009). The Impacts of policing terrorism on society: Lessons
from Israel and the US. DOI:10.1007/978-0-387-73685-3_7
Sage Publications. (2015). Interrogations and confessions.
https://us.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/upm-assets/68104_book_item_68104.pdf
Straub, F. (2020). The Importance of community policing in preventing terrorism.
https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/importance-community-policing-preventing-terrorism
Wolff, N. (1991). Minnick v Mississippi: The Supreme Court reinforces a suspect’s right to
have counsel present during custodial interrogation. Missouri Law Review, 56(4).
https://scholarship.law.missouri.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3066&context=mlr
