Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism (MIPT)
The Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism (MIPT) was established in 1995 in response to the Oklahoma City bombing, aiming to enhance understanding and prevention of terrorist acts. The institute functioned as both a training center and a repository of information about terrorist organizations, offering resources to law enforcement agencies and first responders. Throughout its nearly 15 years of operation, MIPT trained over 20,000 security professionals and engaged in research, seminars, and initiatives focused on combating terrorism and supporting victims. Unfortunately, in 2014, the MIPT faced financial difficulties due to a loss of government funding, leading to its closure and the inaccessibility of its databases to the public. The institute had collaborated with various organizations, including the Department of Homeland Security and RAND Corporation, to support national security efforts. Its shutdown is notably significant given the subsequent rise in domestic terrorism incidents in the U.S., highlighting an ongoing need for the training and resources MIPT once provided.
Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism (MIPT)
Founded: 1995
History:
Following the traumatic Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, the Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism (MIPT) was established to help the understanding and prevention of a similar catastrophe. The MIPT was envisioned as a learning and training center as well as a repository for data on terrorist organizations. The MIPT was also a funding source for many police departments which made the attendance of many such personnel possible. This aspect, however, also proved to be its undoing. In 2014, various economic circustances resulted in the MIPT losing funding from government sponsors. As the MIPT's revenue model could not draw from the police departments it served, it soon could not sustain its operations. In 2014 the MIPT was shut down due to the cessation of public funding. Its databases are no longer accessible to the public.
Stated goals:
- A non-profit institute for the study and prevention of terrorism.
- Served as a living memorial to victims of the 1995 bombing of the Murrah Federal Office Building in Oklahoma City.
Activities:
- Maintained a database of terrorist groups, leaders, and incidents.
- Conducted research into equipment useful to first responders (e.g., fire departments, police) to terrorist incidents.
- Researched and conducted seminars on the prevention of terrorism.
- Developed and implemented programs to assist victims of terrorism.
- Joined the National Suspicious Activity Reporting Initiative
Associations & collaborators:
- Department of Homeland Security; Federal Emergency Management Association.
- DFI International, a Washington consulting organization that "assists U.S. government leaders in the development and implementation of national security programs and policies."
- RAND Corp., a consulting firm.
Accomplishments
In its almost 15 years of existence, the MIPT trained more than 20,000 security professionals. Its shuttering was unfortunate because in the decade since its closing, incidents of domestic terrorism spiked in the United States. Much of this increase in terror activity within US borders has been precipitated by rising political polarization as well as anti-semitic and anti-Islamic rhetoric. This trend exposed the need for the types of training formerly provided by the MIPT.
Bibliography
Brewer, Graham Lee. "Oklahoma-Based Counterterrorism Institute to Close after Losing Funding."The Oklahoman, 7 Aug. 2014, www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2014/08/07/oklahoma-based-counterterrorism-institute-to-close-after-losing-funding/60807109007. Accessed 30 Aug. 2024.
"DHS Continues to See High Risk of Foreign and Domestic Terrorism in 2024 Homeland Threat Assessment." Department of Homeland Security, 14 Sept. 2023, www.dhs.gov/news/2023/09/14/dhs-continues-see-high-risk-foreign-and-domestic-terrorism-2024-homeland-threat. Accessed 30 Aug. 2024.
"The Rising Threat of Domestic Terrorism in the U.S. and Federal Efforts to Combat It." Government Accounting Office, 2 Mar. 2023, www.gao.gov/blog/rising-threat-domestic-terrorism-u.s.-and-federal-efforts-combat-it. Accessed 30 Aug. 2024.