| So Many Children | | | | won't occur here? |
| So Much Blood | | | | The mission of the Department of Homeland |
| So Many tears | | | | Security is "to develop and coordinate the |
| What will we do? | | | | implementation of a comprehensive national |
| The soldier stood there erect, proud, and with a | | | | strategy to secure the United States from |
| heavy heart. He looked at his wife and two | | | | terrorist threats or attacks. The Office will |
| children and struggled with saying good-bye. He | | | | coordinate the executive branch's efforts to |
| was going to leave to fight terrorism in a country | | | | detect, prepare for, prevent, protect against, |
| so far away. Here and now was his first battle. | | | | respond to, and recover from terrorist attacks |
| Looking into the eyes of his wife and children he | | | | within the United States." When it comes to |
| struggled to be strong; to be the image that they | | | | fulfilling the mission of Homeland Security and |
| would be proud of. It may be the last image he | | | | keeping our communities safe, the responsibility |
| leaves them with. As he looked around the crowd | | | | falls upon the federal government to acquire the |
| of families he spotted a police officer saying | | | | appropriate intelligence but it will be the police |
| good-bye to another soldier. He walked toward | | | | officer on the street who will run into the fray |
| the officer and the officer saw him approaching. | | | | when everyone else with any sense will be |
| Their eyes met as the soldier extended his hand. | | | | running away. Outgunned and unprepared, it |
| As they shook hands the soldier said, "I am | | | | becomes obvious that the police are the weak |
| leaving and would like to ask you to do me a | | | | link. |
| favor." "Of course," the officer responded. The | | | | An aggressive, proactive posture will be the key |
| soldier still gripping the officer's hand said, "Don't | | | | to our success. To strengthen our position we |
| let them get my children." | | | | must have better coordination with our federal |
| At the Texas Police Chiefs Conference in Austin, | | | | counterparts that receive relevant intelligence. This |
| TX in January of this year Lt. Colonel Grossman | | | | intelligence must be disseminated to the |
| (retired) of the Killology Research Group and | | | | appropriate authorities. There needs to be |
| author of On Killing and Stop Teaching Our Kids to | | | | additional "mandatory" training for all police officers |
| Kill spoke regarding killing and terrorism. The | | | | regarding domestic as well as international |
| above illustration with the soldier should embarrass | | | | terrorists. A national database for sharing |
| the men and women of the policing profession. As | | | | information needs to be developed. The current |
| Lt. Colonel Grossman points out, the police are | | | | status of police firepower needs to be |
| outgunned and unprepared. Soldiers, and all | | | | re-evaluated. Police handguns against automatic |
| citizens, deserve better than what we currently | | | | shoulder weapons will result in the death of not |
| offer for the protection of our children. They are | | | | only those who took the oath to protect and |
| our most precious resource. | | | | serve but also to civilians. The use of rifles by |
| Close your eyes and arbitrarily pick a day in the | | | | police has been the subject of much debate for |
| middle of the week several weeks from now. | | | | several years. Having the equivalent of a military |
| Imagine six elementary schools throughout the | | | | presence by the police carrying M-16 rifles in our |
| United States. It is a nice sunny average day. | | | | schools would have a chilling effect on the learning |
| Children are in their classrooms being taught by | | | | environment but eventually could become a |
| dedicated, under paid teachers. It's noon and the | | | | necessity. School administrators need to work |
| lunch bell rings. The usual organized chaos ensues | | | | with the police to find a common ground that |
| as students pour from their classrooms into the | | | | facilitates a secure and thriving academic |
| cafeteria. During this moment of organized chaos, | | | | environment. |
| a well-dressed man, carrying a briefcase, enters | | | | Technology in conjunction with accurate |
| the school and walks unchallenged to the cafeteria. | | | | intelligence is our most useful tool. Funds need to |
| As is the custom with many schools, parents, | | | | be made available to enhance the security of our |
| teachers, brothers, and sisters walk in and out of | | | | children's schools through technology and additional |
| these schools frequently unchallenged. The | | | | security. A needs assessment should be |
| difference is that they are not carrying | | | | performed. Just throwing money at the problem |
| explosives--enough explosives to kill everyone in | | | | will not solve the problem. People will solve the |
| the cafeteria, seriously injure those near the | | | | problem. There should be a balance between the |
| immediate blast area, and damage the facility | | | | police mission, it's ability to have access to |
| beyond description. Imagine the blast, the carnage | | | | relevant intelligence, and the technology that is |
| that follows--broken, twisted, blown apart little | | | | available. |
| bodies and the bedlam that ensues. If you have a | | | | School administrators are urged to meet with |
| child, imagine that your child goes to that school. | | | | their law enforcement agencies and work out a |
| Now imagine that this incident occurs at these six | | | | strategy to meet the current threat and a |
| different schools across the country all at the | | | | contingency plan (critical incident management) |
| same time. The schools range from a small west | | | | should the threat become a reality. A strategic |
| Texas elementary to a private prep school in | | | | plan for each school should take into consideration |
| Washington D.C. The terrorists are telling us they | | | | the organization's resources and having established |
| can touch our children anywhere in the country. In | | | | clear goals, objectives, tasks, time frame, |
| the aftermath, the inevitable questions will be | | | | accountability, and follow-up schedule, a strategic |
| asked. How could this happen to this country | | | | plan can come to fruition responsive to the |
| again? Where were the police? These are | | | | dynamic academic and policing environment utilizing |
| questions the policing profession is unprepared to | | | | the P.O.L.I.C.E. Leadership Methodology (Planning, |
| answer. | | | | Organizing, Liability, Information, Control, Ethics). |
| Why not target the schools? This has been the | | | | School and police officials must consider hardening |
