Critical Releases in Homeland Security: December 20, 2017

"Big-city homicides rose in 2015 and again in 2016, although not all cities experienced a large increase, and homicides fell in some cities. We consider two explanations of the homicide rise as guides for future research: (1) expansion in illicit drug markets brought about by the heroin and synthetic opioid epidemic and (2) widely referenced 'Ferguson effects' resulting in de-policing, compromised police legitimacy, or both. Larger increases in drug-related homicides than in other types of homicide provide preliminary evidence that expansions in illicit drug markets contributed to the overall homicide rise. The current drug epidemic is disproportionately concentrated in the white population, and homicides have increased among whites as well as among African-Americans and Hispanics. We surmise, therefore, that the drug epidemic may have had an especially strong influence on the rise in homicide rates among whites. Current evidence that links de-policing to the homicide rise is mixed at best. Surveys of police reveal widespread concerns about increased police-community tensions and reductions in proactive policing in the aftermath of widely publicized deadly encounters between the police and African-Americans. Increases in homicide followed decreases in arrests in Baltimore and Chicago, although it is not known whether the same was true in other cities. Nationwide, arrest-offense ratios and arrest clearance rates decreased in 2015, but they had been declining for several years when homicide rates were falling. The extent of de-policing and its possible connection to the recent homicide rise remain open research questions."

"Given the terrorism threat currently facing the United States, the House Homeland Security Committee established the Task Force on Denying Terrorists Entry into the United States (the Task Force) in February 2017. Chairman McCaul (R-TX) and Ranking Member Thompson (D-MS) appointed Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) to lead a bipartisan group of lawmakers. In addition to following up on the work done by the Committee's previous bipartisan Task Force, this new Task Force was charged with: examining how terrorists might infiltrate the homeland; identifying challenges with current U.S. government information sharing and vetting procedures; reviewing the screening agencies' structure and bureaucracy; and providing substantive recommendations to fix any weaknesses in these systems. [...] The Task Force identified seven challenges in America's screening and vetting framework prior to an individual's arrival in the homeland [...] Therefore, as a result of its investigation, the Task Force has seven recommendations designed to close gaps in our defenses."

"This National Security Strategy sets a positive strategic direction for the United States that is meant to reassert America's advantages on the world stage and to build upon our country's great strengths. During the Trump Administration, the American people can be confident that their security and prosperity will always come first. A secure, prosperous, and free America will be strong and ready to lead abroad to protect our interests and our way of life. America's renewed strategic confidence is anchored in our recommitment to the principles inscribed in our founding documents. The National Security Strategy celebrates and protects what we hold dear - individual liberty, the rule of law, a democratic system of government, tolerance, and opportunity for all. By knowing ourselves and what we stand for, we clarify what we must defend and we establish guiding principles for our actions. This strategy is guided by principled realism. It is realist because it acknowledges the central role of power in international politics, affirms that sovereign states are the best hope for a peaceful world, and clearly defines our national interests. It is principled because it is grounded in the knowledge that advancing American principles spreads peace and prosperity around the globe. We are guided by our values and disciplined by our interests. This Administration has a bright vision of America's future."