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Two Transformations In, USCIS Confronts Further Change in Post-Pandemic Futureure
From the Abstract: "The Covid-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic both upended the day-to-day workings of U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) and presented an opportunity to reexamine where policy and practice impede future productivity. The agency has already undertaken two transformations in the first two decades of this century, to varying success: its reestablishment as an administrative non-enforcement agency after 9/11 helped make it nimble in enacting sudden operational change, but the incomplete modernization (specifically, digitizing documents and records) remains a weakness for shifting workloads in a shelter-in-place environment. Ongoing disruption from the pandemic, including both an unanticipated breakdown in its funding model and a prolonged reduction of in-office productive capacity, requires rethinking how the agency meets its mission post-pandemic. The adoption of 'virtual' or distanced interaction with applicants is emerging as a potentially necessary third major transformation."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Locke, Michael S.
2020-12
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COVID-19 Effects and Russian Disinformation Campaigns
From the Abstract: "The effects of the novel coronavirus and its related disease COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] have been far reaching, touching American society and its Western partners' health and mortality, economics, social relationships, and politics. The effects have highlighted longstanding societal divisions, disproportionately harming minority groups and the socioeconomically disadvantaged with Black Americans and their communities hit especially hard. The problem being considered is the potential for Russian malign foreign influence to exploit the divides exacerbated by the coronavirus and target the United States and its European allies during the period leading to the 2020 elections and beyond. Possible coronavirus effects are inventoried and categorized into economic, healthcare, and environmental issue areas that may be leveraged and weaponized. The article includes the scenarios of such weaponization, including the description of focal points that may be attacked. We conclude with a set of recommendations to counter malign foreign influence."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Moy, Wesley R.; Gradon, Kacper
2020-12
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Public Health Departments Face Formidable Issues During COVID-19 Pandemic
From the Abstract: "COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] has raised serious questions about the pandemic response capacity and capability of local health departments. Workforce issues have made testing and tracing very challenging for these resource-strapped public health agencies. In addition, public health has failed to respond effectively to the disproportionate COVID-19 cases and deaths occurring within minority populations. Leadership issues have also hampered public health efforts to impact coordinated responses in local communities. Given these challenges, new coalitions of academic, private, and public health providers have begun performing traditional public health disease control measures and raised even more questions about the viability of public health."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Pilkington, William F.; Kumar, Deepak
2020-12
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Pandemic Policy and the Logistics of COVID-19 Mass Vaccination
From the Abstract: "The sudden emergence of the H1N1 Pandemic in 2009 tested the nation's pandemic plans. It was learned that the nation did not have a well-defined, tested and reliable twenty-first century vaccine distribution system. The existing planning model, the public health model of the 1950s and 1960s served as the basis for published planning guidance. In 2020, once again the nation finds itself in the throes of a pandemic, scrambling to limit exposure and infection to a novel coronavirus, COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] . Meanwhile, all efforts are being exerted to produce an effective and safe vaccine. What remains to be seen is what mass vaccination will look like, given that a proven model has yet to be tested, and as new federal guidance is developed and published. This essay explores the status of a COVID-19 vaccination campaign from a distribution perspective or in the context of the Incident Command System, the Logistics Section. It draws from H1N1 and surveys developments implemented in the interim, or the inter-pandemic decade. Finally, the essay takes an historical look at the nation's pandemic vaccine policy and distribution models over the past twenty years. From this analysis, a blended-hybrid model emerges for COVID-19 vaccine distribution whose basis is a public-private partnership."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Russo, Thomas P.
2020-12
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Pennsylvania's COVID-19 Response vs. Homeland Security Frameworks and Research: Masking the Whole Community
From the Abstract: "'This essay offers an intermediate discussion of select policy, strategic, operational, and tactical issues that demonstrate where and how the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's novel coronavirus response on the one hand, and homeland security frameworks and research on the other, converge or--more often so--diverge, and how to narrow this gap. Although typically framed as a pandemic owned by the public health sector, the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] response falls directly within the homeland security mission space, whose core missions include 'Ensuring Resilience to Disasters.' In some respects, Pennsylvania's response exemplifies best practices suggested by research. In other dimensions, it is neither in line with what research would recommend nor with what the National Preparedness System would mandate. The Keystone State has yet to fully make the step from disaster to catastrophe as the characteristic challenge to U.S. emergency management in our century. Response to catastrophic crisis cannot be siloed; it requires adaptivity and an inclusive approach to the community.'"
