Local Approaches to Counterterrorism: The New York Police Department Model

Ever since the 9/11 attacks elevated terrorism to the top rank of concerns for security studies scholars, attention by academics as well as practitioners has focused at the national and international level. Although it is often recognised that ‘all terrorism is local’, most counterterrorism is federal or above. But this approach is wrong, as effective defence against terrorism is to a significant degree a local project. Just as the US officials have argued that “homeland security begins with hometown security”, international and national security against terrorism is profoundly affected by local policies. This article argues that national defence against terrorism is best achieved through approaches that incorporate local law enforcement and intelligence organisations, and it examines the most prominent such American effort: the New York City Police Department intelligence programme.