New York City’s economic and symbolic importance to the United States make it a top target for terrorist networks worldwide. Prior to 9/11, the city was not adequately prepared to both defend and respond to an attack of such a great magnitude. By improving communication with federal agencies and understanding the role local law enforcement agencies play in the fight against modern day terrorists, New York City has developed the premier law enforcement unit in the country. With assistance from the federal government, the NYPD’s counterterrorism units have successfully protected the city and proved their capabilities in securing large scale events such as the Super Bowl and the 2014 United Nations General Assembly. “As the threats change …show more content…
The IBPG will establish a solid foundation to the Bureau’s practices, but also will remain open to changes. The evolving nature of terrorists and their associated threats will require the IBPD to be updated and changed overtime. Furthermore, the guidelines outlined in the IBPG will be taught to all NYPD officers to enhance their ability to respond and understand the threats associated with terrorism (NYPD, 2016). Far too many state and local police departments throughout the country neglect the role they play in combatting terrorism. By teaching their personnel to be both police officers and counterterrorism officers, the NYPD is improving their ability to identify and address terrorist related …show more content…
The NYPD installed a network of cameras, license plate readers, and radiological/chemical sensors throughout Manhattan in what became known as the Lower Manhattan Security Initiative’s (LMSI). The LMSI is “one of the most extensive IT security networks in the world” and will continue to be expanded in both its capabilities and range overtime (NYPD, 2016). By expanding the network, officers have a better perspective of locations and can use the system as an investigative tool. Also, the department recently installed the Domain Awareness, System (DAS) which “merges the various outputs of the LMSI into one easily accessible dashboard” (NYPD, 2016). The DAS allows counterterrorism units to access the cameras and sensors throughout the city and the ability to search the NYPD Crime Data Warehouse online (NYPD, 2016). NYPD recently issues 35,000 smartphone to its officers. Each phone had access to the DAS system, so in the event of a terrorist attack or threat, the officer will immediately be made aware of the situation. In doing so, the department is “making every police officer part of the counterterrorism program” (NYPD,