Seattle terrorist threat

The number of active shooter incidents has increased over the last decade. Intense media coverage of active shooter events has created a heightened sense of risk despite these events being relatively rare.

It remains nearly impossible to predict violent attacks, but security and intervention measures are continuing to evolve with the use of new tactics employed by threat actors.

However, Seattle has most commonly endured attacks targeted at property, active shooter events, and activity related to terrorism. Growing threats reported by state and local election workers led the Justice Department this summer to announce formation of a task force that will work with federal prosecutors and the FBI to investigate threats of violence against election staff.

While previous DHS bulletins have focused on the threat from domestic extremists, the new alert emphasized the threat posed by online activity from foreign intelligence services and international terrorists as well as domestic actors. It noted, for instance, that as the anniversary of the Sept. Cyber-attacks are becoming more frequent and sophisticated around the world.

Despite improvements in security, the U. Many experts believe that a major cyber-attack that will cause widespread harm to a nation's security and capacity to defend itself and its people by Seattle faces a growing threat of cyber-attack as more of the city's infrastructure and basic functions are connecting to the internet.

Traditionally non-computerized items e. In an interview, Mandigo would not say how many investigations were being conducted or discuss potential terrorist supporters or cells, types of threats, potential targets, likelihood of arrests and monitoring of people viewed as potential suspects.

However, his briefing paper singled out law enforcement staffing as a central concern, saying there was a perception of a lack of law enforcement that could allow terrorists do to their work undetected. Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske said Mandigo's comments on potential terrorist threats are in line with other recently released information. Kerlikowske also expressed concern about staffing, which has remained about the same for his force for the last 20 years while the city has grown by 50, people.