VIDEO: 9/11 Changed 'The Face of Law Enforcement'

Lt. Steven Hennelly, like most Americans, remembers exactly where he was on 9/11. He recalls going to the homes of some of those who did not come home to help their spouses fill out missing persons reports. And he remembers how marked the differences were, among law enforcement and residents, when "terrorism" became a real thing.

"Acts of terrorism, acts of war, they always used to happen 'over there,'" he said. "No one ever thought those towers would come down."

While township police policy did not change after 9/11, Hennelly said both police and residents had a heightened awareness of everything from an to a neighbor acting strangely.

For local police departments, one effect of 9/11 was the increased communication at various levels of law enforcement. Chatham Township had a local Emergency Management Coordinator before the attacks, but after 9/11 the lines of communication were opened at the county, state and federal levels as well.

Hennelly discusses some of the ways law enforcement in Chatham Township has changed since 9/11 in the video above.

In the days leading up to Sept. 11, Chatham Patch will look at the lingering impact of 9/11 on the community.

In case you missed it:
Monday— in Chatham Borough and Chatham Township.
Tuesday—A look at , who joined the U.S. Marines after 9/11 and died in Iraq in 2004, through the eyes of his widow.  
Wednesday—1, taken from the text of Mayor Nelson Vaughan's speech from the 9/11 Memorial Ceremony on Sept. 11, 2009.

Coming Up: 
Sept. 9—Coverage of Chatham Township's memorial ceremony.
Sept. 10—A special You Said It with Chatham residents about what they remember from 9/11. Also, Saturday evening coverage of Chatham Borough's memorial ceremony.
Sept. 11—Video of Chatham Borough's memorial ceremony and county coverage of other memorial events.