NCJ Number
209719
Date Published
2005
Length
28 pages
Annotation
This chapter highlights how the events that occurred on September 11, 2001, in the United States have thrust law enforcement into an extremely delicate position; the role as impartial enforcers of the criminal code or the role as gatherers of intelligence information on groups or individuals defined as a threat to national security, and how in times or periods of national emergency civil liberties are sacrificed in the name of national security.
Abstract
The terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, affected the United States as few other events have. Leading law enforcement officials were criticized because of their failure to prevent these attacks. It was determined that law enforcement is really not capable of detecting and preventing all terrorist acts. This chapter examines the Palmer raids that occurred in 1919 and 1920 to illustrate how law enforcement responds to perceived threats to the stability of the political state. The Palmer raids are a case study of how civil liberties can be sacrificed on the altar of national security. The role that Federal law enforcement played in the Palmer raids is examined in order to demonstrate what can happen when law enforcement becomes a tool for political ends. In addition, by examining actions of law enforcement during the raids, criminal justice professionals will avoid the temptation to ignore civil liberties in their quest to thwart future acts of terrorism in the 21st century. Discussion questions and references