Commentary
| Date | 01 November 2001 |
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X0107400401 |
| Published date | 01 November 2001 |
| Subject Matter | Commentary |
The
Police
Journal
COMMENTARY
This edition of The Police Journal is dedicated to the New York Police
Officers who lost their lives on 11 September. Our thoughts are also
with their families, friends and loved ones and with those of the New
York Fire Fighters and the office workers, air passengers and other
innocent citizens who were killed in an event claimed to have changed
the world. Few of us will forget the enduring images of that fateful day:
the destruction of life and property, the bravery of individuals risking
their own lives to save those of others and the shock to government
leaders that their country's security had been breached with such
devastating effects.
Whilst the investigation into those fateful events continues, and any
emerging evidence against the perpetrators is unlikely to be released for
public consumption, what surprises many is the ease with which the
perpetrators were able to achieve their aims. This Journal has long held
the view that intelligence-led approaches to policing remain the most
effective means of preventing and reducing crime. It is also our
contention that target hardening remains one of the more successful
crime-prevention tactics. I am sure that many lessons will have been
learned as a result of this terrorist attack; however, there are some
fundamental issues that need to be tackled at the earliest opportunity.
First, the key to successful intelligence is not just the ability to
capture information, but is also the capability to analyse, make
informed judgements and take appropriate actions as a result of that
intelligence. Effective intelligence analysis is not without cost and in
the case of the World Trade Center attack it may be that the intelligence
was limited. It is also possible that the intelligence was present but not
taken seriously. Whatever the case, it is essential that more resources
are invested to develop the widest possible intelligence networks and
the most effective means of validating the intelligence.
Secondly, while target hardening does not come without cost, ask
the banks whether or not there is a business justification for making
their premises a harder target for armed robberies and they will agree
universally that there is. The American civil aviation authorities and
airlines perhaps now realise that a more secure air network is worth the
cost of added security measures and longer boarding times.
The Police Journal, Volume 74 (2001) 277
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