Law enforcement's role in emergency management

Law Enforcement

The Role of Law Enforcement in Emergency Management Situations

Without question, emergency management situations -- such as the September 11th terrorist attacks, the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina, or more typical emergencies like building fires -- will require law enforcement agencies to take an active role in restoring order and maintaining normalcy. Of course, this does not even take into account the significant role that law enforcement agencies will play in preventing these kinds of disasters in the first place, when at all possible. But developing a clear understanding of the appropriate role and scope of law enforcement's involvement in an emergency management situation can be difficult at best. Conflicts of interest between other agencies -- such as emergency medical services or firefighters -- can complicate even the best-developed policies.

For instance, three years after the September 11th terrorist attacks on New York City, Rashbaum and O'Donnel (2004) reported that there was still a lack of clear guidelines over which agencies should take charge in any developing emergency management situation. Disputes between the police, fire departments, and the Office of Emergency Management in New York City were significant and spoke to an undercurrent of distrust and lack of communication between these seemingly complementary agencies. The police departments in New York City obviously see their role in emergency management as the most crucial and believe that they should be given charge of any emergency management situation, especially one that involves terrorism.

Unfortunately, it is unclear the degree to which this assessment is entirely correct. Without question, the role that law enforcement agencies -- like the New York City Police Department -- play in emergency management situations is crucial and must be given due consideration. The successful remediation of an emergency management situation, though, requires the coordination of all available resources during the incident to most effectively deal with the situation as it unfolds but also during its aftermath and recovery phase. Various groups have defined emergency management in various ways; a particularly useful definition for this discussion can be drawn from the policy documents of the Randolph Township Police Department (n.d.) in New Jersey. That law enforcement agency characterizes four distinct phases of emergency management:

Mitigation: in which a hazard or threat is eliminated or reduced before it can become a significant danger

Preparedness: in which actions are taken in preparation, such as training and education, to facilitate faster responses and better recovery methods

Response: in which the law enforcement agency actually performs the actions that will save lives and prevent property damage

Recovery: in which efforts are made to return the affected communities to a greater degree of normalcy

The purpose of this study is present an overview of some of the important literature on the subject of law enforcement's role in an emergency situation. Because the role that law enforcement plays in these types of situations can be so varied, it is important from a policy perspective to consider the relevant analysis of the subject in order to develop a clearer grasp of what effective roles law enforcement agencies can play in an emergency management situation. This examination should reveal what, if any, consensus exists on the matter of the role that law enforcement agencies should take in an emergency management situation.

Literature Review

The existing literature on the question of law enforcement's role in emergency management is quite varied. This can be attributed in large part to the reality that emergency management situations can be incredibly varied and present demands to law enforcement agencies that are quite different from one incident to the next. For instance, the pressures placed on law enforcement agencies during the mitigation of a terrorist attack will be quite different from said agency's responses to a natural disaster, to a HAZMAT incident, or to a public health emergency. Despite these differences in circumstances, common themes emerge throughout the literature that suggests that law enforcement's role will be an extension of its traditional roles in protecting life and property in non-emergency management situations. One of the secondary persistent themes that appears in the literature on the subject is the lack of clear and effective lines of communication during an emergency management situation. The breakdown in communication has been identified both within law enforcement agencies but, perhaps more troublingly, between emergency response agencies such as EMS and firefighters. Reconciling these communication and interoperability issues is one of the major challenges for policymakers in defining the future of law enforcement's role in emergency management.

Many of the emergency management situations that law enforcement will be faced with are those that have traditionally been the domain of law enforcement agencies. For example, a clearly defined role of law enforcement has always been to manage evacuation orders when an emergency situation dictates such a response. Evacuations can occur with some warning -- such as during an impending hurricane or winter storm -- or can occur more suddenly -- such as following a major HAZMAT incident. Even under the best of conditions, fulfilling this role can be difficult (Cloud et al., 2006). Coordination between the multiple emergency agencies that will undoubtedly be involved in any incident large enough to warrant an evacuation is difficult, especially when the pressing issue of fulfilling the evacuation order in a timely and organized matter still looms. In addition to coordinating their own efforts in these kinds of situations, law enforcement agencies must all deal with public groups, elected officials, firefighters, medical personnel, and others. In an effort to get people moving out of an area without causing panic or chaos, establishing clear lines of communication between all of these interested parties will continue to be a challenge (Cloud et al., 2006). But developing strong ties and communication for interoperability between these groups is a major new developing role for law enforcement that has been highlighted by recent failures in emergency management situations.

Consider the unfortunate results of a lack of agency interoperability during the September 11th terrorist attacks in New York City. Communication between police and fire departments was spotty or nonexistent in the best of cases. Thus, when it became clear that the WTC towers were in danger of imminent collapse, police officers were given instructions to leave the area but firefighters were not. As a result, hundreds more firefighters than police officers died when the towers collapsed (Mountjoy, 2003; Rashbaum and O'Donnell, 2004). It is incredibly unfortunate that this lesson had to be learned at the cost of so many lives. Nonetheless, it highlights the important fact that during an emergency situation, one of the roles that law enforcement agencies must perform is establishing clear and open lines of communication internally and also with other emergency personnel operating in the area.

