Norton Says Navy Yard Incident Shows Need for Coordinated Drills with Residents and Law Enforcement in New Era of Lone Wolf Attacks

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) issued a statement today upon reflecting on yesterday's call from the Washington Navy Yard that drew federal, local, and regional law enforcement. Norton has been deeply involved in the Congress with security in the nation's capital since 9/11 and the Navy Yard shooting in 2013.

"Thursday's call from the Navy Yard was not wasted after all. The rapid and coordinated response of law enforcement to a suspected active shooter served as the kind of drill or exercise that city and federal law enforcement, together with residents, need more often in case of another attack. ISIS-inspired lone-wolf attacks may be coming, and they could be even more dangerous than Al-Qaeda, which favored spectacular attacks coordinated with a leader, for which there sometimes was intelligence. The difference between the District and other cities, such as New York, is the abundance of federal and local police, sometimes aided by regional federal and local authorities. These police, all independent from one another, require expert, seasoned coordination if they are to be effective. The city and the region need drills to ensure they coordinate well. As 9/11 shows, the National Capital region must act like a single coordinated jurisdiction in case of terrorist attacks.

"Yesterday's call from the Navy Yard also may show that residents have been particularly alert to possible trouble in light of terror alerts that began on June 26, earlier than usual before the Fourth of July holiday, from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). DHS is doing its job in getting warnings out early in advance of actual intelligence in light of uncoordinated attacks that are emerging in the U.S. and other countries. Thursday's call from the Navy yard may mean that residents are taking more seriously the DHS slogan from years ago, ‘If you see or hear something, say something.' Mistaken calls are better than ignoring signs of an attack. It is understandable that the devastating tragedy that took 12 lives at the Navy Yard in 2013 would leave Navy Yard personnel especially wary. Because of the vulnerability of the nation's capital, it may take some time for the city to become accustomed to moving on to an era of lone wolf attacks and how law enforcement and citizens alike must prepare and react.