Advanced search Help
Publisher is Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Clear all search criteria
Only 2/3! You are seeing results from the Public Collection, not the complete Full Collection. Sign in to search everything (see eligibility).
-
Establishing a Homeland Security Field Structure
From the thesis abstract: "Historically, the American governance system, divided into federal, state and local jurisdictions, does not provide a natural vehicle for discussing public policy issues from a regional, multi-jurisdictional perspective. The autonomy of local jurisdictions and competing priorities within and among them makes regional coordination difficult. Efforts that seek to overcome these challenges to coordinate regionally must take into account the different operational structures and civic traditions of states and municipalities. The establishment of a Homeland Security Regional Structure will support the DHS mission of leading a unified national effort to secure America. The homeland security regions will enhance the national effort to prepare for threats and hazards to the nation. The regional structure will move DHS support closer to state, and local governments that have been overwhelmed by new requirements for homeland security within their jurisdictions. Engaging state and local governments at the regional level provides the best opportunities for the integration of homeland security efforts across all levels of government."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Dunn, Brian L.
2006-09
-
Critical Infrastructure Protection: How to Assess and Provide Remedy to Vulnerabilities in Telecom Hotels
From the thesis abstract: "The state of Utah, like all states and the federal government, has had a long-standing need to improve communication capacity in its emergency response and public safety system. As government entities strive to meet this priority in the National Strategy for Homeland Security, it is crucial that communication systems be interoperable. Ironically, the groundwork for establishing an interoperable communication system nationwide is dependent upon effective human communication and coordination among policy makers, homeland security professionals, first responders and technologists. Accurate and complete information, in the right hands at the right time, can prevent, deter or mitigate a terror event or other mass casualty event. As hosts of the 2002 Winter Olympics, Utah understood that communication was critical to incident command and control and created a world-class 800 MHz communication system to support that mission. Since the 2002 Winter Olympics, with the leadership of former Governor Olene S. Walker and hard work and dedication from multiple agencies, Utah has developed that basic Olympic communications blueprint into the Utah Wireless Integrated Network (UWIN). It is the nation's first statewide, interoperable, wireless voice and data network and it is used every day by Utah's public safety professionals."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Ordonez, Michael A.
2006-09
-
Utah Wireless Integrated Network (UWIN)
From the thesis abstract: "The state of Utah, like all states and the federal government, has had a long-standing need to improve communication capacity in its emergency response and public safety system. As government entities strive to meet this priority in the National Strategy for Homeland Security, it is crucial that communication systems be interoperable. Ironically, the groundwork for establishing an interoperable communication system nationwide is dependent upon effective human communication and coordination among policy makers, homeland security professionals, first responders and technologists. Accurate and complete information, in the right hands at the right time, can prevent, deter or mitigate a terror event or other mass casualty event. As hosts of the 2002 Winter Olympics, Utah understood that communication was critical to incident command and control and created a world-class 800 MHz communication system to support that mission. Since the 2002 Winter Olympics, with the leadership of former Governor Olene S. Walker and hard work and dedication from multiple agencies, Utah has developed that basic Olympic communications blueprint into the Utah Wireless Integrated Network (UWIN). It is the nation's first statewide, interoperable, wireless voice and data network and it is used every day by Utah's public safety professionals."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Anthony, S. Camille
2006-09
-
Right-Wing Group Characteristics and Ideology
"In the post 9-11 world, terrorism has been primarily associated with the external threat from radical Islamic extremists. Prior to September 11, 2001 the single most destructive weapon of mass destruction in the United States was the Ryder truck bomb built by Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols. Both McVeigh and Nichols harbored extreme right-wing anti-government beliefs they felt justified the bombing. A high level of anti-American government sentiment was a common element shared by McVeigh, Nichols, and the al Qaeda terrorists on the 9-11 aircraft. This article asks if the threat of violence by right-wing extremists, including their possible deployment of weapons of mass destruction, has been neutralized. Information to better understand the level of threat posed by right-wing groups includes the need to understand their ideology and history, along with a review of past and present individuals who influenced the growth and development of the radical right, including the following groups: Christian Identity; militias; Sovereign Citizens, Freemen, and Common Law Courts; Ku Klux Klan; neo-Nazis; and Skinheads."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Baysinger, Timothy G.