One of the clear ways that law enforcement agencies can improve this facet of their role in emergency management is through upgrades and enhancements to dispatchers (Robb, 2006). Police dispatchers, in particular, exist to coordinate existing resources and manpower and distribute it efficient ways during any situation that involves law enforcement personnel. During an emergency situation, the role of dispatchers becomes even more important because more resources will be required to mediate the situation and the dispatch center will have to deal with a greater influx of concern and panic from the public. Clear guidelines for law enforcement dispatchers need to be developed prior to an emergency situation so that the dispatch center is not overwhelmed during an emergency. Additionally, provisions must be made to coordinate resources and information not only within the law enforcement agency but also between emergency agencies that might also be operating during an emergency. The higher loss of lives of firefighters during the September 11th terrorist attacks indicates that such a tragedy could have been reduced had information-sharing between police and firefighters been more open and thorough.

Another type of emergency situation in which open lines of communication would be especially crucial is a natural disaster, in which rapidly changing conditions could actually affect the safety of law enforcement personnel during their efforts to protect the public from danger. The Indian Ocean tsunamis that struck during the Christmas season of 2004 have highlighted a new kind of natural disaster threat, particularly for coastal regions in the U.S. along fault lines (Collins, 2005). The coast of California is one region that could be particularly susceptible to this kind of rare, though devastating, disaster. One of the issues at hand for law enforcement is that a tsunami would first manifest as an earthquake, to law enforcement would immediately respond in order to safeguard lives and cordon off danger zones. However, if that earthquake occurred just off the coast, it could result in a tsunami striking the entire region, often within minutes of the first tremors (Collins, 2005). Without rapid and effective communication about the nature of the natural disaster and the potential for changing conditions, law enforcement personnel could quickly find themselves in a compromised position. Their efforts to protect and serve could be severely truncated if they suddenly find themselves in need of help as well. Providing fast and open communication is a crucial component of law enforcement's role in any emergency situation, particular natural disasters in which the circumstances of the danger can change rapidly and seemingly without warning.

In fact, most emergency management situations will require fast responses from law enforcement personnel and agencies. A HAZMAT situation is one such example, in which it is crucial that individual members of the law enforcement agency are well-trained in how to respond to the presence of a hazardous material in order to limit the damage or threat to public safety that such an incident can cause. Though the track record of the transportation industry is excellent, it is a simple fact that accidents with hazardous materials will occur. The primary role of law enforcement in a situation like this is to operate at the first-responder and awareness level of management (Donahue, 1993).

Law enforcement agencies must be able to first correctly identify a HAZMAT threat and then have the knowledge or training to initiate the correct emergency response. This will usually involve notifying the correct emergency agency that is equipped to deal with the type of hazardous material involved at the incident. This role demands the ability of law enforcement personnel to recognize a HAZMAT danger when faced with one, be able to notify the appropriate personnel, and also protect the public by limiting their exposure to the danger (Donahue, 1993). In fact, this last role is an important component of almost all of law enforcement's involvement with emergency management situations. In the case of a HAZMAT incident, it may well fall to the fire department to collect and dispose of the dangerous materials, but it will be the responsibility of law enforcement to cordon off the exposed area, provide assistance to those exposed to the danger, keep back a curious public, and potentially enact evacuation procedures if the HAZMAT danger is perceived to be extensive. From this we can take that one of the key roles of law enforcement in an emergency management situation is to protect the public from any existing or potential danger.

Threats to the public can be quite more extensive, though, than HAZMAT incidents. Law enforcement's role to protect the public during an emergency must be tailored to the specifics of the emergency, but often means dealing with large groups of panicked people. This is why law enforcement perceives one of its most important roles in emergency management as prevention. If an emergency situation can be prevented before it occurs through the strategic deployment of resources, then this is perhaps the most effective type of emergency management available. Obviously, this cannot apply to every emergency situation. There is no law enforcement strategy that can prevent hurricanes or earthquakes. However, in some instances -- such as in situations where large groups of people congregate -- preventative emergency management can be quite effective.

Nearly all conventions, major sporting events, and political events work with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies in order to provide for the security and civility of the event in question. Sometimes this involves increasing patrols in the area or providing background checks for event coordinators (North-Puma, 2003). In places that can be threatened by terrorists or criminals, like schools and universities, law enforcement agencies provide preventative security measures in order to limit the possibility of an emergency occurring in the first place. These measures can include providing better security like cameras, identification, and electronic access to sensitive areas. The challenges for law enforcement in any situation involving large groups of the public are extensive. They include dealing with injuries, managing confusion and panic, providing for dislocated people, as well as the normal kinds of infrastructure and HAZMAT damages that can occur in an emergency situation (Fickes, 2002).

