Should U.S. Police Forces, which are severely restricted in how they can interrogate and use electronic surveillance, be granted more freedom and power in order to implement counter-terrorist measures? Consider the possible ramifications of your answer.
The U.S. Police Forces, which are severely restricted in how they can interrogate and use electronic surveillance, should be granted more freedom and power in order to implement counter-terrorist measures. I firmly believe that certain freedoms must be restricted or given up in order to prevent terrorist activity in the present times. White (2006) states that “(…) Americans must examine themselves [in relation to preserving their liberties] and honestly select a course of action they will accept” (p.293). This course is often hard to change, but changes must be implemented in the current state of affairs.
Remember, terrorists don’t play by conventional rules and often times their ideologies are set up to target the citizens of the country rather than the government itself. This is done specifically to instill fear in the public and to cause havoc within government organizations (Kegley, 2003; White, 2006). With the advent of the Internet and other technological marvels, like the cell phone and a WMD, we must use as much intelligence gathering techniques as possible.
U.S. Police Forces should be granted access to interrogate and use electronic surveillance in cases of high probable cause. This should only be done when federal branches are at the point of exhaustion in the manpower allocated nation wide. I understand that ramifications of such actions can be heavily scrutinized by the public and civil rights groups, but the threat of terrorism is probable. I also acknowledge that certain U.S. Police Forces might be overreacting and taking on a militarized approach, which would hinder their efforts on crime prevention within their communities (White, 2006).
Resources
Kegley, C.W. (2003). The New Global Terrorism; Characteristics, Causes, Controls. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
White, J.R. (2006). Terrorism and Homeland Security (5th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thompson Wadsworth.
You might also like:
- Terrorism: IRA Terrorist Attacks Between 1970 and 1990
- Terrorism: Irish Republican Army (IRA) and Russian Revolution
- Modern Terrorists More Violent Than Terrorists in the Past?
- Terrorism: Homeland Security and Hypothetical Terrorist Threat
- Tactics to Counter Religiously Motivated Terrorist Threats
- Terrorism: International Consensus on Definition of Terrorism
- Terrorism: Does Theory of Urban Terrorism Apply to Ireland?
{ 0 comments… add one now }
Recommend Criminal Justice Degree, College, and Career Blog to Your Friends