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Siedschlag, Alexander
2020-12
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COVID-19: Public Health, Privacy, and Law Enforcement a Precarious Balancing Act
From the Abstract: "In the wake of the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic, the health community faces the delicate balancing act of preserving public health by containing the outbreak, while at the same time insuring that individual health information remains protected. Playing critical roles in both areas during the COVID-19 outbreak are communicable disease reporting systems. Unfortunately, barriers to and delays in sharing health data often compromise the effectiveness of disease mitigation programs. Data must be relevant, accurate, and timely, and communicable disease reporting systems are only as precise and useful as the data that is entered. This essay examines both the successes and the failures of protected health information (PHI) data sharing, reviews the laws and rules governing PHI data sharing for first responders, determines whether the need exists for real-time sharing of PHI, and offers recommendations for future implementation. In addition, it demonstrates that the health information currently available to the first responder community has led to a sense of security and confidence that is undeserved, in part because there is an absence of timely and accurate reporting of such information. Policy and legislation updates must address the needs of both government and the private sector for accurate, timely information reporting by the state's communicable disease reporting system. Health testing capabilities should be expanded and should produce accurate, timely results to accommodate the surge in testing that is necessary to identify the population's infected members."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Whiting, Christopher
2020-12
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Wearables: Useful Sentinels of Our Health?
From the Abstract: "As U.S. Coast Guard units develop strategies and policies aimed at safely reconstituting forces in the next phase of the COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic, the ability to identify and isolate personnel who may be infected as early as possible is critical to protecting the organization's most critical resource. Existing wearable technologies provide the ability to monitor physiological data markers accurately and continuously. While unable to provide a direct diagnosis of COVID-19 infection, these markers may present a viable means for remotely identifying early onset of COVID-19 symptoms, and isolating potentially infected and infectious members. Additionally, the use of wearables has shown potential in some studies to act as a behavior change catalyst, which could enable workforce members to develop improved health and rest habits, leading to a more resilient and virus-resistant workforce. As a military entity, the Coast Guard possesses unique and previously untested authorities regarding the ability to impose a mandatory monitoring program on its members. However, given the political implications of such a strategy, a voluntary program may provide a better option for expeditious implementation. As the Coast Guard seeks short-term ways to protect its members from COVID-19 exposure and long-term strategies to facilitate the development of a more resilient workforce, wearables may provide a supplemental advantage worth their financial investment, though more study is necessary to validate their utility toward that end."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Austin, Matthew S.
2020-12
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Toward a Science-Based Management Approach to Stealth Threats: A Case Study Using the Novel Coronavirus
From the Abstract: "The modest early stage impact of slow-moving threats makes it easy to underestimate their impact. These threats grow and evolve unnoticed until reaching dramatic impacts in both scope and scale. Since slow-moving threats can grow to catastrophic magnitudes that threaten our very survival, they are more aptly identified as 'stealth threats'. The geographic range of stealth threats combined with their impact across multiple sectors impose potentially existential costs to the Nation. As such, we must re-focus the mission of DHS to identify and combat stealth threats. When dealing with stealth threats, there is no instinctive approach that can relate the facts of today to the consequences of tomorrow. Preparing for, and responding to, stealth threats requires a commitment to validated science-based models that predict the impact of the threat. We illustrate these points, and the role of mathematical modeling in emergency response, using the SIR [Susceptible, Infectious, Recovered] growth model of epidemics applied to Covid-19 [coronavirus disease 2019]."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Mackin, Thomas J.
