Florida law enforcement’s role in agroterrorism

Abstract

The 2005 Department of Justice’s National Institute of Justice report Defining Law Enforcement’s Role in Protecting American Agriculture from Agroterrorism was used as a framework for analyzing the State of Florida’s capabilities for preparing and responding to an agroterrorism attack. A series of desired capabilities were developed from the report’s conclusions and recommendations, and research was conducted to establish Florida law enforcement’s current capabilities. From these two points of reference, gap analysis identified the deficiencies in Florida’s capabilities. Research and analysis found Florida’s preparation capability gaps revolve around a general lack of intelligence and information sharing focused on the agriculture sector. The key recommendation is creation of a state agriculture intelligence and analysis unit interacting with the fusion centers, critical infrastructure protection program, and the food and agriculture sector. Florida’s response capabilities were found to be quite robust. Gaps found in the area of response could be closed with relatively minor policy and strategy enhancements.