Improving Public Safety Coordination

By Patrick D. Smith

Our local emergency response system is ill-prepared for a major catastrophic event, such as an earthquake or terrorist attack, and the threat of terrorism has diverted critical federal resources from local coordinating activities.

In law enforcement, the threat of terrorism has diverted critical federal resources from local coordinating activities. We must enhance support of statewide law enforcement to offset this loss of resources, particularly in areas of cross-jurisdictional crime, such as drug-dealing, carjacking, kidnapping, and internet crimes, such as child pornography. These are difficult crimes for local law enforcement to investigate without assistance from a coordinating agency. We cannot afford to lose momentum in the fight against crime, even as we open up a new front against terrorism. Improving state-directed law enforcement coordination is essential.