2020-12
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Role of Elected Executives in Pandemic Response: Reflections from Salt Lake County
From the Abstract: "The COVID-19 [coronavirus disease 2019] pandemic rages on across the country, with many areas feeling pressure due to the length of the virus' wrath and the associated fatigue of response for all members of the community. As communities look to winter months, where their residents and businesses begin to move indoors, and the threat of influenza sets in, elected leaders need to reinvigorate themselves and their crisis leadership strategy. Elected executives are going to have to exert crisis leadership using the role of navigator as communities yearn for a new normal yet the virus' rampage continues."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Schuld, David
2020-12
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Homeland Security Affairs: Volume XVI
From the Website Description: "The December 2020 Special COVID [coronavirus disease] Issue of 'Homeland Security Affairs' features eleven essays which chronicle agency and jurisdictional responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and the lessons learned thus far. The essays focus on how agencies or jurisdictions changed their operations to deal more effectively with the pandemic, as well as how the conditions of the pandemic constrained normal agency operations."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
2020-12
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Manchurian Responder? How Military and Federal Government Practices Can Help State and Local Public Safety Agencies Prevent Malicious Insider Attacks
From the thesis abstract: "A treacherous police officer or firefighter has the training, access, and expertise to cause numerous casualties among his or her colleagues and the public at large. In response to this threat, state and local public safety agencies may be greatly overestimating the ability of current pre-employment screening procedures to prevent radicalized individuals from infiltrating their ranks. Principally, psychological exams are insufficient to screen out terrorists because terrorists are ideologically, rather than psychopathically, motivated. Simply put, terrorists are sane, rational actors seeking to correct a grievance. However, this thesis reveals that the greater risk lies not with infiltrators, but with existing members of the agency who become radicalized. Consequently, this thesis focuses on how an agency should protect itself against this form of insider threat. Organizations should implement stricter and more in-depth screening of individuals seeking positions in police or fire departments, educate existing members on the signs of radicalization, and provide a clear reporting mechanism that culminates in appropriate investigative procedures and mitigation strategies to prevent a terrorist plot. To protect American lives, police and fire departments must consider the legitimate risk of a radicalized first responder developing within their ranks before a malicious plot materializes."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
McGovern, Ryan J.
2018-03
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School Bus Security: A Case for Regulations to Improve Child Safety
From the thesis abstract: "Each day, millions of parents send their children to school on public school buses under the assumption of their safety. In the United States, school buses transport more passengers each day than all other modes of mass transit combined. The lack of minimum security standards governing the school bus transportation industry has created a deep security void in the homeland security enterprise. Given the threats that U.S. mass transit systems face, more must be done to ensure the safety and security of children during their daily commute on school buses. This thesis examines the security void through an analysis of critical infrastructure methodologies and security strategies deployed worldwide to secure other modes of transportation. These methodologies form the basis for recommending new federal transportation security regulations that cover the school bus industry. The implementation of these proposed regulations uses a multi-layered security approach to ensure security is enhanced at all levels of the school bus transportation system. Security regulations provide a baseline standard for the entire school bus industry that will help safeguard the most precious commodity, children." The CHDS Viewpoints in Homeland Defense and Security video link for this thesis is available at: https://www.hsdl.org/?abstract&did=821242
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Whitehead, Ryan N.
2018-12
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Correcting Blindness in the Nerve Center: How to Improve Situational Awareness
From the thesis abstract: "Even though success or failure depends on it, situational awareness in emergency operations centers is often poorly prioritized. These centers depend on situational awareness to manage information, coordinate resources, and support executive-level decision making. Having limited or poor situational awareness forces emergency responders to act without all the information needed to make good decisions, leading to poor coordination and ineffective response. In order to identify opportunities for improving situational awareness, this thesis used a qualitative case study approach to examine the level of importance situational awareness plays in the emergency operations center during disasters, and to identify both good and poor practices. Examining four case studies through an organizational-change analytic framework revealed that situational awareness is a system of interconnected elements that include task, structure, people, and technology. This thesis concludes that situational awareness in the emergency operations center can be improved by employing an emergency operations center situational awareness organizational model. Investments must be made in improving all elements of the organization. The research determined that the intelligence process is an ideal model for defining how situational awareness can be established, maintained, and shared."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Russas, Michael E., Sr.
