ABSTRACT

After the tragic attacks on 9/11, the United States made extensive efforts to harden already-reinforced targets like government buildings, leaving soft targets vulnerable to attack. A very small part of our national budget is spent on hardening soft targets, leaving this activity in the hands of resource-constrained venue owners. Terrorist groups seek elevated body counts, press coverage, and a fearful populace in order to further their goals—soft targets deliver all three. Hardened targets repel bad actors and unprotected soft targets invite them. Before undertaking hardening activities, it is important to understand the concepts of threat, vulnerability, and risk. International terror threat is high, with a resurgent al-Qaeda and radicalization of Americans by ISIS. The terrorism threat from right-wing, left-wing, and single-issue groups is perhaps a more persistent and greater daily concern for our law enforcement agencies. The rising violence in our country and the growing propensity for people to “act out” on their anger are also concerning, as seen through the uptick in mass attacks.