Federal Law Enforcement - Coursework Example

Federal Law Enforcement Terrorism can be considered as one of the most important and critical issues in the present American society due to the detrimental effects that such actions can bring about to the members of the society. In effect, the work and role of the federal law enforcement come into view when such issues are taken into consideration. The main focus of the study undertaken is to be able to focus on the law enforcement in relation to the occurrence of the World Trade Center tragedy in New York referred to as the 9/11 tragedy. Included in the main objectives of the study is to be able to present the actions and improvements in security measures that are done by the different bureaus that are in charge of the law enforcement in the United States concentrating mainly in the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Secret Service and the Central Intelligence Agency. Background of the Study In the United States, it can be observed that the law enforcement is dependent on the jurisdictions of the different groups that are responsible for implementing the laws that can be classified on the basis of the locality, the state and national concerns. In the study undertaken which is directed to the attack in the World Trade Center, being a national and international concern, the major law enforcers of the US are put into focus and scrutiny. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Secret Service and the Central Intelligence Agency are the main groups that are responsible for keeping the American land and the population residing in its territory safe and free from harm specifically terrorism. In the event of such tragedy, the sufficiency of the actions and measures that are undertaken to fight crimes such law enforcement groups is in question. For that matter, a study on the actions undertaken to improve the security implemented is in need not only to determine the efficiency of the said groups but to improve the confidence of the population. The specific functions and actions on the improvement of the said bureaus are then the main issue explored in the study. The Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation is one of the most important divisions in the US Federal Government with the main mission to uphold the law and protect the people from different types of threats. For that matter, it is considered as one of the main responsible authorities in the September 11 World Trade Center attack due to the expressed priority of the said group to protect the United States from attacks of the terrorists (“Quick Fact” FBI). Based on the study that had been undertaken related to the said 9/11 tragedy, there are certain points that can be judged as the FBI’s fault and responsibility. Although the said bureau had been prepared in terms of the policies and the methods to be undertaken in the event of terrorisms and attacks there are problems with the said measures. One issue is that the measures are case-specific. Due to the fact that attacks of terrorists prior to the 9/11 tragedy can be considered significantly less in terms of the magnitude of effects the preparations for such attacks had been based on the prior attacks which are based on more specified reasons. In addition, such attacks are localized. Thus, the methods that had been established by the FBI can also be described as localized or “decentralized.” The effects of decentralization can be considered to hinder the actions that are needed to be undertaken during the 9/11 attack. One effect is the limited sharing and methods of disseminating information related to terrorism which could have made the members of the force more prepared in terms of training and resources (“The 9/11 Commission Report” National Commission on Terrorist Attacks). Due to the perceived faults in relation to underestimating the limit of a terrorist attack and failures in preparations for such tragedies, the FBI acted and intensified the security measures and the counterterrorism actions to be able to prevent the detrimental effects of the 9/11 tragedy. In the present state of the bureau, there are different aspects strengthened to ensure the successful combat against terrorism in relation to the FBI’s jurisdiction. Included in the aspects that had been given focus by the FBI are the shifting of resources for counterterrorism, the increase of cooperation among different groups and agencies, the maximization of support in terms of information dissemination and actions and the hindrance on possible terrorist financing (“Counterterrorism” FBI). One of the actions undertaken is the shifting in terms of resources. This can improve the support of the federal government on the FBI by prioritizing counterterrorism over selected criminal programs. Included in the said action is the increase in the number of personnel within the bureau specifically the intelligence analysts and the linguist. In terms of the cooperation between different agencies, the Joint Terrorism Task Forces had been formalized and the numbers of agencies increased from 35 to 101 since the occurrence of the 9/11 tragedy. This increased the information dissemination and actions in preparation for terrorist attacks. In addition, the said group can ensure the centralized action by the different agencies that can make a big difference in terms of the safety of the people. There are other groups that are considered important and in cooperation with the actions undertaken by the FBI. These groups include the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC); the Foreign Terrorist Tracking Task Force which is in cooperation with the CIA, ICE, DOD, OPM; and the Terrorist Screening Center (TSC) (“Counterterrorism” FBI). Another method undertaken by the FBI to increase the security efficiency to counteract the terrorism in the national community is the through the intensified operational response and support, i.e. the 24/7 CT Watch and the cooperation of other nations specifically in relation to Fly Teams in pertinent countries. Another fundamental method that is considered of importance is the control of terrorism financing through the action of the Terrorism Financing Operations Section that can prevent use of the assets of possible terrorists (“Counterterrorism” FBI). Aside from the said actions, the establishment of the possible Weapons of mass Destruction Directorate is undertaken to centralize the objective and concentrated study of the possible use of such weapons and the ways to minimize such effects or prevent high collateral damage (“Counterterrorism” FBI). The Central Intelligence Agency The Central Intelligence Agency is one of the main groups that is responsible for the security and