Terrorist organizations are known for targeting places that would send some sort of message to their victims. The Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, for example, were targeted at the United States military's headquarters and the nation's its financial core.
These are considered "hard targets" — places protected by security measures such as metal detectors, bag checks or cement barriers. Attacking them required extensive planning, financing, and recruiting. But these hard-targets have become more difficult to attack in the U.S. in the years since 2001, with the disruption of groups like al-Qaeda and increased security measures in place.
As a result, experts told BuzzFeed News that "soft-targets" — public spaces where people come together — are increasingly the focus of terrorist groups.
This photo essay by Michael Kirby Smith looks at the middle ground, how our society has slowly accepted the hardening of public spaces.
A security camera on Wall Street in New York, NY.
Michael Kirby Smith for BuzzFeed News
A barrier to stop cars on Wall Street in New York, NY.
Michael Kirby Smith for BuzzFeed News
A dog checks a car passing through security barriers on Wall Street
Michael Kirby Smith for BuzzFeed News
A security camera in downtown New York.
Michael Kirby Smith for BuzzFeed News
A security guard in midtown in New York.
Michael Kirby Smith for BuzzFeed News
Police barriers in Times Square in New York, NY.
Michael Kirby Smith for BuzzFeed News
Cones and a plastic barrier around Penn Station in New York.
Michael Kirby Smith for BuzzFeed News
Large planters block cars from driving close to the Staten Island Ferry terminal on October 23, 2015, in New York.
Michael Kirby Smith for BuzzFeed News
Security measures near the Staten Island Ferry terminal in New York.
Michael Kirby Smith for BuzzFeed News
Security cameras near 9/11 Memorial Museum in New York.
Michael Kirby Smith for BuzzFeed News
A man working security at Grand Central Station in New York, NY.
Michael Kirby Smith for BuzzFeed News
Cameras in Times Square in New York.
Michael Kirby Smith for BuzzFeed News
A security sign in Penn Station in New York.
Michael Kirby Smith for BuzzFeed News
LINK: RELATED: The Hard Line on Soft Targets
from BuzzFeed - USNews http://ift.tt/1I45lKt
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