2006-07
-
Changing Homeland Security: What Should Homeland Security Leaders Be Talking About?
"There is little political will to substantially alter the organizational and programmatic system that characterizes U.S. homeland security. The system we have is the one we have to work with, at least until something significant happens: another attack, a catastrophic natural disaster, a national public health emergency, or a new political administration. If the country is not attacked again, if there are no more national traumas, then incrementalism is a cautious and appropriate way to improve homeland security. The next serious national incident will create an environment that supports, if not demands, substantial change. What should or could those changes be? Responses to this question will emerge from conversations among people who care about homeland security when it is not at the top of the nation's policy agenda -- people like those who read Homeland Security Affairs. This article invites readers to participate in an experiment to answer the question: What should future-thinking homeland security leaders be talking about now, and why? To initiate the conversation, this article offers readers a basic homeland security literacy test and outlines three big-picture perspectives that can frame conversations about the future of homeland security: strict constructionism, middle-of-the-road moderation, and radical reconstructionism."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Bellavita, Christopher
2006-07
-
On Killing al-Zarqawi - Does United States Policy Know Its Tool in the War on Terror?
"Much of the media-pundit and popular analysis that has followed the death of al Qaeda leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has focused on how his death will affect the outcome of the war in Iraq. However, the emphasis on outcome is not the right approach. Al-Zarqawi's death serves a greater strategic purpose both in the war in Iraq and in the larger war on terror, when viewed as process rather than as outcome. From the premise that al-Zarqawi's death leaves the Iraqi insurgency and al Qaeda intact and capable of continuing to fight, the questions for the United States become: Does his death advance United States policy in the war in Iraq, and the overall war on terror? How successful is the United States in disrupting the processes of the Iraqi Insurgency and of al Qaeda? As a corollary, what are the domestic implications? This article argues that the answers perhaps can be found in the tools of policy that are available to the United States."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Reed, Donald J.
2006-07
-
Lessons We Don't Learn: A Study of the Lessons of Disasters, Why We Repeat Them, and How We Can Learn Them
"We report here on an exploratory investigation that targets six research questions. Is it true that lessons recur? What lessons are persistently identified? Why do these lessons continue to be identified as important? Why are these lessons so hard to learn? (That is, why do agencies have difficulty devising and implementing corrective actions once lessons are identified?) How do lessons-learned processes work? How can they be improved? We believe that by explicitly identifying persistent challenges, responders may be better attuned to these challenges and more able to address them in their planning and training processes. Likewise, by better understanding why these challenges remain unresolved, responders may be able to adapt their lessons-learned processes to better support behavioral change and improvement. To these ends, we have conducted a qualitative analysis of response organizations' perspectives on lessons and learning. The next section describes the context of emergency response learning. We then explain our investigative approach. Following that we present and discuss our findings about what lessons responders struggle with most and what learning approaches they use. We conclude with recommendations for improving these processes."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Tuohy, Robert V.; Donahue, Amy K.
2006-07
-
Social Capital: Dealing with Community Emergencies
"Of course, the central symbol of international terrorism in the United States was the collapse of the World Trade Towers in New York and the perhaps 3,000 deaths that resulted from the collapse. Often overlooked, however, is the fact that at the time of impact there were an estimated 17,400 occupants in those buildings and eighty-seven percent of them evacuated successfully. Most of the deaths were on the floors or above the floors where the planes hit. It is now determined that ninety-nine percent of those below the impact floors successfully evacuated. This successful evacuation was not accomplished by conventional search and rescue groups; it was the result of people on site helping others and themselves to take protective action to get out of the towers and to a safe location. While the loss of property and life occurring on 9/11 is frequently recalled, the protective actions of the other 'victims' in the building are often overlooked. Much of the contemporary discussion about emergency planning assumes that community members 'panic' and that strong authority is necessary. The vocabulary of 'command and control' suggests chaos rather than citizen adaptability and creativity. Such assumptions can be questioned by the research evidence accumulated in recent years. While we calculate damage to physical and human capital, we usually ignore the social capital available within communities to deal with emergencies. Social capital is our most significant resource in responding to damage caused by natural and other hazards, such as terrorism."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Dynes, Russell Rowe, 1923-
2006-07
-
National Military Strategic Plan for the War on Terrorism: An Assessment
"This article analyzes the National Military Strategic Plan for the War on Terrorism issued on February 1, 2006 by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The article claims that the strategic plan is flawed for three reasons: 1) its goals are unclear and unrealistic, 2) policy implementation is primarily dependent on non-DOD entities, and 3) the central goal of countering ideological support for terrorism is largely unfeasible. The article concludes by suggesting that the military should not create unrealizable expectations (as this will create greater insecurity) and should, instead, focus on areas that are more in keeping with the military's traditional role."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Morag, Nadav, 1965-
2006-07
-
Risk Perception and Terrorism: Applying the Psychometric Paradigm
"While expert risk analyses are based on calculations of probability and damage, public estimates of risk are more often based on qualitative factors. It is important to understand how the public, not just homeland security experts, perceive and react to the threat of terrorism. Risk perception research in general, and the psychometric paradigm in particular, offer a basis for empirically examining attitudes toward potential terrorism. This article discusses the benefits of such an approach and specific research recommendations."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Jenkin, Clinton M.
