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Protection, Profit, or Privacy: Exploring Strategic Solutions for Integrating Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and the Delicate Balance Between Commercial Opportunity and Public Safety
From the thesis abstract: "Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and their meteoric rise in popularity among hobbyists and commercial users have created a sense of urgency among lawmakers to develop a strategic policy to facilitate domestic UAS integration into the national airspace. Local municipalities and state agencies are initiating legislative efforts to develop 'best practices,' ordinances, and policies in the absence of a structured legal framework for UAS expansion. The city of Phoenix is among those seeking solutions to the question of how the city and police department can develop and implement a strategic guidance policy governing UAS integration to best serve the interests of government and community. This research effort utilizes the five-step process contained within the multi-goal policy analysis research design method. This process is ideal for conducting policy analysis in which there are multiple policy outcomes or when these outcomes cannot be comparatively quantified equally. This academic effort constructs the identified alternative outcome solution within a specified problem segment to present a solution compliant with industry standards and directed toward the intelligent nonspecialist end user. The product deliverable results in a strategic policy guidance strategy that is transparent and falls within an accountability framework."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Lee, Brian R.
2016-12
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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
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Implementing Compstat Principles into Critical Infrastructure Protection and Improvement
From the thesis abstract: "Roads and bridges, as aspects of transportation that are at the center of critical infrastructure (CI), are central to evacuation and to emergency response. New York City CI needs an accountability and communication model to ensure future progress, focusing on maintenance and prioritized improvement. This thesis focuses on how a performance measurement system, such as the New York City Police Department's (NYPD) CompStat [Computer Statistics] model, will improve and protect the critical infrastructure of New York City's roads and bridges. The author uses over 20 years of NYPD managerial experience to demonstrate the successes of the NYPD's CompStat program through its 22-year history and how those successes can be translated to improvement in accountability and communications in road and bridge construction and reconstruction. This thesis investigates CI issues, and multiple sample events demonstrate how using the CompStat model would have resulted in a different outcome. I make the recommendation to create a New York City Mayor's Office of Infrastructure using New York City Emergency Management's Emergency Support Functions (ESF) as a method of grouping agencies and private companies together to engage in pre-event non-emergency multi-agency conversations."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Molinari, Mark C.
2016-12
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Impact of 'Duty to Warn' (and Other Legal Theories) on Countering Violent Extremism Intervention Programs
From the thesis abstract: "Countering violent extremism (CVE) programs are moving into the realm of intervention, diversion, and deflection. These programs require mental health professionals to conduct assessments, construct treatment plans, and provide the treatment. How can practitioners treat or divert individuals from the path to radicalization but also communicate when an individual remains a threat? An understanding of the laws that facilitate or restrict disclosure of confidential health info, combined with a structure to oversee the process, is critical. Research for this thesis has focused on federal and Maryland state laws pertaining to medical record confidentiality and the duty to warn. This legal analysis has determined that exceptions exist within medical confidentiality laws, enabling mental health practitioners to disclose when a threat exists, and that Maryland's duty-to-warn laws mandate that mental health practitioners have a duty to protect third parties from the actions of patients. Due to the varied disciplines involved in CVE, collaborative group models are suggested to structure the process."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Ward, Michael
2016-12
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Visual Language for Situational Awareness
From the thesis abstract: "What is the best way for the various responder silos to communicate situational awareness information across complex homeland security incidents? With the advent of wireless data networks, homeland security responders have the opportunity to instantly communicate vast volumes of information across myriad local, state, and federal resources. Finding a common, interoperable language for a network-centric response environment is essential to avoid duplicating the patchwork of communication techniques in place today. A comparative analysis between Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security finds the agencies have very similar situational awareness needs. The Department of Defense is more advanced in its development of networked situational awareness communication. The humble map lies at the heart of situational awareness tools and requires a common visual language to be interoperable. This thesis recommends a common national symbols set that visually communicates situational awareness across a network. Applying semiotic principles to symbols creates a visual metalanguage that answers not only 'What?' and 'Where?' questions, but also provides essential operational context by incorporating the attributes of incident resources into the symbols themselves."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
DeMarco, David L.
