RAND Corporation announce new counterterrorism plan for European cities

The RAND Corporation released a new report on Thursday that highlights new counterterrorism tactics and technologies to help prevent potential disasters in various cities throughout Europe.

The new report illustrates the essential role of counterterrorism technologies used by diverse partnerships formed across all levels of security services, from international agencies to local law enforcement when dealing with potential terror threats.

The plan, titled the “Tactical Approach to Counter Terrorists in Cities (TACTICS),” is funded by the European Commission and aims to create a more effective counterterrorism system to be used in urban areas across European countries.

RAND released a five-point plan to deal with threats as part of the report. The plan recommends the deployment of appropriate counterterrorism technologies to enhance decision making; establishing partnerships with all levels of national government, law enforcement, private sector security agencies and international partners; engaging with the public, media and local communities when deploying the new technology; ensuring data collection is proportionate and justified; and identifying any potential privacy issues before introducing any new counterterrorism technologies.

“Our scenario showed that deploying appropriate counter-terrorism technologies would significantly enhance decision making during a counterterrorism operation,” Richard Warnes, a security analyst at RAND Europe, said. “However, European countries must identify potential privacy issues before deployment, while also ensuring that the technologies have the capabilities required to deal with terrorist threats.”