The defining characteristic of American criminal law enforcement is its localism. This imbalance is very much the historical norm. That long-standing truth may be about to change, for reasons that go directly to the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington this past September 11. If it happens, the heart of the change will be this: Before last September, terrorism occupied a very small place in both politics and law enforcement; today and for some time to come, it is likely to occupy a large place--not dominant, but large. What might that change mean for the level of police misconduct in the United States?
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