2006-07
-
Social Network Analysis as an Approach to Combat Terrorism: Past, Present, and Future Research
"The greatest security threat facing the United States is not from formal states, but from terrorist organizations that attack informally, using terror at any time and place, with the goal of undermining confidence in U.S. institutions and the American way of life. No longer a structured battle that can be fought with military power, the war against terrorism will be won with superior knowledge. Due to the changing nature of homeland security issues, a new type of intelligence is needed by homeland security: social network analysis (SNA). The basis of social network analysis (also known as network science or network sociology) is that individual nodes (which, depending on the type of network, can be people, events, etc.) are connected by complex yet understandable relationships that form networks. These networks are ubiquitous, with an underlying order and simple laws. Networks form the structural basis of many natural events, organizations, and social processes. Terrorist organizations are well-suited to study using social network analysis, as they consist of networks of individuals that span countries, continents, and economic status, and form around specific ideology. Terrorist organizations are different from hierarchical, state-sponsored appointments in characteristics such as leadership and organizational structure. Social network analysis can provide important information on the unique characteristics of terrorist organizations, ranging from issues of network recruitment, network evolution, and the diffusion of radical ideas."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Ressler, Steve
2006-07
-
Viewpoints in Homeland Defense and Security: Intelligence Fusion [video]
In this Viewpoints episode, Paul France, the Homeland Security Field Operations Manager for Wisconsin, discusses his thesis "Preventing Terrorism through Information Using TEW [Terrorism Early Warning] Systems and Intelligence Fusion Centers," focusing on the roles of local and state governments. The Center for Homeland Defense and Security produces the "Viewpoints in Homeland Defense and Security" series to allow homeland security leaders to share opinions on current issues and challenges.
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
France, Paul
2006-05
-
Deconvolution of Plant Type(s) for Homeland Security Enforcement Using Remote Sensing on a UAV Collection Platform
"The technological ability to distinguish drug plants from other plant types has important implications for law enforcement (LE), wildfire recovery, reservoir protection, environmental impact, agricultural issues, and military concerns. This ability, termed 'deconvolution,' can be a valuable technological tool to fight drug trafficking and thus the war on terror. The use of computers and associated hardware, as well as data-base and high-speed computing capabilities, are an integral part of the technological process that will facilitate and make possible plant species identification from airborne sensors. This paper will focus on utilizing Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and/or hyperspectral imagery coupled to a neural network to successfully achieve deconvolution. The proposed approach can be accomplished from (individually or combined) an airborne platform (airplane or satellite) and using a hyperspectral sensor or SAR. To ensure practical use and direct technology transfer for homeland security purposes, for example, the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency), the technology and methodology is directly applied to a UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) collection platform."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Tindall, James A., 1953-
2006-04
-
Viewpoints in Homeland Defense and Security: Borders and Immigration [video]
This video interview from the series "Viewpoints in Homeland Defense and Security" looks at issues surrounding borders and immigration. Karina Ordonez, Assistant Director for Strategic Policy in the Arizona Governor's Office of Homeland Security, discusses her thesis for the Naval Postgraduate School's Homeland Security Master's Program, which focused on the historical background of the Arizona-Sonora border of the U.S.-Mexico border and a mathematical model that predicts where the flow of migration will move as pressure is applied along the border. Other topics discussed include border security's relationship with homeland security and the importance of cultural, economic, and political aspects of the issue.