| M.O. (modus operandi) for terrorists for a long | | | | the target (school) with procedures similar to |
| time. When we look at the M.O. it's easy to see | | | | airport security where appropriate. Officials can |
| what they do. Just watch the news. Attacks in | | | | use volunteer parents, school officials, and |
| other countries have been accomplished through | | | | security guards to augment the police. These |
| car bombs, blowing up buses full of passengers, | | | | civilian assets must be trained to recognize |
| nightclubs full of patrons, churches, malls, and | | | | potential threats. |
| schools. They had previously tried to blow up the | | | | It is natural during times such as these to profile |
| World Trade Center. It would be naïve to | | | | people. Is it wrong? Of course, but it is going to |
| think they wouldn't try again. We just didn't think | | | | happen nonetheless, especially when we are |
| they would use airplanes as missiles. When the | | | | utilizing civilians to recognize potential threats. A |
| Washington D.C. snipers shot thirteen year old | | | | Middle Eastern parent approaching a school to get |
| Iran Brown as he was walking into school, an | | | | their child is going to be profiled. On the same |
| emotional outcry resonated through the country. | | | | hand, does it mean someone like Timothy McVae |
| It became evident that if you really want to | | | | could just walk right in? No one should be able to |
| touch a nerve in this country... go after the kids. | | | | walk right into a school unchallenged. There are |
| In the event of an attack on our schools, what | | | | many schools that have police officers assigned |
| will the police do? With the death of a few | | | | to them. They are usually assigned so that there |
| thousand children will come a demand for action | | | | is a police presence to deter internal violence and |
| from the American people; what will it be? | | | | gang activity. Some police officers are assigned to |
| Schools across the country will close for an | | | | schools to provide public relations, teach D.A.R.E. |
| undetermined amount of time. The economic | | | | and other classes. An external attack has not |
| effect could be staggering. Imagine all these | | | | been a high priority for most school administrators |
| teachers out of work. Many parents may have to | | | | or police agencies. The S.W.A.T. team in |
| quit their jobs to stay home with their children. | | | | Shreveport, LA has recently started training for a |
| After September 11th the Federal Government | | | | suicide bomber scenario. There are other agencies |
| declared war on terrorism while we were | | | | like Shreveport who are working to be prepared, |
| mourning our loss and trying to find a sense of | | | | but S.W.A.T. teams are usually reactionary police |
| direction. The government has taken the lead with | | | | assets who respond when something has already |
| legislation and funding. Through the efforts of the | | | | happened. It is time for a paradigm shift. They |
| Transportation Security Administration it is unlikely | | | | need to be proactive and working with the |
| that a terrorist will be able to commandeer | | | | schools. The majority of schools don't have a |
| another commercial aircraft. A small private | | | | S.W.A.T. team readily available to them for threat |
| aircraft full of explosives crashing into a school is a | | | | level assessment and training. Again, they must |
| possibility. Through the strength and determination | | | | rely on the police officer on the street that is |
| of the FBI and the CIA, the intelligence gathering | | | | always the first responder and the first to run in |
| capability of the United States government has | | | | when everyone else is running out. |
| become formidable and probably the reason we | | | | Summary |
| have not sustained another attack, yet. You can | | | | America's most precious resource is not it's oil, |
| rest assured another attack is coming; it is not if, | | | | gold, technology, or American might. Its most |
| but when. On CNN September 6, 2001 in an article | | | | precious resource is its children. What better way |
| on the North Belfast School Crisis stated "There | | | | to hurt the American people than by killing its |
| was widespread revulsion on Wednesday when | | | | children? We realize this is a possibility as we |
| militants threw a homemade grenade into the | | | | examine the acts of terrorists. Killing children and |
| road as students aged four to eleven walked | | | | blowing up schools have been the past practice of |
| towards the school". Frontline interview with | | | | terrorists and it would be naïve to believe |
| Pakistani terrorist Mohammad Abdullah: "You killed | | | | this could not happen in America. The America |
| 14 children. Four others who died were poor | | | | people, school officials, and the police must be |
| elderly people. How did you justify this massacre | | | | prepared but must not overreact. Through a |
| to yourself? I was not happy about it, and even | | | | coordinated effort between the schools, |
| told Abu Abdullah to send someone else. But he | | | | intelligence community, the utilization of |
| said it was necessary to establish our dehshat | | | | technology, and the police, a strategy must be |
| (terror)." Response of the Government of Israel | | | | developed designed to be proactive to thwart |
| to the Report of the Special Rapporteur of the | | | | potential attacks as well as reactionary in the |
| Commission on Human Rights, Professor John | | | | event an attack should be successful. |
| Dugard, dated March 2002, "It makes no mention | | | | If an attack on our children is successful the |
| of the tragic impact of terrorism on Israeli children | | | | response from the American government must |
| who are savagely murdered by suicide terrorists | | | | be of such magnitude that terrorists would |
| in schools, and buses, in discotheques, pubs and | | | | consider the consequences prior to another |
| pizza restaurants, in market places and in open | | | | attempt. Imagine Charlie Gibson on Good Morning |
| streets, in shopping centers and in their very | | | | America saying, "America is reeling from an |
| homes, on a daily basis." The very idea of | | | | attack on six elementary schools. Many young |
| terrorists killing our children is so repulsive we | | | | school children are dead, injured, and missing. |
| deny that our children could become the victim of | | | | There has even been an unconfirmed report that |
| such an unspeakable act. If this can occur in other | | | | tears could be seen streaming down the face of |
| countries, what assurances do we have that it | | | | the Statue of Liberty. What will we do? |