2015-12
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Consequences to National Security of Jurisdictional Gray Areas Between Emergency Management and Homeland Security
From the thesis abstract: "The September 11, 2001, terrorist attack on United States (U.S.) soil memorialized as 9/11 served as the catalyst for major reforms in the federal government. Twenty-two agencies combined to form the Department of Homeland Security with a mission of preventing homeland attacks and reducing U.S. vulnerability to terrorism. Accomplishing this amalgamation has led Federal Emergency Management Agency supported emergency management discipline principles and homeland security supported discipline principles to create jurisdictional gray areas (JGAs) with stakeholders on a path of division in preparedness, training, and command. Defining 'all-hazards' placed them at opposite ends of the spectrum. The purpose of this research is to determine the presence of JGAs, and define 'all-hazards.' Case study and qualitative methodologies are utilized to examine three cases for JGAs, a disaster, act of terrorism, and an act of workplace violence. The results revealed utilizing an incident command system on any of these incidents reduces JGAs, Presidential Policy Directive-8 (PPD-8) provides a holistic approach to disaster and terrorism, and an 'all-hazards' incident also requires a management component. The recommendations are: 1) further research in reducing U.S. vulnerability to terrorism, 2) support to sustain HS [Homeland Security] as a recognized discipline, and 3) research that identifies mentally unstable employees prior to acts of workplace violence."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Pearson, Edward M.
2014-09
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Increasing Effectiveness and Efficiency Through Risk-based Deployments
From the thesis abstract: "Over the past several years, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has begun shifting away from a 'one-size-fits-all' approach to security and toward one predicated upon risk-based security principles. The TSA has also been called upon by the Government Accountability Office and U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General to make risk-based decisions regarding the allocation and deployment of its resources. This thesis established an initial strategic framework with which to evaluate possible options and applied this framework to explore three possible paths forward. The first path was maintaining the current approach to resource deployments. The second path was the collection and analysis of various data points in order to understand the risk environment. The third path was the use of Bayesian game-theory to model adversarial actions. With the framework applied, the use of Bayesian game-theory was identified as the most beneficial to TSA in comparison to the other two assessed options. Strategic recommendations are also provided based upon research into the experiences of other entities with risk-based deployment methodologies."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Cotten, Thomas Randolph, IV
2015-12
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Building Team Belay
From the thesis abstract: "Disaster responders are exposed to continuous periods of intense stress, and as a consequence, some suffer mental or emotional adverse effects. In recognition of critical stress as a valid concern, many emergency service providers have attempted, organizationally, to provide their responders with access to traditional critical stress interventions. But when a catastrophic event occurs and mutual aid is invoked, disaster workers and volunteers will respond from diverse jurisdictions, frequently without immediate access to the psychosocial assistance provided by their home agencies. It is incumbent upon incident commanders to be accountable for the psychosocial well-being of the disaster responders, just as it is their duty to ensure the physical safety of the responders under their command. However, our uniform organizational structure for disaster response, the National Incident Management System (NIMS), does not speak directly to the mental/emotional well-being of disaster responders. This thesis proposes interpreting NIMS and its supporting training modules so as to require a component to address disaster responder psychosocial resources. It further suggests that by leveraging precepts of social identity theory and concepts of swift trust, emergency operational team leaders may prime multi-jurisdictional responders to informal exchanges, fostering peer social support, and enhancing responder resiliency to critical stress."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Bernstein, Catherine P.
2014-09
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Increasing Road Infrastructure Capacity Through the Use of Autonomous Vehicles
From the thesis abstract: "Roadway infrastructure is a critical component to U.S. homeland security. Overland transportation affects the national economy, emergency services, defense, and communication systems. This thesis illustrates the capacity increases to roadways enabled by autonomous vehicle technology. Public policy can enhance the adoption rate of autonomous vehicles to maximize the benefit of this emergent technology on the roadway system. A policy analysis provides a comparison of options and outlines regulations that will be needed to ensure the safe adoption of autonomous vehicle technology nationally."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Simko, Donald John
2016-12
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Serious Games in FEMA Regional Response Coordination Center Training and Exercises [video] [Supplemental 3 of 7]
This video is the third of seven supplemental items to the thesis "Serious Games in FEMA Regional Response Coordination Center Training and Exercises" by Randy S. Brawley. "72-Hours, Game Play" is the title of this video supplement. The clip, which runs for 11:56, provides a brief description of the author's training game proposal for FEMA. Including roles and responsibilities of the players. The associated thesis can be found at the following link [https://www.hsdl.org/?abstract&did=788399].
