Critical Releases in Homeland Security: September 26, 2018

"In 2012, the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) issued a request for proposal to apply the principles of community policing to border issues related to guns, drugs, and human trafficking, having recognized that these issues presented unique challenges to Southwest border communities Strategic Applications International (SAI) invited each of the 10 cities on the southwest border of the United States to participate through the Below Ten: Mobilizing Border Cities to Address Guns, Drugs, and Human Trafficking project, funded by the COPS Office. Three sites responded and were selected to participate: San Diego County, California; Nogales, Arizona; and Pharr, Texas. Each site took a different focus, with San Diego addressing human trafficking, Nogales targeting the business community and ranchers, and Pharr focusing on the impact of unaccompanied minors crossing the border from all over Mexico and Central America. In addition, each site developed its own unique focus based on the issues most affecting that community. Nogales focused more on drugs and guns than the other sites, but illegal immigration was also an issue for Nogales and Pharr [...] This publication details the process, the strategies, and the key learnings that the three sites generated through their commitment to tackle a complex issue in a complex environment."

"It is a vital interest of the United States to manage the risk of biological incidents. In today's interconnected world, biological incidents have the potential to cost thousands of American lives, cause significant anxiety, and greatly impact travel and trade. [...] Biological threats--whether naturally occurring, accidental, or deliberate in origin--are among the most serious threats facing the United States and the international community. [...] Health security means taking care of the American people in the face of biological threats to our homeland and to our interests abroad. [...] The health of the American people depends on our ability to stem infectious disease outbreaks at their source, wherever and however they occur. America's biodefense enterprise needs to be nimble enough to address emerging infectious disease threats, the risks associated with the accelerating pace of biotechnology, and threats posed by terrorist groups or adversaries seeking to use biological weapons. [...] This National Biodefense Strategy highlights the President's commitment to protect the American people and our way of life, laying out a clear pathway and set of objectives to effectively counter threats from naturally occurring, accidental, and deliberate biological events. It is broader than a Federal Government strategy. It is a call to action for state, local, territorial, and tribal (SLTT) entities, other governments, practitioners, physicians, scientists, educators, and industry."