Community Reporting Thresholds: Sharing Information with Authorities Concerning Terrorism Activity.

The proposed study builds on landmark Australian and U.K. studies to understand the dynamics and barriers to community reporting in the U.S. in order to develop new, localized and contextually sensitive understandings and approaches to community reporting issues in the U.S. The proposed qualitative study will use purposive and snowball sampling (through previously identified and established relationships with community liaisons, such as DHS-funded programs, the California Governor’s Office and the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority) to conduct 144 in-depth, semi-structured interviews of community members and professionals in California and Illinois to examine their perspectives about reporting on an individual who may be involved in terrorism. These 120 community members will include a purposive over-sample of young adults aged 16-26 years to reflect their heightened global profile in current recruitment to terrorism. The sample of 24 professionals will include local police, federal law enforcement, school resource officers, state/federal CVE professionals and local community/faith leaders with relevant experience and exposure to community brokerage and gatekeeper roles in relation to: 1) receiving, understanding, handling and sharing sensitive information from members of the public, and 2) understanding existing processes and mechanisms by which such information is or could be received, handled or shared. Questions about reporting will include: reporting processes, factors that may encourage or discourage people to share concerns, strategies for improving existing approaches to community reporting, and strategies for strengthening public awareness and knowledge about the process of coming forward with information to authorities.

The proposed study aims to: 1) understand the triggers, thresholds, facilitators and barriers to sharing of concerns; 2) compare perspectives about reporting on involvement in terrorism with perspectives about reporting on involvement with non-terrorist, mass violence planning; 3) map reporting processes and pathways, including modes and conduits; and 4) transfer the results into policy and practice recommendations to optimize prevention and intervention services.

"Note: This project contains a research and/or development component, as defined in applicable law," and complies with Part 200 Uniform Requirements - 2 CFR 200.210(a)(14)."

CA/NCF