Report: Defining Law Enforcement's Role in Protecting American Agriculture from Agroterrorism

Though one might not guess it from looking at the Rathdrum Prairie, we live in an agricultural area. Most terrorist experts believe metropolitan areas, big cities like New York or Chicago or Los Angeles, are likely targets for terrorists. But the nation's food supply still depends on agriculture, so that makes agricultural areas attractive targets as well.

The question then is, what is law enforcement's role in protecting against agroterrorism? That is not to suggest law enforcement is the only entity with a protective role.

In its December 2005 report Defining Law Enforcement's Role in Protecting American Agriculture from Agroterrorism, the National Institute of Justice determined that law enforcement's most important role is in prevention. However, it also found that law enforcement has inadequate resources to respond to foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) which it characterizes as the greatest single threat to our agricultural economy. The 225-page report concludes with eight recommendations to strengthen our defense against agroterrorism.