OTTUMWA — There are times and places where starting trouble is just a bad idea. Indian Hills Community College fit that description on Thursday, when it seemed at least half of southeast Iowa’s law enforcement officers attended a presentation on the war on terror.

It seems jarring to think of a local officer training for terrorism. But it makes sense once you think about it. The first people at most terrorist incidents are local officers, not specialists. And the first people to respond are often those most at risk.

John Metzger, an instructor at the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy, said he started seriously thinking about a response to terrorist attacks after reading a book about the Beslan school siege in Russia. Terrorists took over a school and the debate over the Russian authorities’ response remains ongoing. Metzger stressed that situations law enforcement is likely to confront require forethought rather than reactions.

A school situation is a perfect example. Most officers will hesitate when a person uses a child as a shield. Metzger emphasized officers usually don’t have the time. Hesitation can be fatal.

The crux of the argument is that terrorists prefer soft targets as opposed to places where people are prepared. That means identifying places where they are unlikely to find opposition. Large population centers have the luxury of large law enforcement numbers to draw on. Smaller areas don’t.

“They don’t want to fight. They want victims,” Metzger said.

Mass hostage scenes, using schools, hospitals or churches, are thought to be the most likely form of a terrorist attack. Situations like that can last for days and they draw attention. That level of attention, with an ongoing threat to the victims, creates widespread worry more effectively than massive, one-time attacks.

Hostage attacks don’t require much money, either. They use small groups with relatively light weapons.

Metzger said the U.S. needs to use a template along the lines of what Israel developed after an attack in Ma’alot that killed 22 children. The response relies on two approaches. First is the ability and willingness to attack before an attack is evident. The other is to repair a scene immediately. Returning the visible scene to normal robs an attack of its ability to create residual terror.

“I’m not saying our bus drivers need to carry Uzis,” he said. “What I’m saying is ‘If not me, then who?’ They’re not going to have an ‘I am a terrorist’ sign on their heads.”

Matt Milner can be reached at (641) 683-5359 or via e-mail at mwmilner@mchsi.com