2016-12
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Improving the Security of the U.S. Aeronautical Domain: Adopting an Intelligence-Led, Risk-Based Strategy and Partnership
"Nine years after the 9/11 attacks--and despite the passage of federal legislation, the creation of a U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the appropriation of billions of dollars for this nation's security--the National Aeronautical Domain (NAD) is still vulnerable to exploitation and attack. Indeed, as has been evidenced time and again since September 11, 2001, ideologically-driven actors remain committed to exploiting the residual weaknesses of the U.S. aviation security apparatus. This thesis examines three critical areas within the U.S. aviation security system and concludes that, in order to effectively and efficiently reduce the nation's exposure to aviation-based acts of terrorism, both federal and local levels of collaboration in the following areas is urgently required: 1) improved sharing of threat intelligence information; 2) identification and uniform utilization of a specific risk-assessment methodology; and; adaptation of an intelligence-led policing management model within the aviation security field. In order to achieve the strategic goal of protecting the United States through its aeronautical domain, each of the subject areas referenced is discussed as an interdisciplinary process. Finally, the aviation-related security procedures of three allied nations are examined to determine if other democratically governed countries have achieved success in the same areas."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Williams, David S.
2010-12
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Qualia: A Prescription for Developing a Quality Health Threat Assessment
From the thesis abstract: "The 9/11 Commission Report called for consolidation of intelligence assets in order to unify the knowledge base of the intelligence community agencies. This concept gave rise to the fusion center as a place for the fusion of multiple information sources from local, state, and federal levels of government. Although the need for inclusion of health and medical information in fusion centers has been documented, relatively few have done so, and a product designed specifically toward health and medical intelligence currently does not exist at the state and local level. The purpose of this paper is to document a methodology for development of a health threat assessment as a means for the intelligence community to maintain a decision advantage, particularly at the state and local level where the intelligence developed will provide the most benefit to first responders and the local community. This model demonstrates the need for the public health and medical community to improve collaboration across sectors to produce a more integrated product that enhances the understanding of the entire community, thus developing qualia. This can only be accomplished through trust, complete transparency, and clarification of expectations in order to establish the consummate information sharing community."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Pritchett, Beverly A.
2008-12
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Protecting Our Future-Developing a National School Security Standard
From the thesis abstract: "This research examines the risk to schoolchildren posed by hostile intruders and the implementation of a national school security standard designed to mitigate this vulnerability and evaluates the utility of innovative perimeter security strategies modeled to reduce risk while preserving the requisite academic environment. This project originated after the mass murder of 20 defenseless first-graders and six heroic faculty members at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. A methodological analysis of existing school security policy was utilized to define the problem, to evaluate the variance between school communities, and to construct plausible alternative strategies. This project sought to enhance the understanding of risk management, offer strategic insight to decision makers and key stakeholders, and provide meaningful options for future school security planners. The literature on this subject demonstrates that traditional school security guidance is provided to local school districts by an array of federal agencies. It is primarily focused on incidents of peer hostility and gang violence, and there has been marginal attention given to an attack perpetrated by an adult intruder that is unaffiliated with the targeted school. This type of violence is infrequent, but the extreme consequences evoke emotions similar to terrorist attacks in creating public fear, often leading to rash and reactive decisions. Many parents trust leaders in the academic community to care for their children and provide them a safe and secure environment. This expectation of protection has become a significant responsibility for school officials, and the establishment of a national school security standard, complete with guidelines and oversight, would help ease this burden and change the present school security narrative."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Donaghey, Michael J.
