Us-UK Counter-Terrorism After 911: A Qualitative Approach by Edgar B. Tembo

Author:Edgar B. Tembo [Tembo, Edgar B.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Political Freedom, Political Science, Terrorism, Intelligence & Espionage
ISBN: 9781136163500
Google: 8M7FBQAAQBAJ
Goodreads: 20606239
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2014-01-10T00:00:00+00:00

Figure 4.1 Liaison officers.

Law enforcement and the United States: a qualitative assessment

Law enforcement jurisdiction and responsibilities have always been a complicated and vast affair in the United States.84 The primary reason for this is that the structure of the United States is based on the idea that each of the fifty states (e.g. Alabama, South Carolina, Ohio) are independent and come together in a union. Consequentially each state, in theory, has its own Armed Force (National Guard) and a series of law enforcement agencies that are answerable to the Governor of that particular state.85 This means that there are at least 18,000 law enforcement agencies spread throughout the United States.86 These range from State Troopers, Highway Patrols, Metropolitan Police, through to City Police and Sheriffs’ departments. Furthermore, a number of federal law enforcement agencies operate nationally but are, due to restrictions imposed by the United States Constitution, limited or constrained in the manner in which they can intervene in state affairs.

The Department of Justice is perhaps the largest law enforcement agency at the federal level, incorporating the FBI; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the United States Marshal Service. This is closely followed by the Department of Homeland Security, which has under its administration Customs and Border Protection; Immigration and Customs Enforcement; United States Secret Service; and Transportation Security Administration. Most states have a State Police Force. There may also be capital police, local Sheriffs or county law enforcement departments. This is by no means an exhaustive list.

When assessing, side-by-side, the law enforcement capabilities of the United Kingdom and United States one overarching observation can be made. Within the United States context, little changed in the first decade after 9/11. As argued earlier, this was because in the early post-9/11 years, counter-terrorism was largely seen as about military deployments and border control. In essence, the threat from the perspective of the United States was an existential one. McMillan, formally of the National Defense University and, shortly after interview, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs within the Obama administration, stated his belief that home-grown transnational terrorists were not a problem that existed in the United States.87 By late 2009, as Hoffman noted, this view was beginning to change.88

The multiple tasks that law enforcement agencies are expected to undertake are in many respects what distinguish them from the Armed Forces. The Armed Forces are either preparing to execute (i.e. training) or executing (i.e. undertaking an action). These two roles generally do not run consecutively. One would end before the next began. On the other hand, law enforcement has multiple roles, some of them simultaneous commitments.89 The main roles include the following:

1

Executing Statutory Obligations.

a

A twenty-four hour, seven days per week commitment to protect and serve citizenry within a specific geographically bound jurisdiction.

2

Preparing to Execute Contingent Capabilities.

a

Developing contingent capabilities.

b

Considering contingent factors.

3

When Required: Executing Contingent Capabilities.

a

Fulfil demand by executing contingent capabilities, while continuing to execute statutory obligations (point 1).90

Point 2 is further complicated by the need to continue with point 1 while committing personnel for training exercises.

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