Seven Warning Signs that Terrorists Are Operating in Your Community

Secure Community Network (2005) offers seven distinct warning signs, created by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority of New York, that terrorists might be operating within a community: (1) surveillance, (2) elicitation (direct information gathering), (3) tests of security, (4) acquiring supplies, (5) suspicious people who do not belong, (6) dry runs, and (7) deploying assets and getting into position.

Warning Sign #1: Surveillance

Logically, once a terrorist cell enters an area and chooses a target, it must learn vital information about this target before they can create definite plans for the attack. This begins with the surveillance stage. In this stage, the terrorists try to determine the target's strengths and weaknesses, the number of key personnel in the different areas of the target, and various ways to and from the target. During the surveillance stage, terrorists often exhibit a number of suspicious behaviors that could tip off authorities, such as the use of binoculars, video cameras, and blue prints to monitor an area (Secure Community Network, 2005).

Warning Sign #2: Elicitation

Once terrorists are satisfied with their initial assessment of their target, they normally try to gather more detailed information about the area. The next phase involves elicitation or direct information gathering. At this point, the terrorists will try to inquire about the intricacies of their target and may even attempt to legally infiltrate the area with one or more of their members to gain firsthand knowledge of their target (i.e., seeking employment). Any unusual inquiries into a location, especially one of significance, should alert local police that something might be amiss.

Warning Sign #3: Tests of Security

From there, terrorists usually progress to tests of security to fine tune their information about a target. Using small incidents and break-ins, they will attempt to gage the reactions of the area's security or local police to determine how far they can get into the location from different points, as well as how long it takes for the authorities to arrive. Just as with the elicitation phase, they may choose to seek employment in key points near or within the target to better understand the daily routine of the area. Ultimately, a chain of unexplained break-ins or strange incidents within an area is a strong warning sign that something out of the ordinary could be occurring (Secure Community Network, 2005).

Warning Sign #4: Acquisition of Supplies

After a terrorist cell understands the strengths and weaknesses of its target, it can move on to acquiring the supplies necessary to execute the attack. During this stage, the terrorists will need to legally and/or illegally acquire all necessary materials to carry out their plans, including weapons, ammunition, explosives, uniforms, and identification documents. Therefore, such things as individuals with false or forged identification, passport or ID thefts, increased smuggling activity, or attempts to purchase suspicious items are all indicators of terrorist activity (Secure Community Network, 2005). Also, throughout normal patrols, officers may come across individuals that just do not seem to belong in an area. Although terrorists aim to avoid attracting attention, it is possible that their behavior in the previous stages will seem off to local police and members of the community familiar with an area (Kelling & Bratton, 2006; Secure Community Network, 2005). In the end, a routine call or traffic stop could uncover evidence of terrorist activity or identify a suspect as a terrorist during booking, since the Terrorist Screening Database is now available for all law enforcement officials (Federal Bureau of Investigation, n.d.; Kelling & Bratton, 2006).

Final Warning Signs

Finally, two warning signs that a terrorist act is imminent are (1) dry runs and (2) the deploying of assets and getting into position. Ultimately, dry runs are the most noticeable point in the terrorist planning process. Terrorists use dry runs to work out any kinks in their plans and practice the actual steps of the attack to ensure that things will go as smooth as possible when they execute the real attack. These dry runs are often performed near or in the area and might be repeated several times to give the terrorists ample time to memorize each step of their operation and resolve any problem areas. In the end, this is when terrorists are generally most visible to the public and local authorities. Yet, even if these individuals are not detected during the dry run phase, there is still one more opportunity for the authorities to uncover the plot before it is finally carried out: the deploying of assets and getting into position (Secure Community Network, 2005).

Conclusion

In the end, the earlier a terrorist cell is detected the better the outcome. Not only will it decrease the likelihood that the terrorists will ever finish their objective, but also it gives the authorities more time and opportunity (i.e., the Patriot Act) to build a case against these individuals so they can be successfully tried in our court system (Bullock at el, 2006, p. 71-72). Since terrorists commit any number of lesser crimes in the process of planning their attacks, early detection can allow law enforcement officials to arrest and charge these individuals with various crimes under Title 18 of the federal code, as well as state and local laws, to get them off of the streets before they can take innocent lives (Legal Information Institute, n.d.). Therefore, I must conclude that the criminal justice system should be viewed as a key player in our fight against terrorism.

References:

Bullock, J. A., Haddow, G.D., Coppola, D., Ergin, E., Westerman, L, & Yeletaysi, S. (2006). Introduction to homeland security (2^nd ed.). Amsterdam: Elsevier.

Federal Bureau of Investigation. (n.d.). Counterterrorism-Terrorist Screening Center. Retrieved March 20, 2008, from http://www.fbi.gov/terrorinfo/counterrorism/faqs.htm

Kelling, G. L., & Bratton, W. J. (2006, September). Policing terrorism. Civic Bulletin No. 43. Retrieved March 10, 2008, from Manhattan Institute for Policy Research Web site: http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/cb_43.htm

Legal Information Institute. (n.d.). Title 18: Part I-Crimes. In U.S. Code collection. Retrieved March 20, 2008, from http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode18/usc_sup_01_18_10_I.html

Secure Community Network. (2005). Seven signs of terrorist activity. Retrieved March 10, 2008, from http://www.scnus.org/page.html?ArticleID=101218