2013-12
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Creation of a Homeland Security Jail Information Model
From the thesis abstract: "September 11, 2001, is a date that resonates in each American; not only lives but policies and security practices changed that day. The intelligence community expanded its scope to include first responders, private citizens, and private companies. However, the U.S. jail system remains almost entirely overlooked by the homeland security intelligence community. The jail system provides a unique opportunity to gather real-time actionable intelligence without the need of a warrant. Some of the most villainous and notorious terrorists have spent time in jail and might have been caught or thwarted by a well-trained jail information team intimately connected to the national intelligence community. The intelligence community has yet to take advantage of the wealth of homeland security information concentrated, and accessible, in the U.S. jail system. Using qualitative research methods and Yin's case study analysis, the Intelligence Cycle, and Lowenthal's IC [intelligence community] Functional Flow model in its analytical approach, this thesis explores three homeland security intelligence-gathering models to determine how best practices can be used to create a homeland security jail intelligence best practice model. The U.S. intelligence community will benefit from, and must act upon, the insights that emerged from this research."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Barsh, Jennifer L.
2012-03
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360° Port MDA - A Strategy to Improve Port Security
From the thesis abstract: "Our national security and prosperity depend in part on secure and competitive ports. Effective public and private sector collaboration is needed in a world with myriad security challenges and fierce global competition. Although steps have been taken in the years since 9/11 to realize these twin goals, much more needs to be done. The current maritime domain awareness (MDA) paradigm needs to be expanded to provide comprehensive awareness of intermodal operations in our ports. An effective Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) program that succeeds in leveraging intermodal data is fundamental to better port-level MDA. Developing effective port level MDA and using it to enhance the security of our ports relies on the effective organization of public and private sector resources. The joint operations centers called for in the SAFE Port Act, once broadened to include key intermodal players, provide an excellent organizational model to pursue enhanced port security."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Leary, T.P.
2006-09
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'Maintain Course and Speed...' Command and Control for Maritime Homeland Security and Homeland Defense
"Since 11 September 2001, a number of authorities have provided definitions for both Homeland Security (HS) and Homeland Defense (HD), however, as the definitions develop, they provide less functional detail. The most often asked question posed to professionals in the field is "what is the distinction between the Homeland Security mission and the Homeland Defense mission." What they are really asking is, in a particular scenario, "who's in charge of the operation?" "When is it law enforcement, or non-military, and when is it a military operation"? Many have argued that the command structure between the two Services needs to be changed to ensure the seam between HS and HD is minimized. This is a natural approach because command and control is possibly the most important of all operational functions. The objective of this thesis is to argue that the Navy and Coast Guard should not establish a joint interagency command structure for the missions of Homeland Security and Homeland Defense. They should continue to coordinate and support one another, when required, but they should not combine the two Services together into a permanent single organization."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Breor, Scott F.
2004-06
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Crowd-Based Techniques to Improve Intelligence Analysis
From the thesis abstract: "The essential nature of the homeland security enterprise involves making consequential and complex policy decisions under uncertainty. The inputs that policy makers use in making these decisions are facts, analyses, and predictions (which can fit a definition of intelligence)--all of which are subject to significant uncertainty. This thesis seeks to improve analysis by developing a crowd-based analytic methodology to address the problem of intelligence analysis while accounting for, and taking advantage of, the unique characteristics of the intelligence analysis process and the U.S. Intelligence Community culture itself. The thesis's proposed methodology applies learning regarding crowdsourcing and prediction markets-based forecasting in a new context--that of intelligence analysis and the Intelligence Community. If the Intelligence Community implements the crowd-based analytic proposed methodology, which has achieved results in other contexts, it should improve its predictions of real-world events."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Srinivasan, Sridhar
2018-09
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Finding the Path of Least Antibiotic Resistance: An Examination of Agricultural Policies
From the Thesis Abstract: "Antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections will remain an extremely serious health-security and economic threat for the United States--and the world--unless steps are taken to curb them. This thesis focuses on antibiotic use in agriculture and potential methods to slow resistance. By examining existing U.S. policies at the national and state level as well as policies in Denmark and the Netherlands, this research finds that the European countries have reduced antibiotic use and decreased resistant organisms present in food animals. This thesis recommends implementing a multifaceted policy package beginning with the creation of an enhanced, more integrated surveillance system, then enacting antibiotic-use reduction targets, prohibiting the use of antibiotics in healthy animals and requiring veterinarians to examine animals before prescribing them antibiotics for disease prevention. The United States must implement more policies that respond to this global threat to preserve medically important antibiotics that protect the health and safety of people and animals. The homeland security enterprise should prioritize antibiotic resistance as a threat and work collaboratively to implement strategies to mitigate it."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Smiley, Stephanie L.
