Why is terrorism a law enforcement concern?
First, terrorism generates a high social vulnerability from the commission of generally dangerous actions or a threat to them. Second, terrorism is characterized by the public nature of its execution, while other crimes are usually committed without a publicity claim. Third, a distinctive feature of terrorism is the deliberate creation of an environment of fear, depression, and tension. At the same time, this atmosphere of pressure is created not at the social scale rather at an individual or narrow-group level. Fourthly, terrorist organizations are recruiting people, which carries the danger of being involved in radical measures. Although terrorists create fear, their main goal is to encourage revolt among the citizens (Kurtulus, 2017). Consequently, terrorism has an aggressive and violent nature and, most importantly, a public character that threatens nation safety and requires law enforcement agencies’ intervention.
How is terrorism a crime?
Terrorism is a method by which an organized group or party seeks to achieve its declared goals, mainly through the systematic use of violence. In the modern world, the growth of the threat of terrorism occurs against the background of the exacerbation and spread of political, socioeconomic, ethnic, religious extremism. It poses a significant risk to the interests of the individual, society, and the state, the political, military, economic, environmental security of the country, its constitutional system, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.
What can the US criminal justice system do to better prepare for future terrorist crimes?
There is a Situational Crime Prevention (SCP) model, which helps to eliminate the possibility for criminals to engage in terrorist activities. SCP is activated by identifying a specific situation related to the crime, and it assesses the nature and scope of the crime (Lasley & Guffey, 2017). Determining the most costly-effective means for blocking a criminal opportunity and implementing a strategy for preventing chances and monitoring the situation’s results for changes in illegal activity are priorities in this program. Therefore, the US government can invest funds in models and investigate the applicability of SCP.
References
Kurtulus, E. N. (2017). Terrorism and fear: do terrorists really want to scare? Critical Studies on Terrorism, 10(3), 501-522.
Lasley, J., & Guffey, J. (2017). A US military perspective on the promise of Situational Crime Prevention for combating terrorism. Journal of Policing, Intelligence and Counter Terrorism, 12(2), 85-104.