Unit 8 Essays

Terrorism has impacted the police mission in the United States in many ways since the 9/11 attacks in New York and Virginia. A mass heightened sense of security flooded our nation in response to the terrorist acts on that day. The strongest and most visual effect of this response is the heighted security you experience while traveling. Depending on where you are at in America you may see police, police K-9s, body scanners, metal scanners, T.N.A agents, and under-cover officers in air ports, bus stations, and train stations. These types of security are necessary because of the threat of a terrorist attack on American soil. After the hijacking of the airplanes 9/11 we discovered that we are not alone, not safe, and could be attacked at any given moment in time. All of the added security will hopefully be able to detect threats while they are in the progress of transporting where they came from and the destination of their attack. Since the attack the amount of security has relaxed a bit, I believe that this is due to a lack of recent threats because of the progress that has been made fighting the war. Aside from transportation departments heightened security, effects of the impact can be seen in schools, any store selling firearms and ammunition, increased border patrol, and security officer’s at most major retail stores, plants, and food processing centers. All have realized that they could become potential targets due to the quantity of their products and where they are shipped. Here in Idaho all of the cheese, milk, and potato plants have security guards, chain barbed wire fences, video surveillance, and strict guidelines to enter the plant.

Another huge impact that terrorism has had on the police mission in the United States is the signing of the “Patriot Act”. The Patriot Act according to Preserving Life and Liberty, (2014)

Allows law enforcement to use surveillance against more crimes of terror and allows federal agents to follow sophisticated terrorists...