Adjusting to Terrorism

Administrative Change in Criminal Justice Agency

Student’s Name

Institution

Administrative Change in Criminal Justice Agency

Terrorism is defined as the use of violence to achieve a political goal by an outlawed sect in a given country, region or state.  Terrorism goes hand in hand with striking force, destruction and massive killings.  It is aimed at establishing a government or to destroy one, or to establish a state, or to create one, or to destroy a state.  A political party which adopts a way of striking terror either by kidnapping, sexual assault, bombing, striking or any form in order to intimidate the government to succumb to their demands, they are terrorists.

More so terrorism is often used in asymmetric power struggle in other words, when a weaker person, or group, is fighting against a powerful nation-state. The violence is aimed at creating fear in the targeted population and often provokes prompt and violent response from the state. Terrorist groups have begun using new technologies and the media to spread fear and impact public opinion with their political or social message. For instance, the internet has been used in bringing in more followers who are required to fill in forms provided in an online platform. Low payment or even no payment at all is required. States have also been linked to sponsoring terrorist groups for their own benefits.

One of the changes that I will propose in the criminal justice agency to help in combatting terrorism would be the use or installation of CCTV cameras in all public places which will not be limited to hospitals, football arenas, parks, bus terminals, shopping malls, crossing points, schools, places of worship and stadiums among others. Today security is fundamentally important across all walks of life to ensure the overall safety and possessions of all individuals are comprehensively protected. Commercial and residential properties are constructed to provide homeowners and companies with adequate protection against adverse weather conditions. Both buildings are also fit for purpose and provide the flexibility in which to create a stately household and professional business environment. This can be achieved via the integration of interior design features such as furniture and décor, in addition to any portable appliances and machinery to carry out daily tasks.

CCTV cameras have played a pivotal role in the world today in terms of maintaining security, they help to prevent crime. Cameras can not only catch criminals in the act, but the very presence of CCTV systems can make a would-be criminal think twice about any wrong-doing. Terrorists are afraid of attacking areas installed with such systems since their faces will be captured. They will have to temper with the entire systems before the act which is not easy to do so. They also help law enforcement solve crimes in the sense that when terror groups commit a crime and are caught on camera, police and other law enforcement officials can use the footage to release video or photos to the public via various media outlets. Having pictures of suspects can make a world of difference when it comes to making an arrest and getting dangerous criminal off the street.

The CCTV systems also play a role in monitoring high risk area in the sense that cameras may be placed in high-risk areas inside a factory or place of public arenas. Such areas may include; shopping malls, factories, hospitals, institutions or stadiums, they may also be installed government buildings such as state houses or state headquarters to assist in surveying the areas. These cameras also help in increasing customer confidence or the confidence of clients. Banks and shops equipped with CCTV cameras give the customers a sense of security and safety. The customers feel secure and this enhances the customers’ confidence. With the above information, CCTV cameras cannot be overlooked as far as the war against terrorism is concerned, this is because these gadgets are instrumental in surveying purposes of any entity in the world.

Within a single year the world has experienced a 61% increase in terrorist attacks, according to the 2014 edition of The Global Terrorism IndexThe Global Terrorism Index from the Institute for Economics & Peace.  The index covers 99.6% of the world’s population and ranks 162 countries based on the impact of terrorist activities along with analysis of economic and social factors. The IEP has it that terrorism activities have been on the rise across all continents. Greater social hostilities between different ethnic, religious and linguistic groups, lack of intergroup cohesion and high levels of group grievances, presence of state sponsored violence such as extrajudicial killings, political terror and gross human rights abuses and higher levels of other forms of violence including deaths from organized conflict, likelihood of violent demonstrations, levels of violent crime and perceptions of criminality are some of the major causes of terrorism in the world.

The reason for the proposed change that is the use of CCTV system will be beneficial in tracking events in the various public places so as the law enforcement officers are in position to combat occurrence of such crimes by following the footage. Some of the positive results will include low levels of crimes whereby all organs dealing with security will be on the alert to deal with those involved. The police will have an ample time in tracing terrorists in their hideouts since the cameras are interconnected. One of the negative impact will be that the government will have to incur a lot of expenses in the processes of installation of these gadgets. Besides this, the state will have to lobby for high professionals who will be involved in installation since no errors are to be registered.

One of the pitfalls of these CCTV systems is all about hackers. There are hackers all over the world who have gone ahead to temper with classified information. These cameras will also face the same problem whereby since there are people who can easily get information that are preloaded in these CCTV software by just hacking the entire device thus getting a lead on the footage that might be very important in terms of security. This will be a major drawback of the CCTVs since with the introduction of technology people have introduced their ways of committing their crimes. However, major precautions will be taken to portray competence of the systems. Also, the installation of the CCTVs will be costly in terms of maintenance. The CCTVs need to be regularly checked and to correct any problems with the systems and this could be expensive.

In terms of installing these cameras, the various states will be required to stretch their various budgets so as to be able to maintain and purchase more of the gadgets considering the fact that there has been a massive advancement in industrialization. A number of professionals are also required for the success of the proposed change and not quacks. Much of the dollars will have to be splashed in the entire project for its success, this will help in the training of personnel who are behind computers monitoring the entire progress of activities. Since the idea is a good one and aims at the safety of every individual, it might meet an array of support from well-wishers, donors and support from even the World Bank and IMF.

In conclusion, from the discussion above, it is evident that the installation of the CCTVs has both advantages and disadvantages. However, the advantages outdo the drawbacks and also the disadvantages can easily be corrected. Therefore, the use of the CCTVs in the criminal justice agency will be the best choice. This is because it is the only best administrative change that will help the criminal justice agency in combatting terrorism in the society.

References

Hoffman, B. (2006). Inside Terrorism. Columbia University Press.

Kruegle, H. (2011). CCTV Surveillance: Video Practices and Technology. Butterworth-Heinemann.

Laqueur, W. (2011). A History of Terrorism. Transaction Publishers .