On November 12, a double suicide bombing tore through a busy shopping district in Beirut, Lebanon killing at least 43 people and wounding more than 200 others. The next day, six seemingly coordinated attacks devastated Paris, France killing at least 129 people and wounding 352. Both attacks have been claimed by the terror group ISIS, who issued a video warning of further attacks on countries taking part in bombing Syria, specifically threatening to ‘strike’ Washington, D.C.
As the Paris and Beirut terrorist attacks demonstrate, the lines between international and domestic threats are closer than many police officers may realize. However, most police training supports the assumption that international terrorism isn’t something of significant concern to them. To shift this mindset so police officers see a bigger picture of fighting terrorism requires one thing: enhanced training. Here’s how training must be expanded.