safety of the United States. Included in the mission of the agency is to maintain a solid participation in the first line of defense in relation to the threats on the national security through information assimilation for the establishment of action and decision to counteract detrimental actions from different terrorist groups (“CIA Vision, Mission and Values” CIA). In the occurrence of the 9/11 tragedy though, there are different weaknesses that had been concluded in relation to the methods being implemented by the said agency. CIA being one of the members of the United States Intelligence Community had inefficiency problems prior to the event which had been specifically in terms of the data and information gathering in relation to the different forms of transnational terrorism. The said problem which had caused detrimental effects had been rooted to the failure in setting up objective goals, priorities and support systems (“The 9/11 Commission Report” National Commission on Terrorist Attacks). In relation to the amount of information gathered prior to the attack, it can be considered substantial but the main problem that had been the cause of inefficiency is the lack of assessment and interpretation of the data gathered for example in relation to the main purpose and underlying agenda on the data gathered related to the al Qaeda. Aside from the said limitation in the critical analysis of the gathered data, other limitations specifically in the enforcement and implementation of the different mode of actions are undertaken with great difficulty such as with regards to the jurisdiction when finding and subjecting terrorist groups on the corresponding laws (“The 9/11 Commission Report” National Commission on Terrorist Attacks). With such limitations, different policies and improvements were undertaken to be able to prepare the agency in possible terrorist threats in the future. One of the said actions is by increasing the information gathering mechanisms and intensifying the pertinent data dissemination to empower the nation against different forms of attack. The achievement of the substantial information specifically in relation to the nature of the prevailing terrorist threat (i.e. the weapons that can be used, the methods that can be undertaken and the organizations and groups that can be responsible) can improve the preparedness of the authorities and the members of the population. In addition, the objectives of the nation regarding terrorism are needed to be well in view and the ways to achieve these goals are needed to be objective. For that matter, having the victory against terrorism constantly in mind, the goals can be achieved ( “CIA and the War on Terrorism” CIA; CIA 5-27). The US Secret Service The US Secret Service is another fundamental component of the U.S. federal law enforcement for the protection of the population and the government. Included in the main vision and mission of the said agency is to protect the leader and the government as well as the different forms of infrastructures namely the administrative, the professional and the technical aspects through investigative and protective mission (United States Secret Service 13). The main weapon of the said agency is the use of technology for the protection of the people and different infrastructures. During the said 9/11 attack though, the communication had been inferior basically due to the effects of the attack itself and the lack of preparation for an assault of that magnitude. Decentralization also became one of the most serious enemy that hindered the efficiency of the said group (“The 9/11 Commission Report” National Commission on Terrorist Attacks). In addition, the main problem in the agency is the fact that it had been established to target the investigation and prosecution of a variety of crimes with the main concentration on different crimes and issues depending on the need. For that matter prior to the attack, the said agency is concentrating on different crimes e.g. the treasury. This is another reason that the fight against terrorist has less support (Reese 5-15). Due to the said problems encountered in the 9/11 terrorist attack, different actions and methods had been undertaken and implemented. One of the most important actions is the concentration of actions to help in the resolution of issues regarding terrorism. This is in conjunction to the main trend in the U.S. Secret Service which is perceived to have evolving missions on the basis of the need of the American people. Another most important action undertaken is in relation to the intensified efforts of the Department of Homeland Security to protect the people through the use of different forms of safety measures to achieve security (United States Secret Service 13; Reese 5-15). The Assimilation of the Evident Actions by the Federal Law Enforcement Agencies Based on the study undertaken, the FBI, CIA and the U.S. Secret Service undertook extensive strategic actions on the basis of the 9/11 tragedy which can be considered as a wake up call for the national and international authorities in relation to the need for efficient planning and actions to fight against terrorism. On the basis of the study undertaken by the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks, terrorism can be hindered and eliminated through actions such as united effort against terrorists and their groups; proper gathering, assimilation and analysis of information and; organized action of the different agencies related to law enforcement (“The 9/11 Commission Report” National Commission on Terrorist Attacks). Works Cited: CIA. National Strategy for Combating Terrorism. CIA, 2003. Also available “CIA and the War on Terrorism.” Central Intelligence Agency. 02 June 2008. CIA. 27 January 1999 < https://www.cia.gov/news-information/cia-the-war-on-terrorism/index.html> “CIA Vision, Mission and Values.” Central Intelligence Agency. 02 June 2008. CIA. 27 January 1999 “Counterterrorism.” Federal Bureau of Investigation. 2009. U.S. Federal Government. 26 January 1999 “Quick Facts.” Federal Bureau of Investigation. 2009. U.S. Federal Government. 26 January 1999 Reese, Shawn. CRS Report for Congress: The U.S. Secret Service; An Examination and Analysis of Its Evolving Missions. Order Code RL34603. Congessional Research Service and Emergency Management and Homeland Security Policy Government and Finance Division, 2008. “The 9/11 Commission Report: Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States Executive Summary.” 2004. National Commission on Terrorist Attacks. 26 January, 2009 United States Secret Service. Strategic Plan (FY 2008-2013). United States Secret Service and United States Department of Homeland Security, 2008. Also Available Read More