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Ordóñez, Karina
2006-04
-
Validating a Method for Enhanced Communications and Situational Awareness at the Incident Command Level
From the thesis abstract: "The availability and interoperability of communications at an incident scene have long been recognized as high-priority problems that need to be addressed to improve our nation's Homeland Security and preparedness. This thesis describes a proposed methodology to address these issues at the Incident Command level while enhancing situational awareness and information sharing. The thesis analyzes the results of a research project funded by the Department of Homeland Security at the University of Louisville's IT [information technology] Research Center for Homeland Security. The problem being addressed is that the decision-maker with the boots on the ground, the Incident Commander, needs relevant information in the early stages of the emergency at the incident scene and an efficient way to communicate with other resources. The research project fielded a prototype solution based on readily available commercial off-the-shelf components integrated in a man-portable configuration to provide maximum flexibility, lower costs, and ease of operations. A proposed concept of operations in various prevention and response environments was also recommended in the thesis after analyzing the results of several field exercises and interviews with users."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Graham, James H. Jr
2006-03
-
Terrorism Awareness and Education as a Prevention Strategy for First Responders
"Fire service personnel are ideally suited to contribute to the concerted national effort of homeland security. If they intend to be an effective component of this effort then a revamping of existing preparedness activities must occur. This thesis will analyze the effectiveness of the Los Angeles Fire Departments counterterrorism efforts to date. The central argument is that much more needs to be accomplished in the area of prevention strategies. The way ahead will require an analysis of the impediments to change which continue to obstruct the department's progress toward preventative measures. Barriers discussed herein are leadership, firefighting culture, lack of training and educational opportunities, and ineffective use of community involvement. The citizens of the United States have benefited from awareness and prevention programs in the past. Three models were considered to determine which attributes could be extracted and used to construct the foundation for a terrorism prevention model. Frameworks used in some nationally recognized agendas were studied in order to draw information for the development of a terrorism awareness program for first responders. Relative to each of these issues, a recommended course of action specific to the LAFD will be outlined in considerable detail."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Welch, Alicia L.
2006-03
-
Radio Interoperability: Addressing the Real Reasons We Don't Communicate Well During Emergencies
"Concerns about inadequate radio communications at the scene of disasters predate 9/11, and have been a focal point of homeland security funding since 2001. Under the umbrella term 'interoperability,' grant funding is facilitating the recent deployment of equipment to allow field personnel to patch radio systems together, with the expectation of immediate improvement of emergency scene communications dysfunction. This thesis argues that there are numerous causal factors for inadequate disaster communications. Communications impediments include insufficient radio infrastructure, behavioral reactions by people in stressful situations, intergovernmental relations, inadequate procedures and training, and general lethargy over the need to institute special operating policies differing from routine practices. The sole reliance upon technological solutions, without proportionate training and practice greatly reduces the effectiveness of radio patching equipment. Quite opposite from the intended effect, patching equipment, in the hands of those only minimally acclimated to radio system architecture, is likely to trigger unintended consequences of chaotic system overload (by combining two or more busy channels) and sector vulnerability (by combining unsecured general public systems with previously isolated public safety systems). Our goal is to provide a thought-provoking examination of the entire realm of emergency scene communications issues and practical recommendations beyond superficial technological solutions."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Timmons, Ronald P.
2006-03
-
Interagency Collaboration Challenges among Homeland Security Disciplines in Urban Areas
"First responders have struggled to incorporate strategic direction provided by the federal government into their existing plans. An urgent call for teamwork and cooperation has changed the landscape for America's first responders. They have been required to shoulder new responsibilities and become more networked and interactive with their peer disciplines to achieve higher levels of performance and response capability. This thesis examines interactions among four key homeland security disciplines in the Seattle, Washington urban area. It evaluates how fire service, law enforcement, emergency management, and public health organizations have used federal government guidance and programs to prepare for catastrophic terrorism response. Specifically, it describes how the homeland security roles, organizational cultures, and collaboration challenges currently facing local public safety agencies have impacted the urban area environment. Based on findings from local and national inquiries, it explains how the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and the National Planning Scenarios (NPS) have impacted interagency collaboration. This study provides a detailed description of the homeland security environment from the inside by identifying challenges facing first responders and the strengths and gaps in their relationships. Finally, it offers positive policy recommendations to Seattle area public safety executives for increasing interagency cooperation in the urban area."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Hagen, Jerome D.
