Every police chief will tell you that the most important partner he/she has keeping their respective communities safe is the public. Working effectively with the public in the communities they patrol is integral to combating any challenge to a community's safety and security whether the issue is drugs, violent crime or, in this day and age, terrorism.
None of the improvements in public safety during my tenure as the lead law enforcement officer in either New York or Los Angeles would have been possible without the strong support and participation of the public. Today's local police departments are increasingly on the front lines against terrorism, and more than ever, police officers need a public that plays a role in our national security by speaking up if they see something suspicious, or preparing their families for the unexpected.
The new National Terrorism Advisory System announced by the Department of Homeland Security this week to replace the old color-coded system is a huge leap forward in engaging the public in the way that we need to in order to confront the threat of terrorism today.
The key to this reform is trust. The new NTAS system trusts Americans with the information they need to play their necessary part in security; both our collective security and their personal security when a credible threat develops that could affect them. This system will issue specific alerts about the threat and will include information about what the American public can do. And they will have an end date, ensuring they aren't seen as lasting scare devices and most importantly, aren't ignored. These changes will help Americans to develop greater trust in the alerts.
It is impossible to overemphasize how important this change is in light of the evolution in the terrorist threat in recent years. Law enforcement agencies across the country increasingly now have to deal with terrorism on the front lines. We are seeing smaller-scale attacks which have less pre-operational planning, and therefore are less likely to raise red flags in the intelligence community. Plots to attack America increasingly involve American residents and citizens. More and more, it's not an intelligence analyst in an office, but a police officer on the beat, or an American in a public place, who will be the first person to notice a potential act of terrorism.
This reality requires that police become more prepared, and Americans become more engaged. The Department of Homeland Security has been very focused on both of these goals in the past two years. It has focused on ensuring local police departments have in hand the information they need to do their jobs. With the new NTAS system, it is focusing on getting the American people the information they need to play their part and help their local police officers.
This new system was designed following extensive consultations with state and local law enforcement officials across the country. So it's no surprise that it embodies the values and priorities of our nation's police officers, who are on the front lines defending against all threats to their communities. It is critical that they have an informed, vigilant public.
As Americans, we are all responsible for our safety and security. There has never been any question that Americans can and will play an important role in our security as we've seen time and time again, and just in the past year during the attempted bombings in Times Square and Spokane, Washington. We have long known that the American people have a role to play in their safety and security, and will play their part when asked. The difference is that the new NTAS system trusts them to do that. This is an incredibly valuable change that in the coming years will help to make our country safer.