Discuss why all levels of law enforcement should work with private agencies in order to protect infrastructure

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

• Protection of the infrastructure does not result with acquisition of technical expertise equivalent to that of industrial specialists; it comes when specialists in crime fighting and protection establish critical links with the public and private organizations maintaining America's infrastructure.
• Linkages should be developed in two crucial areas.
• First, the police should be linked to the security forces already associated with infrastructure functions.
• The American Society of Industrial Security has made great strides in this area, but more needs to be accomplished.
• Second, state and local law enforcement agencies must establish formal and informal networks with the organizations in their jurisdictions, and these networks should expand to a cooperative federal system.
• Michael Vatis points to another area: cyber-security. Police agencies need to protect their own information infrastructures.
• Following the trend of most American organizations, police agencies integrate electronic management and records systems in everyday routines.
• If these systems are disrupted, police agencies could lose their ability to function.
• Surveying major agencies throughout the country, Vatis argues that infrastructure defense begins at home.
• He worries that law enforcement agencies are not only unprepared to defend community infrastructures but unable to protect their own support systems.