States and Localities with Robust Counterterrorism Units Really Are on the Front Lines

Matt Mayer / June 09, 2010

With the arrest of two New Jersey men on their way to Somalia to become jihadists, the role of the counterterrorism unit at the New York Police Department (NYPD) took center stage. The counterterrorism officer who infiltrated the small cell and recorded key communications is a proud member of the NYPD. We don’t know his identity — nor should we learn it if our media friends can respect the need to keep such information out of the public sphere — but we should loudly applaud his efforts and the efforts of the NYPD for doing everything they can to keep their city and America safe. All too often, the role of state and local law enforcement in stopping terrorists gets overlooked in favor of a fed-centric view, but state and local law enforcement plays a crucial role, especially given their far more closer connection to their communities and far greater numbers of officers. (more…)