Cross-national Comparison of Interagency Coordination Between Law Enforcement and Public Health

摘要

Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, law enforcement and public health agencies have been required to assume new and overlapping roles in response to terrorist threats. This National Institute of Justice (NIJ)-funded project examined strategies for interagency coordination in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Ireland. The projects primary goal was to yield a set of promising practices that will help U.S. agencies improve interagency preparation and response to terrorist threats, as well as other public health emergencies. This research involved identifying coordination barriers and successful strategies and mechanisms used to facilitate interagency efforts. As part of this project, RTI researchers interviewed key stakeholders with expertise in terrorism incident response, bioterrorism preparedness, public health surveillance, and law enforcement operations. The study identified a number of barriers and promising approaches to the coordination problem. These were divided into four general categories: cultural explanations, legal and structural issues, communication, and leadership. Commonly reported barriers to interagency coordination included the lack of mechanisms for sharing confidential data among agencies; lack of Federal guidance with regard to interagency coordination; lack of clarity among Federal, State, and local responders with respect to chain of command; legal barriers; differing agency structures; and lack of a common language. Promising approaches to interagency coordination included the liaison model, in which law enforcement and public health personnel are assigned to other agencies to facilitate communication and on-site consultation; joint release of a unified message to the news media to forestall panic or exaggerated public perceptions; development of formal and informal relationships to facilitate routine cooperation; joint training to foster trust and an appreciation of each agency's role; and early involvement by multiagency partners in the development of preparedness and response strategies and procedures.