Counterterrorism, Policing, and Times Square

More proof that the best counterterrorism devices in the world are locals and local policing:

An SUV found parked on 45th Street Saturday evening was loaded with explosives, smoking and moments from blowing up when an alert t-shirt vendor noticed something wasn’t right and alerted a mounted police officer. That officer, Wayne Radigan, evacuated the block and called for reinforcements (highlights added) 

Speaking of counterterrorism and policing, Seth Jones and Martin Libicki’s RAND Corp. study How Terrorist Groups End demonstrates that “where terrorist groups cannot or will not make a transition to nonviolence, policing is usually most effective in defeating terrorist groups” (pg. 9).  This study finds that from 1968-2006, law enforcement (in which agencies arrest or kill key terrorist members) is responsible for 40% of the end of all terrorist groups (compared to 43% of groups which turn to politics, 10% which achieve victory, and 7% which are ended by military force).