Response to Buffalo Attack Includes a Domestic Terrorism Unit for New York

New York State will launch a domestic terrorism unit in an effort to clamp down on the kind of hateful online rhetoric that allegedly inspired the Buffalo mass shooting.Governor Hochul also signed orders Wednesday aimed at tightening the state’s gun control policies and investigating the role of social media companies in the attack. In addition, she proposed strengthening the state’s Red Flag law, which is designed to prevent those who have triggered certain alarms from getting access to firearms.The Saturday shooting, in which 10 people were killed in a grocery store at Buffalo, has brought increased attention to domestic extremism and the access to guns.The shooting has also brought increased scrutiny of online platforms such as 4chan and 8chan, which reportedly played a role in radicalizing the 18-year-old suspect, and Discord and Twitch, where he was actively promoting the attack.Police say the shooter drove to Buffalo with the intention of killing as many black people as possible and planned for the attack at the Tops store to be the first of many.One of the executive orders the governor signed Wednesday establishes a unit under the state’s homeland security department that will aim to counter domestic terrorism.A first for New York, the unit will track and respond to “violent threats” made on social media. The order also requires a “comprehensive review of current strategies, policies, procedures, practices.”“We’ll make sure they’re trained to know how it occurs, where it occurs, and how to stop it,” the governor said.Earlier Wednesday, the state assembly minority leader, Will Barclay, expressed frustration at the lack of action by New York’s existing domestic terrorism task force. “The governor has promised a series of actions in response to the events in Buffalo,” Mr. Barclay said. “Those measures should be carefully considered. But I’d like to know where the action was up until this point?”“The Domestic Terrorism Task Force was established in 2020, and has yet to have its first meeting. How is that explained?” Mr. Barclay asked. “The mission of this task force was to study, assess, and help prevent senseless acts of violence from taking place.”Although Ms. Hochul’s order has not yet generated substantial public response, efforts to combat domestic terrorism with federal legislation have in the past raised concerns among civil liberties proponents.Last year, as Congress was considering legislation to enable prosecutors to clamp down on domestic extremism, the New York Times reported that “civil rights advocates have expressed concern that new statutes would lead to government overreach and infringements on privacy rights.” The governor also announced a “threat assessment program” to prevent future violent incidents.“My state is going to lead in the surveillance of social media hate speech,” she added, referencing new efforts to monitor online platforms and prevent future mass shootings.“There’s a feeding frenzy going on in social media that hate just breeds more hate,” the governor said. “Think of all the people that saw the livestream of the slaughter — the massacre — of innocent people at a grocery store.”The governor also announced a referral to the attorney general’s office to investigate platforms that had been involved with the attack, promote hate speech, or “legitimize replacement theory.”The New York attorney general’s office announced an investigation into at least four of the social media companies that were used to “stream, promote, or plan the event.” “The terror attack in Buffalo has once again revealed the depths and danger of the online forums that spread and promote hate,” Attorney General James said. The governor also announced an order “requiring the state police to file an extreme risk order protection” when they believe someone poses a threat to themselves or others under the state’s red flag law. Such submissions had been optional.The executive order would prevent individuals identified as dangerous from purchasing firearms in New York State and is specifically worded to address “domestic extremists” and “violent white supremacist extremists.”“People are wondering how you had the right to acquire the weapon in the first place, when you are this individual,” the governor said. “It’s too easy for these radical individuals to go out and acquire these weapons of war.”Ms. Hochul introduced multiple pieces of legislation concerning guns. One measure would create a new state background check requirement to purchase certain types of firearms. Currently there is only a federal background check requirement.Other legislative proposals include a “microstamping” requirement for semi-automatic handguns, allowing police to trace guns used in crime, and a bill requiring police to report all recovered guns within 24 hours.

Response to Buffalo Attack Includes a Domestic Terrorism Unit for New York

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