The events of September 11, 2001, fundamentally altered the traditional role of the law enforcement profession and have ushered in a new era of policing in the United States. In the aftermath of these attacks, as the nation struggled to comprehend the new menace confronting our society, law enforcement agencies realized that they now had a new and critically important mission. No longer could they focus their energies solely on traditional crime-fighting efforts. Now they would be asked to confront a new threat to their communities, perpetrated by individuals and organizations that had motivations and means of attack vastly different from those of traditional criminals. Accepting this challenge required law enforcement and other public safety agencies to reassess their operations and reevaluate their priorities.

Over the last seven years, a number of dramatic steps have been taken to confront the menace of terrorism, including the passage of the Patriot Act, the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security, and the creation of a variety of programs designed to assist states and local governments in their efforts.