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Brawley, Randy S.
2015-09
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Serious Games in FEMA Regional Response Coordination Center Training and Exercises [video] [Supplemental 2 of 7]
This video is the second of seven supplemental items to the thesis "Serious Games in FEMA Regional Response Coordination Center Training and Exercises" by Randy S. Brawley. "72-Hours, Protoype Setup" is the title of this video supplement. The clip, which runs for 4:24, provides a brief description of the setup required for the author's training game proposal for FEMA. The associated thesis can be found at the following link [https://www.hsdl.org/?abstract&did=788399].
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Brawley, Randy S.
2015-09
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Serious Games in FEMA Regional Response Coordination Center Training and Exercises [video] [Supplemental 1 of 7]
This video is one of seven supplemental items to the thesis "Serious Games in FEMA Regional Response Coordination Center Training and Exercises" by Randy S. Brawley. "72-Hours, The Game" is the title of this video supplement. The clip, which runs for 3:08, provides a brief overview description and introduction of the author's training game proposal for FEMA. The associated thesis can be found at the following link [https://www.hsdl.org/?abstract&did=788399].
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Brawley, Randy S.
2015-09
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Regulatory Framework for Nanotechnology
From the thesis abstract: "Presently, the regulatory framework for nanotechnology consists of regulating entities addressing concerns about nanotechnology under existing rules and laws. This thesis answers this question: How can regulatory decisions of policymakers regarding the framework of nanotechnology regulation be informed by a map of the regulatory landscape of nanotechnology and a review of the regulatory frameworks for the aviation and biotechnology industries? To make recommendations about the appropriate regulatory framework for nanotechnology, this thesis reviews the existing regulatory frameworks of aviation and biotechnology and maps the regulatory landscape in the United States by examining stakeholders, regulatory entities, and applicable legislation. The landscape map and review of existing regulatory frameworks reveal that the established regulatory framework could be sufficient for the current state of nanotechnology if the limitations of technical expertise are addressed. This expertise can be provided by advisory committees of technical and industry experts to the Environmental Protection Agency, Food and Drug Administration, Consumer Product Safety Commission, and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Ridge, Stephen J.
2018-03
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Not Out of Control: Analysis of the Federal Disaster Spending Trend
From the thesis abstract: "The purpose of this study of 20-year trends in federal disaster spending was to determine whether and to what extent spending has been on the rise, and to examine contributing factors. A grounded theory analysis was conducted on 1,156 major declared disasters from fiscal years 1995 through 2014. Numerical data graphically illustrate budgeting, spending, and declaration trends, and policy and inertia influences are described. This study found an upward trend of federal disaster spending, yet one that is far from out of control. Research shows that 66% of major disaster funding was provided by emergency supplemental bills versus regularly budgeted appropriations. Half of all spending was on infrastructure, and hurricanes were the number one disaster type for federal spending. More severe storms were declared than all other disaster types combined, and the number of major disasters declared demonstrated an upward trend. The trend of rising spending and quantity of declarations was consistent with existing literature. Federal spending for fire, human services, post-disaster mitigation, and mission assignments demonstrated a downward trend as a proportion of the Disaster Relief Fund. Recommendations are provided to transform national thinking toward development of a national risk management approach to incentivize policymakers, homeowners, and local- and state-level funding recipients to better manage risk and improve stewardship of federal tax dollars."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Boccia, Suzanne
2016-03
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Autonomous Vehicles: A Policy Roadmap for Law Enforcement
From the thesis abstract: "As of 2015, manufacturers and technology innovators are racing to perfect the autonomous vehicle for mainstream use. Advances in technology have proven that autonomous vehicles are no longer held back by engineering. Currently, there are hundreds being tested amongst us on California roadways with great results. The positive impacts autonomous vehicles strive to provide include increased safety, decreased traffic congestion, increased fuel efficiency, reduced pollution, decreased impaired driving, and mobility for those unable to drive. Like any innovative technology, autonomous vehicles face challenges, such as regulatory tribulations, layers of safety testing, political and legal scrutiny, and public apprehension. They will also present challenges and opportunities for law enforcement as they are tested and eventually become mainstream. This thesis provides an introduction to the key strategies the California Highway Patrol (CHP) should foster to support the safe introduction of autonomous vehicles while sustaining strategic relevance. Through scenario planning, the CHP can avoid long-term planning based on a single predicted outcome and identify commonalities in numerous scenarios and plan accordingly. Policy recommendations include collaboration with stakeholders, an increase in the presence in cyber investigations, an increase of high-tech workforce, expansion of high-tech collision investigation capability, and encouragement of the appropriate regulations without hindering the technology."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Lyons, Doug A.