Not surprisingly, it can be difficult to accomplish these goals in a preventative fashion. While the primary law enforcement role in an emergency is to prevent the emergency from occurring in the first place, the reality is that this cannot always be accomplished (Hiller, 1994). Barring the prevention of the emergency -- be it a terrorist attack, a bomb threat, civil unrest, or any other emergency situation -- the role of law enforcement changes somewhat. In the event that an emergency management situation does occur, it the role of law enforcement to reduce injuries and death, to deal with the immediate aftermath of the incident, to preserve and investigate the crime scene if applicable, and finally aid in the recovery process (Hiller, 1994). Since these goals will be shared with other emergency personnel, again we see the reality that communication and cooperation between agencies is crucial to the success of any emergency management efforts. In many situations -- such as a bomb threat at a university, a mass shooting, or rioting -- it will be the primary role of law enforcement agencies to provide security and aid to other emergency personnel so that they can help improve the situation (Vernon, 2006). It would be grossly irresponsible of law enforcement agencies to presume that they can fully handle an emergency situation without the aid of other agencies like EMS to provide medical attention to the injured or firefighters to control blazes and deal with hazardous materials. Law enforcement agencies simply are not equipped or trained to deal with every aspect of an emergency management situation.

Consequently, an important role of law enforcement will be to provide specialized support and aid to other emergency workers such as security. Interagency cooperation and communication is consequently a critical aspect of law enforcement's role in an emergency situation (Vernon, 2006). Neglecting to share information, whether purposefully or by omission, can cost the lives of other emergency personnel who would be working the same emergency as law enforcement agencies. Rivalries and interagency conflicts will have little positive effect in an emergency management situation and should be avoided at all costs to better protect the public from the danger posed and limit further damage to people and infrastructure. It is important that not only communication lines be established between emergency agencies and law enforcement but also between law enforcement and the community such that the latter can be appropriately advised of the developing situation in order to limit panic and aid in the orderly resolution of the emergency (Rothery, 2005).

Two new emergency management threats that have become more pressing in recent years include the threat of terrorism and the threat of widespread health emergencies. Since the September 11th terrorist attacks on the United States, law enforcement agencies have been increasingly concerned about the potential for terrorist activities against sensitive locations, how best to prevent such events, and how to manage the aftermath should they occur. In large cities, significant funding is available to mitigate the risk of terrorism, though in many ways it can be difficult to provide adequate safeguards in such densely populated regions. Nonetheless, places like New York City actually have the resources to send investigators to foreign countries in order to produce intelligence information that can be used to prevent future attacks (Rashbaum and O'Donnell, 2004).

In smaller, rural communities the situation is somewhat different. While the role of law enforcement does not change in these places -- it is still to prevent first and then manage second -- the resources available to local law enforcement agencies in smaller communities is significantly lessened despite the fact that many sensitive sites are located in those regions. Critical infrastructure, military installations, chemical stockpiles, and power plants often are positioned in rural and small communities, making these places particularly attractive targets for terrorists (Law enforcement's concerns, 2004). The primary concern of law enforcement agencies in these locales is to be given more training in responses to chemical and biological attacks and to create better avenues of communication and cooperation with other emergency responders. Thus, again, we see that the role of law enforcement in an emergency management situation involving terrorism would be to work to prevent an incident in the first place followed by developing the resources to effectively protect the public and manage the situation effectively and quickly with the aid of other emergency agencies.

Another increasingly common emergency fear is that of a major public health incident. The possibility of a widespread flu pandemic is increasingly real, an emergency that would require specific roles to be enacted by law enforcement agencies. In addition to coordination with local and regional health officials, law enforcement agencies would be required to enforce quarantines, transport the sick, ground travelers, secure perimeters, protect health care facilities, and protect stockpiles of medicines and vaccines (Richards et al., 2006; Kirby, 2007). Worse, in a truly widespread health emergency it is very likely that the resources available to law enforcement, particularly in terms of available personnel, would be limited by any illness. Thus, law enforcement agencies would have to increase their role in providing public safety and preventing civil unrest on top of their usual duties with a greatly reduced workforce (Richards et al., 2006; Kirby, 2007). This is perhaps one of the most concerning types of emergency management situations for law enforcement because it would have a direct impact on law enforcement's ability to deliver needed services, protect the public, and prevent the spread of the emergency.

Discussion

Evidently, then, the role of law enforcement agencies in an emergency management situation will be largely dependent on the circumstances of the situation. The role of these agencies will lay in managing and preventing potential risks before they mature, as well as responding to actual emergency management situations at sensitive sites, in places of mass gatherings, and to protect important infrastructure (Rothery, 2005). The literature on the subject seems to indicate that the role that law enforcement will play in an emergency can be incredibly varied depending on the nature of the emergency. Invariably, however, the role that law enforcement will play will be a function of a law enforcement agency's usual functions.