Have They Said Something? Examining Changes in Citizen Reporting of Possible Terrorism to the Police

Abstract

This mixed-method study examines how terrorism affects civilian reporting behaviors. I conducted a content analysis of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) designated domestic terrorism cases between the years of 1985 and 2012 to examine civilian vigilance, measured by how potential terrorism cases came to the attention of the FBI. The goal was to assess the extent to which terrorism cases were the result of citizen reporting and how citizen reporting rates have changed over time. I utilized social solidarity, collective efficacy, broken windows theory, and vigilance decrement theory to assist my argument. Using data by the American Terrorism Study and online media sources, I identified the most common pathways that terrorists are detected. I found law enforcement intercepted potential terrorists the most, followed by civilian intervention and self-incriminators. I also sought to determine if civilian reporting waned over time following a large-scale act of terrorism. I found that civilian reporting was highest immediately following the September 11th attacks but decreased over time. However, civilian reporting was higher in the P2-9/11 period compared to all other periods (excluding the Post-9/11 period). This finding suggests that while civilian reporting has experienced some decrement, it still remains at a higher level of vigilance compared to previous periods.