Law enforcement intelligence: implications for self-radicalized terrorism

Abstract

A series of tragic events over the last three years has further strengthened the emerging preventative and proactive philosophies adopted by US law enforcement post-September 11, 2001. Law enforcement and the American public now have a heightened awareness of homegrown terrorism. While these terrorist actors operate independent of traditional terrorist networks and groups, they are often influenced by such groups through a process where they enter as a non-violent individual and exit as a violent ‘true believer’. Efforts by law enforcement to mitigate or prevent such threats rely on the implementation of intelligence-led policing practices. Central to these practices is the input of raw information into the intelligence cycle. This paper will discuss the importance and application of suspicious activity reporting as it impacts law enforcement intelligence practices to prevent threats from self-radicalized terrorism.