Law Enforcement Seeks to Reduce Violence

by Jim Kouri, CPP

[The following is based on a report submitted to the National Association of Chiefs of Police by the US Department of Justice.]

Significant violent crime continues to plague our nation’s metropolitan areas, threatening the well-being of countless innocent residents. Although violent crime rates have generally decreased over the last five years, murders have increased over the last three years, and violent crime continues to plague certain cities.

Major violent crime incidents, such as sniper murders and child abductions, can paralyze whole communities and stretch state and local law enforcement resources to their limits. Notorious fugitives, such as those listed on the FBI’s Top Ten fugitive list, remain at-large, avoiding the measure of justice they richly deserve. Over 300,000 children per year are forced into prostitution, where they are exploited in an organized fashion that extends across state lines. Interstate theft rings cost US companies billions of dollars each year in losses, increasing the costs of goods to all Americans.

From the days of fighting our nation’s first “gangsters” during the 1920s and 1930s, through the institution of Safe Streets Task Forces to combat emerging violent street gangs in major cities, the FBI has employed its resources to make America safer. However, in the current threat environment where resources must also be used to combat terrorism, foreign intelligence activities, and cyber crime, the FBI must sharply focus its violent crime resources and efforts to obtain the greatest impact. Law enforcement will do so by integrating violent crime efforts with local, state, and federal partners and by establishing a coordinated national strategy with DOJ, United States Attorney’s Offices, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, and the United States Marshals Service.

Major violent incident crimes, such as the “Washington, DC Sniper” murders, which claimed the lives of 10 citizens, including FBI Analyst Linda Franklin, and child abductions, such as the kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart, require significant infusions of law enforcement community resources and include the duty to provide the public with timely updates and suitable public safety information. These crimes often have an inherent interstate aspect, necessitating coordination of investigative leads from across the country.

The FBI plays a critical role in the law enforcement community’s response to these major violent crimes, because of its resources, experience, technical capabilities, investigative acumen, national and international lead coverage, and expertise in crisis management, command post operations, tactical operations, crime scene processing, and forensic analysis.

Reducing the Incidence of Other Violent Crimes

Violent crime incidents continue to threaten US citizens. Bank robberies, extortions, kidnappings, product tampering, transportation crimes, and crimes on federal lands cause significant loss of life and economic damage. Violent fugitives who have committed heinous crimes attempt to escape justice by crossing state lines or fleeing across our nation’s borders. Due to US national and international presence, the FBI is uniquely situated to address these violent crimes and reduce their incidence by aggressive and comprehensive investigations.

The nation’s children constitute our most vulnerable and easily victimized population segment. Child abductions and homicides affect entire communities and often shatter the victim families. The “Amber Alert” system has raised public awareness about child abductions and has served as an effective tool in the quick resolution of some cases. However, other incidents require long-term, resource intensive investigations to bring the perpetrators to justice. Additionally, the problem of child prostitution is just now being fully recognized. Thousands of children per year are forced into this illicit industry in order to survive. They are exploited by organized criminal organizations that often operate across state lines.

An important part of the FBI’s mission is to provide leadership and criminal justice services to federal, state, municipal, and international agencies and partners. This mission has never been more important than today with the globalization and convergence of crime and terrorism. Criminal enterprises operating around the world, enabled by new technologies and seamless borders, now have the ability to threaten the public safety in townships, municipalities, and counties throughout our nation.

The FBI must be able to serve as a national focal point for information and provide accurate and timely services to local, state, federal, and international law enforcement agencies, the private sector, academia, and other government agencies. In so doing, the nation will be better positioned to address current and evolving terrorist, foreign counterintelligence, cyber, and criminal threats. To emphasize the importance the federal government places on partnerships, the Justice Department and FBI created the Office of Law Enforcement Coordination in mid-2001. Headed by an Assistant Director who is a former chief of police and charged with overseeing the FBI’s partnership activities, this office has done much to improve the flow of information and enhance support services.

Jim Kouri, CPP is currently fifth vice-president of the National Association of Chiefs of Police. He’s former chief at a New York City housing project in Washington Heights nicknamed “Crack City” by reporters covering the drug war in the 1980s. In addition, he served as director of public safety at a New Jersey university. He’s also served on the National Drug Task Force and trained police and security officers throughout the country. He writes for many police and crime magazines including Chief of Police, Police Times, The Narc Officer, Campus Law Enforcement Journal, and others. He’s appeared as on-air commentator for over 100 TV and radio news and talk shows including Oprah, McLaughlin Report, CNN Headline News, MTV, Fox News, etc. His book Assume The Position is available at Amazon.Com, Booksamillion.com, and can be ordered at local bookstores.