Community Response to Terrorism: The South Korean Model
Abstract
A line of defense against terrorism that has not been well developed in the United States is the community or neighborhood watch. Some countries that have long histories of facing terrorist threats, such as the Republic of Korea (ROK), have made extensive use of the neighborhood watch. A neighborhood unit of 20 to 30 households reports unusual occurrences or suspicious individuals to a volunteer watch leader, who then notifies the authorities. The watch leader also communicates government directives to the neighborhood. In the ROK, the neighborhood watch program was much stronger in the 1960s through the 1980s than it is today. In the United States, neighborhood watches, especially as a defense against terrorists, are difficult to promote because the idea conflicts with our individualist culture. But if the United States continues to be the target of terrorists, Americans may become more willing to adopt community-defense programs and a collectivist lifestyle.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2003
- Accession Number
- ADA419007
Entities
People
- Kongdan O. Hassig
Organizations
- Institute for Defense Analyses