2006-03
-
Assessment of Public Health Infrastructure to Determine Public Health Preparedness
"Since September 2001, health threats associated with acts of terrorism have become an area of increasing concern. The Strategy for Homeland Security stresses the need for a robust public health component to quickly respond to and recover from attacks and other emergencies. The assumption that public health is an optimal system that simply needs to be aimed in new directions is fundamentally flawed. Public health baseline requirements for responding to threats are not as well understood as they might be. The purpose of this research is to help establish a common and accurate measure for assessing the public health infrastructure. Using the case study of Union County, New Jersey this thesis surveys the activities public health agencies are expected to perform; compares performance to target objectives; and employs a manpower matrix as a model for determining staffing requirements for local public health. This study argues that that the goal of sustainable funding for public health begins with an accurate measure of the capacities of the system in relation to demands placed upon it. Without such a measure public health will continue to fail in its primary functions and lack the capacity to meet Homeland Security goals."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Santiago, Denise L.
2006-03
-
'Dirty Bomb' Attack: Assessing New York City's Level of Preparedness from a First Responder's Perspective
From the thesis abstract: "Past history and recent intelligence have shown that New York City (NYC), a critical node of the U.S. economy, is clearly in the terrorist's crosshairs. In order to reduce the probability, lessen the risk, and minimize the consequences of a Radiological Dispersion Device (RDD), or 'dirty bomb,' attack, NYC's first responders must be adequately prepared for its seemingly inevitable occurrence. This particular type of attack on NYC has the potential to create immense panic and confusion on behalf of the general public. Adding to the complexity of the problem is the notion that, since 9/11, the expected actions taken by employees in NYC high-rise office buildings in response to shelter-in-place instructions can be extremely difficult to predict. Therefore, a proposed public awareness campaign and a shelter-in-place plan are two cost-effective and easily implemented terrorism preparedness programs that would build the confidence and increase the capability of the citizenry. Since an RDD incident would likely result in a major inter-agency emergency operation, the unification of command, control, and coordination among NYC's first responder community is an essential element to its overall success. Hence, an informed and collaborative response by both public and private sector entities could potentially reduce casualties and save lives."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Sudnik, John
2006-03
-
Building a Better Mouse Trap: Increasing Counter Terrorism Capabilities through Consolidation
From the thesis abstract: "The current American police model is outdated and does not provide local law enforcement the proper framework to effectively prevent, mitigate, and respond to terrorism. With nearly 18,000 separate police departments in the United States, the current system of policing is individualized, fragmented and disconnected. With the proliferation of so many police organizations, contiguous agencies have overlapping jurisdictional responsibilities and job functions, leading to the waste of precious personnel resources. Exacerbating this issue, radio systems and computerized databases among these law enforcement agencies are dissimilar or not linked, prohibiting local cops from easily communicating. Such technological gaps are the outcomes of a decentralized policing structure that hinder effective counter terrorism capabilities. In the aftermath of September 11, 2001, local police must be configured in a manner to maximize the country's counterterrorism efforts."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Vicino, Christopher O.
2006-03
-
21st Century Policing - The Institutionalization of Homeland Security in Local Law Enforcement Organizations
From the thesis abstract: "Twenty-first-century law enforcement organizations face a new and significant challenge - homeland security. On September 11, 2001, local law enforcement agencies throughout the United States were thrust into the 'war on terrorism.' The current law enforcement business-as-usual attitude and incremental programmatic responses do not ensure a long-term success. Any act of terrorism will initially be a local issue that requires immediate response by various local agencies, such as medical, fire, and police-the communities 'first responders.' Thus local law enforcement organizations must recognize and embrace the critical and essential role they play in homeland security and the war on terrorism. In today's security environment, community policing is one of the most successful strategies employed by law enforcement organizations. Community policing focuses on crime and social disorder through the delivery of police services that include aspects of traditional law enforcement, preventive measures, problem solving, community engagement, and partnerships. At some point in the future, the line between homeland security and everyday policing will become indistinguishable. At that point, homeland security institutionalization at the local level will have been fully achieved. This thesis attempts to identify the need for homeland security institutionalization in local law enforcement organizations. The thesis argues that community-based policing principles combined with other progressive law enforcement practices such as Intelligence-led policing are crucial aids in that effort."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Collie, Fred D.
