Homegrown Violent Extremism

Defining Homegrown Recruiting Homegrown Violent Extremism Violent Extremists Homegrown violent extremists are those Radical recruiters use a combination who encourage, endorse, condone, of mainstream and specialized social justify, or support the commission of a media sites and websites to encourage violent criminal act to achieve political, individuals and groups already in the ideological, religious, social, or economic West to rise up and use the “blend factor” goals by a citizen or long-term resident to their advantage. The “blend factor” of a Western country who has rejected refers to the notion that there are no Western cultural values, beliefs, and visual or physical cues, such as a dress norms.1 Homegrown violent extremists code or location, that automatically are a diverse group of individuals that identify someone as a violent extremist can include U.S.-born citizens, naturalized to law enforcement, making it easier citizens, green card holders or other long- for homegrown violent extremists to term residents, foreign students, or illegal blend into the general population in immigrants. Regardless of their citizenship disengaged communities. In addition, the status, these individuals intend to commit Internet provides disengaged individuals terrorist acts inside Western countries or ready access to propaganda and agents against Western interests abroad. of all varieties of violent extremism. AWARENESS BRIEF

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Furthermore, recent incidents involving join al Shabab, a terrorist group with ties lone gunmen demonstrate the potential to al Qaeda. These men trained and fought danger, lethality, and effectiveness of a with al Shabab and were all residents small-arms attack by a single individual. of the Twin Cities. Family members said All of these examples explain precisely they did not know their loved ones had why law enforcement must remember radical views. Hennepin County law to focus on the behavior and activities of enforcement believe that six of the young individuals and not rely on stereotypes men were killed traveling to Somalia such as general appearance. to join al Shabab; one man died as a suicide bomber, but the cause of death for the other five remains unconfirmed.2 Examples of Homegrown Hennepin County responded to concerned community members with a multi- Violent Extremism pronged effort to include information sharing, suspicious activity reporting, One such example of how an individual robust community outreach, community can become homegrown violent extremist oriented policing, and officer training, In is the Somali Travelers Case. Minnesota addition, the county has a Somali deputy is believed to have the largest population and a Somali cadet, and a prominent of Somalis in the United States, most member of the Somali community acts as of who live in Hennepin and Ramsey a civilian outreach liaison. counties. Over the past few years, more than 20 young men, nearly all of Somali Likewise, Colleen LaRose, also known descent, from the Minneapolis-St. Paul by her screen name “Jihad Jane,” is a (Twin Cities) area traveled to Somalia to AWARENESS BRIEF 3

Pennsylvania woman who was arrested Educating community members as part of a terror plot targeting a Swedish Community members are often cartoonist. According to the U.S. Attorney unaware of the common indicators of for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, radicalization to violence, particularly Zane David Memeger, “This case clearly those related to homegrown violent underscores the evolving nature of extremism. Through educational the terrorist threat that we now face in campaigns and partnerships, law this country. The Internet has made it enforcement agencies and the easier for those who want to attack the communities they serve can take American way of life to identify like- advantage of early opportunities to minded individuals to carry out their detect and intervene before an individual terroristic plans.”3 becomes violent. When properly educated, parents, teachers, and peers will be in a better position to recognize The Role of Community Policing early signs of radicalization to homegrown AWARENESS BRIEFin Preventing Homegrown violent extremism. Violent Extremism Engaging community members Community policing promotes the use of across diverse issues partnerships between law enforcement and the community to address public Local law enforcement communities safety concerns. Citizens who are should use a broad approach to empowered by law enforcement are community engagement and partnership a valuable asset to any department rather than focusing exclusively on or agency and can play a large role in homegrown violent extremism. Often countering violent extremism. Because law enforcement agencies can establish homegrown violent extremism takes place trust and collaboration by leveraging within local communities, law enforcement their partnerships and engagements agencies benefit most when they work around more conventional public safety with their communities toward building issues such as internet safety or concerns a trusting relationship, for example, by prioritized within local communities. This engaging community members and type of “whole community” approach often informing them about public safety issues provides a smooth transition to discuss such as homegrown violent extremism. more volatile issues such as homegrown As a result, citizens are more inclined to violent extremism. Engagement across reach out to law enforcement and report diverse public safety issues is less prone suspicious activity. to placing cultural groups in a defensive position because they feel they are Ways in which law enforcement and the suspects. These approaches show that community can work together to use police are concerned about issues common social media to help identify, prevent, and to all cultural groups and help avoid the counter homegrown violent extremism trap of community members believing include the following: that law enforcement wants to collect information only to build cases and share that information with the FBI and other federal agencies. AWARENESS BRIEF

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Youth engagement Endnotes Extremists often try to recruit youth, 1. This definition of “homegrown violent extremist” whom they see to be the most vulnerable, is a combination of the definitions for “violent for homegrown violent extremism. Thus, extremist” and “homegrown violent extremist” law enforcement’s attempts to engage that can be found in: IACP Committee on youth in positive relationships provide Terrorism, Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) an opportunity to counter the message Working Group, A Common Lexicon (Alexandria, VA: International Association of Chiefs of Police, offered by homegrown violent extremism. 2012), www.theiacp.org/portals/0/pdfs/IACP-COT_ Offering programs—such as police athletic CommonLexicon_Eng_FINALAug12.pdf. leagues, youth police academies, and youth advisory councils—and 2. Richard W. Stanek, “It Can and Does Happen sponsoring youth-specific events help Here: Somali Youth with Terrorist Ties in the Twin law enforcement to potentially offset Cities,” The Police Chief, February 2011, 48–52, www.policechiefmagazine.org/magazine/index. the allure of radicalization for some cfm?fuseaction=display_arch&article_id vulnerable youth. =2313&issue_id=22011.

3. “Federal Judge Sentences ‘Jihad Jane’ to Serve 10 Years in Prison for Role in Plot to Commit Murder Overseas,” FBI, Philadelphia Division new release, January 6, 2014, www.fbi.gov/ philadelphia/press-releases/2014/federal-judge- sentences-jihad-jane-to-serve-10-years-in-prison- for-role-in-plot-to-commit-murder-overseas.

This project was supported by Cooperative Agreement Number The Internet references cited in this publication were valid as of 2011-CK-WXK-010 awarded by the Office of Community Oriented the date of this publication. Given that URLs and websites are in Policing Services, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions constant flux, neither the author(s) nor the COPS Office can vouch contained herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily for their current validity. represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. References to specific agencies, companies, products, or Recommended citation: services should not be considered an endorsement by the author(s) International Association of Chiefs of Police. 2014. Homegrown or the U.S. Department of Justice. Rather, the references are Violent Extremism. Awareness Brief. Washington, DC: Office of illustrations to supplement discussion of the issues. Community Oriented Policing Services.

This Awareness Brief is one of a series and part of other products produced as part of the Role of Community Policing in Homeland Security and the Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) initiative. For more information about the CVE initiative, and to access additional IACP resources, please visit www.theiacp.org/CVE.

U.S. Department of Justice To obtain details on COPS Office programs, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services call the COPS Office Response Center at 800-421-6770. 145 N Street NE Washington, DC 20530 Visit the COPS Office online at www.cops.usdoj.gov.

e111321618 Published 2014