2015-09
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History as the Architect of the Present: What Made Kashmir the Nucleus of South Asia Terrorism? India-Pakistan Conflict and Its Impact on U.S. Homeland Security
From the thesis abstract: "This thesis focuses on the root causes of conflict in South Asia that have created the environment in the Afghan-- Pakistan border areas, which nurtures insurgency. The causes are rooted in the decisions, made by the British Empire in the 19th and 20th centuries, to perpetuate her rule in the Indian subcontinent. A disregard for the history and its impact on the current events has lead to prolonging of U.S. war in Afghanistan. The conclusion is that colonial history of South Asia has shaped current conflicts in Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan. These conflicts have manifested in spawning of terrorism from the region. Ever since the partition of India in 1947 by the British, India and Pakistan remain locked in an enduring conflict over Kashmir. This conflict is tied to destabilization of South Asia, including competition between India and Pakistan over influence in Afghanistan. Thus, the U.S. focus on elimination of al Qaeda is short sighted, as it ignores the reasons for al Qaeda's survival in South Asia. Without Pakistan's support for the Afghan Taliban and associated terrorist organizations, al Qaeda would not have a sanctuary in South Asia. Without a resolution of the conflict between India and Pakistan, the terrorism problem emanating from South Asia remains a potential threat. Therefore, it is imperative that U.S. policy should expand to include a resolution of India-Pakistan conflict."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Dutta, Sunil
2012-03
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Fragmentation of DHS Public Corruption Investigations: Options to Leverage Overlapping Jurisdiction and Enhance Collaboration
From the thesis abstract: "From maintaining aviation security, to patrolling the country's borders, to granting immigration documentation, the Department of Homeland Security [DHS] has tremendous responsibilities. As such, it is imperative that the Department has a robust internal investigative mechanism to prevent, deter and investigate allegations of public corruption. Currently, there are eight agencies that have authority to conduct public corruption investigations within the Department. For every allegation of corruption within the Department, there are three agencies that have concurrent jurisdiction to investigate; in some cases, four agencies have overlapping jurisdiction to investigate the same matter. To maximize efficiency of operations, avoid duplication of efforts and best serve the American public, collaboration is essential. This thesis will examine other domestic and foreign institutions that have grappled with overlapping jurisdiction and leadership issues and provide analysis as to how those lessons learned can be applied to the DHS anti-corruption community. Several policy options are provided to enhance collaborative efforts, improve information sharing and create synergy of efforts. The policy options include: recognition and utilization of an already existent megacommunity; expanding the cross-designation of agency personnel; and the formation of public corruption task forces."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Merchant, Roger T.
2011-12
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Ending America's Energy Insecurity: How Electric Vehicles Can Drive the Solution to Energy Independence
From the thesis abstract: "The homeland/national security threat posed by the United States' dependence on foreign oil has been part of the American discourse for years; yet nothing has been done. No pragmatic, realistic step-by-step plan has been pursued to end this scourge on the American people. The solution can be found in the problem. Net imports of oil account for approximately 50 percent of the oil the U.S. consumes. Likewise, 50 percent of oil consumed in the U.S. is consumed as motor gasoline. If overnight the U.S. stopped using oil to power its vehicles, if overnight drivers switched to electric vehicles, then overnight the U.S. would become energy independent. Using historical data to establish the effect of gasoline price changes on consumer vehicle choice, a predictive model has been created showing the expected switch to electric vehicles if the price of gasoline increases and the cost of electric vehicles decreases. There is a cost to energy independence: two to five dollars per gallon of retail gasoline sold. If monies raised from the tax are used to lower the price of electric vehicles, build recharge infrastructure, and dampen the regressive nature of the tax, energy independence is a few short years away."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Stein, Frederick
2011-12
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Political Subculture: A Resilience Modifier
From the thesis abstract: "With the number and severity of disasters seemingly on the rise, there is an increased call for enhancing resilience to mitigate the post-event costs. Resilience is widely known to revolve around the demography, geography, sociology and economy of the area under study. What is not known is what other factors have multiplicative effects on the overall resilience of communities. One potential factor in this equation is political subculture, Dr. Daniel Elazar's term for the cultural stance of a community with regards to views on government and politics and their role in the society. In seeking to discover whether political subculture affects the resilience of a community, the author proposes to use analysis of disaster case studies from three representative communities--each highlighting one of Dr. Elazar's three subcultures of Traditional, Individual and Moral--to determine whether pre-evaluated resilience values and predicted response to disaster coincide with actual event outcomes. By using the Social Vulnerability Index values as a baseline metric for a quantifiable measure of resilience, the author found that political subculture does alter the predicted outcome and should be further researched as a potential modifier of planned resilience and response."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Hunter, Gordon S.