2006-03
-
Model Strategy and Policy for Screening Firefighter Candidates
"Critical to the homeland security mission success of the fire service in the United States is a sound workforce mentally and physically prepared to manage the new challenges they will confront and motivated by the desire to serve their community and country. Reasons for and evidence of the need for a new firefighter candidate screening strategy to support this new mission are addressed in this thesis. Scientific evidence on the validity of certain screening elements is evaluated, smart practices are identified and reviewed, and a new model firefighter candidate screening policy supported and driven by a formal strategic plan is proposed."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Pope, Christopher M.
2006-03
-
In Support of Civil Authority: Is the Role of Military Support for National Security in Jeopardy?
From the thesis abstract: "Dependence upon the National Guard for civil support during major domestic incidents is an integral part of homeland security planning. This dependence is well-founded in a review of the Guard's historic roles in homeland security, but national and world conditions are quite different today from what they were when the Guard first took on this role. These differences may be creating a drain on its capabilities that is untenable on a long-term basis. Continuing use of the National Guard for homeland security--at least at its present level--may seriously endanger homeland defense. From the perspective of civil authorities, continuing dependence upon a questionable resource may prove devastating. This report considers the mutual impact of homeland defense and security roles on the National Guard, and how these conflicting responsibilities may be decreasing its ability to support civil authorities. It provides a view of one very possible future that will present significant problems for emergency planners."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Henderson, Robert R.
2006-03
-
Utilizing Biological Models to Determine the Recruitment of the IRA by Modeling the Voting Behavior of Sinn Fein
"Sociological models have been extensively used to predict the behavior of terrorist groups and to understand their use of terrorism. Much remains to be understood, however, concerning the factors that govern the growth or decline of these groups. Sociological models are inadequate for understanding terrorist behavior because these models typically do not account for the behavior of individuals who ignore social mores. This thesis explores the use of biological population models as a means to incorporate predator-prey behavior factors into terrorist models. This thesis also demonstrates that this method is more appropriate for examining the growth and decline of terrorist organizations through the interaction of law enforcement and terrorist recruitment efforts. After analyzing the respective strengths and weaknesses of sociological and biological models, the thesis applies a biological model, the Lotka-Volterra predator-prey model, to a highly suggestive case study, that of the Irish Republican Army. This case study illuminates how a biological model can be utilized to understand the actions of a terrorist organization, and offer predictive value that sociological models lack."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Schaub, Erika Ann
2006-03
-
Public Health Specializations and Education Needs to Support Homeland Security
From the thesis abstract: "Understanding and identifying critical public health human capital needs and their appropriate knowledge base for homeland security is necessary to help our Nation to prepare for and respond to acts of terrorism and natural disasters. Understanding what deficiencies exist by specializations and identifying an appropriate knowledge base for these individuals is necessary to meet the future force requirements to support homeland security. Personal interviews were conducted with 24 individuals throughout Tennessee and various components of the federal government. This was done to discern what these professionals believe are the necessary specializations to respond to homeland security mandates and the education these specialists needed to discharge their duties. For this study, public health was defined as: any individuals responsible for safeguarding and enhancing the health of the community in relation to homeland security. This is consistent with Dennis Raphael's definition which defined public health as 'the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting the health of the population through organized efforts of society'. The results of this study may help aid policymakers to attract, train, retrain and retain the appropriate cadre of professionals necessary to support the public health mission relating to homeland security."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Landguth, David C.
