Law Enforcement forever changed after 9/11

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – America is remembering the 9/11 attacks today on its 16th Anniversary. September 11, 2001 America had three terrorist attacks, with two planes flying into the World Trade Center’s twin towers and one flying into the Pentagon, There was another attempted attack that failed and crashed in a Pennsylvania field.

Most people remember exactly where they were on this day 16 years ago. Sheriff Lutz remembered finding out while on patrol.

According to Lutz the Muskingum County Sheriff’s office gathered in disbelief of a terrorist attack happening on American soil. After 9/11 law enforcement changed even in small rural areas like Muskingum County.

“The education part of it, the teaching to our law enforcement officers,” Sheriff Lutz said. “That small areas like ours are places that terrorist cells can group. There’s a lot for us to be alert for and to watch for. That I think the communication aspects of things, trying to share information started really escalating from that.”

Lutz explained 9/11 caused law enforcement to communicate more with other offices for larger investigations as well as examining technology in every case.

“Being a part of law enforcement since then just seeing the stuff that we’ve done, the technology, social media, the different groups through Homeland Security and different things have formed,” Sheriff Lutz said. “Some of the things we do now, the information gathering, you know all that stuff. So it’s really come light years from where it was.”

Sheriff Lutz believed the attacks on 9/11 forever changed how first responders do their job, whether they’re patrol officers, fire fighters, or an E.M.T. They have to be properly trained for when they arrive they know what to look for and how to proceed to keep everyone else safe.