2011-09
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Safe Seas: Protecting America's Ferries Against Criminal Mass-Casualty Incidents
From the thesis abstract: "The U.S. ferry system is one of the few remaining transportation sectors that has not been hardened for a mass-casualty attack, and the unrestricted ability of passengers to carry firearms onto vessels could enable a lone actor or group to perpetrate an active-shooter event while at sea. The proactive security measures and strategies developed by the government agencies responsible for maritime security are insufficient--inadequate even in responding to an active shooter--and might result in a large number of casualties. An analysis of government studies and current intelligence indicates that there are significant gaps in ferry security, especially concerning the threat of an active-shooter attack. This thesis investigates the exponential improvement in the security posture of the U.S. ferry system through the adaption and implementation of the best practices successfully enacted in other transportation domains as well as the benefits in the mitigation of potential mass-casualty events in this public conveyance. Such a strategy requires transitioning traditional law enforcement and military roles to the maritime civilian workforce."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Blindbury, Steven A.
2018-12
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Terrorist Story in Three Acts: Dabiq, Rumiyah, and the Hero's Journey
From the thesis abstract: "Terror does not win with strategic victories; rather, terror is in itself a strategy that can win only through the projection of a narrative and its associated stories. A successful story is compelling, powerful, and resonates with a target audience. Thus: If it is terrorism we are combating, it is story we must understand first. As a fundamental framework of storytelling and mythology, the Hero's Journey provides an analytical structure to evaluate the direction in which the Islamic State (IS) moved its narrative after significant organizational life events. This thesis examines the effect of losing physical territory (i.e., cities as strongholds they once occupied) upon the IS narrative. Using the stages of the Hero's Journey, qualitative content analysis was performed on the Islamist extremist print magazines Dabiq and Rumiyah. After identifying categories of narrative intent, data analysis demonstrates a significant narrative shift along the spectrum of organizational goals. With a more in-depth understanding of this storytelling ebb and flow at the time of any given publication, countries battling this brand of extremism throughout the world may now create counter-narrative and counter-messaging strategies on the fly--by telling the 'better story.' Further research may demonstrate the value of content analysis within the Hero's Journey framework to determine a similar organization's current level of stability, using media publications in the present or future."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Capece, Alexander G.
2018-09
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Relationship between Criminal and Terrorist Organizations and Human Smuggling
"This thesis sought to expand on the literature that has been written on the possibility and impact of a relationship forming between criminal and terrorist organizations in terms of human smuggling. These entities could form a strategic alliance and leverage existing narcotics, weapons, and human smuggling corridors that exist south of the U.S. [United States]/Mexico border to smuggle terrorist operatives into the U.S. thereby threatening U.S. interests and national security. The analysis of the scholarly literature, interview data, and case studies point to a relationship between criminal and terrorist organizations and the fact that they have worked together to smuggle terrorists into the U.S. Additionally, corruption efforts by these organizations places a weak link in U.S. border security that can be exploited for nefarious purposes. Enhanced information sharing between law enforcement entities may be the single best way to detect the relationship between criminal and terrorist organizations and prevent them from smuggling a terrorist operative into the U.S."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Lanzante, Joseph A.
2009-12
