The Impact of September 11 on the Organizational Structure of Local Police Departments: Is Policing Experiencing A Paradigm Shift?

The nature of modern violence that we have experienced in the twenty-first century makes it clear that law enforcement has entered a unique age of public safety. Today, in addition to the traditional duties of law enforcement, order maintenance, and community service, police officers have auxiliary duties imposed upon them: to be the first line of defense in homeland security as well as to actively participate in terrorism investigations. It is expected that terrorism-related calls for service and response have increased since September 11th, having an impact on the daily operations of police agencies. This research seeks to explore the extent of "real change" taking place in local policing practices post September 11 in New Jersey. New Jersey offers a unique environment for a study of this kind as the state has established itself as a leader for counterterrorism response and mitigation. Preliminary data will be presented to: 1. Understand whether September 11 has changed and reprioritized the basic functions of policing, and to what extent; 2. Determine whether the changes are reactive (external) or proactive (internal); and 3. Which elements of policing are being utilized (i.e. military style) to indicate or discount a policing paradigm shift. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]