2006-03
-
Implementing Maritime Domain Awareness
"As an attempt to gain understanding of everything in the global maritime environment that can impact the security of the United States, the Maritime Domain Awareness initiative is one of the most ambitious projects ever undertaken by the U.S. government. Information that falls under the prevue of MDA is tremendously diverse and complex, having application in the regulatory, law enforcement, and military arenas. As such, MDA is a multi-agency effort that encompasses 16 respective departments, agencies, and organizations working toward one common goal of shared information. Given that each of these organizations operates under policies and procedures that are radically different, effective MDA requires the design of a construct that fuses multi-agency information in such a way that it can be effectively shared among all agencies. This thesis argues that current infrastructure in the Coast Guard and Navy can be used to obtain MDA through a formal linking process that fuses multi-agency information on the tactical, regional, and strategic levels for sharing and dissemination to appropriate forces for action."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Watts, R.B.
2006-03
-
Deployment of State Traffic Law Enforcement Officers for Homeland Security
"The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, marked a turning point for agencies at all levels of government to consider their role in Homeland Security. Significant federal studies provided federal agencies with direction on needed changes; for state law enforcement there remains much to study. Deployment of traffic law enforcement officers in many agencies has not changed since 9/11, and remains a substantial resource that could be used for prevention of terrorist attacks. Changing deployment priorities of traffic law enforcement officers is complicated by the impact it could have on traffic safety and the over 40,000 people that are killed on America's highways every year. It becomes more complex with issues such as civil liberties concerns, political acceptability, citizen expectations and regulatory compliance. This thesis evaluates options for the deployment of traffic law enforcement officers to enhance Homeland Security efforts. It examines the value of traffic officers to overall deterrence plans and calls for the increased use of targeted and concentrated traffic patrols rather than random patrols. It recommends a strategy of intelligence based deployments as part of a layered security system that can maximize the total impact to the traffic safety and Homeland Security missions of state law enforcement agencies."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Thomas, Mark D.
2006-03
-
Florida Air National Guard: A Model for Successful Recruiting
"Effective recruitment strategies are essential to the maintenance of an all-volunteer military. Shortfalls in recruiting, such as those that have been experienced by the Air National Guard, U.S. Army, Army National Guard, and Army Reserve, threaten the viability of national military strategies that call for the U.S. military to be capable of simultaneously fighting two major wars and dealing with catastrophic man-made or natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina. The Florida Air National Guard has been well ahead of its goals. Through successful recruitment policies, the Florida Air National Guard is, and will continue to be, 'Ready, Relevant, and Reliable.' This research is to identify the best practices that the Florida Air National Guard uses to recruit professional personnel and examine how these practices could be applied to other Air National Guard organizations along with other branches of the service. An empowered Recruiting and Retention Superintendent along with an innovative team approach have been successfully implemented and used by the Florida Air National Guard since June 2000. Many of the recruitment issues that the military faces today can be resolved by adopting the Florida Air National Guard's very successful model of leadership, communication, empowerment, and a team approach. The information presented in this thesis will draw on a variety of sources to show that the effective utilization of the Florida Air National Guard Recruiting and Retention Superintendent has had a dramatic and successful impact on the Florida Air National Guard's recruitment efforts. Based on secondary research, interviews, statistical analysis and an evaluation of present and past practices, this thesis will provide a path for recruiting that is focused, has a streamlined chain of command, along with the entire state recruiters working as a team to meet the needs of the entire state recruiting goals."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Delaney, James F.
2006-03
-
Public-Private-Defense Partnering In Critical Infrastructure Protection
"The problem confronting The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Defense (DoD), and America's private sector is how to collectively protect the nation's critical infrastructure. The challenge for the DHS is in motivating partnerships across the public, private, and DoD domains, each with different organizational and cultural objectives governed under a federalist system. The relevance of this problem lies in the vulnerability of America's economic and military foundations to terrorist attacks or a catastrophic natural disaster. Research conducted of the regulated energy and water industries indicates federal standards can be effectively established across the public-private domains. The establishment of federal tax and insurance incentives, limiting corporate liability, and developing industry standards may motivate increased security and circumvent excessive federal mandates. The conduct of partnering is scrutinized via personal interviews to determine if the recommendation to build security partnerships with federal guidance is sufficient to secure critical infrastructure. The implementation of a dual-purpose strategy is recommended to further enhance the efficiency of security partnerships. This thesis suggests the DHS must develop an innovative CIP policy and utilize the National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP) as the vehicle to integrate and synchronize the actions of all security partners."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Jaksec, Gregory M.
2006-03