2019-03
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Homeland Security: There's an App for That
From the thesis abstract: "Situational awareness is essential for first responders to critical incidents. Failure to achieve effective awareness of an event can impede decision making and result in drastic consequences. Limitations on the agility and interoperability of proprietary technology and current communications devices prevent effective situational awareness from being achieved and shared. Off-the-shelf mobile applications provide a unique opportunity for this objective to be accomplished. The universal acceptance of mobile technology and free or low-cost mobile applications can be used to enhance situational awareness during critical incidents and even enable sharing ad hoc at the event. While the adoption of this technology presents many cost-effective opportunities to its users, it also presents many challenges related to its adoption. Agencies must be made aware of the logistical, cultural, and policy challenges related to off-the-shelf mobile application adoption and address these issues early in order to effectively employ these technologies during critical incidents."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
DeMaise, Christopher Michael
2017-03
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From Tragedy to Strategy: Assessing the FDNY's Post-9/11 Strategic Planning Process
From the thesis abstract: "All Fire Department of the city of New York (FDNY) strategic plans have been formulated using the same process, implemented in the post-9/11 environment. The process must be assessed to ensure it supports the FDNY's mission in an environment that has significantly changed and continues to evolve. Since September 11, 2001, significant weather events, including blizzards, hurricanes, and Super Storm Sandy, have challenged the FDNY's capabilities and magnified the threat of global climate change. Terrorism keeps evolving; the use of fire as a weapon and active shooter tactics push the boundaries of the FDNY's response paradigms. Its core responsibilities are changing, with fire-related incidents dropping steadily and medical incidents rising significantly. The FDNY has risen to all these challenges, analyzing and adapting to threats, innovating and adopting new technology, improvising and adjusting tactics, and modifying and amending operations. However, in the twelve years since its first strategic plan, strategic planning at the FDNY has not evolved to include a long-term perspective with future-oriented goals and effective performance metrics to stay ahead of the evolving environment. Implementing the recommendations in this thesis will re-align and update the process, incorporating current concepts that will improve FDNY strategic planning now and in the future."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Pistilli, Jonathan P.
2016-12
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Disaster Threat and the Dunning-Kruger Effect
From the thesis abstract: "Decision making is a cognitive process of selecting a course of action or belief among multiple alternative choices. However, pressures of time, circumstance or unappreciated wickedness can create a situation where an ostensibly illogical choice overtakes rational decision making. Sometimes, when evaluated by those considered experts, decisions made in disasters seem irrational, harmful, or iniquitous in nature. A cognitive bias known as the Dunning-Kruger effect posits that individuals who lack the necessary skills to make rational decisions can also lack the metacognitive ability to realize that their decision making is flawed. The Dunning-Kruger theory theorizes this can result in the individual exhibiting overconfidence to adequately address the threat. Essentially, the unskilled are unaware and overconfident. This thesis investigates the occurrence of the Dunning-Kruger effect in individual decision making during disasters. The author analyzed 12 indicators by coding interview transcripts of disaster survivors. This thesis includes two case studies: Hurricane Katrina, representing a natural disaster, and the World Trade Center attacks, exemplifying a human-caused disaster. In each case, 30 transcripts of survivors were reviewed, and Dunning-Kruger indicators were present in both case studies. How individuals process realized or perceived threat is important for homeland security policy makers. Future research should be conducted to better understand how Dunning-Kruger effects influence disaster decision making."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Siems, Jeffrey W.
2016-12
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Out From Under the Rock: Improving FDNY Information Sharing
From the thesis abstract: "As highlighted in the 9/11 Commission Report, the New York Police Department (NYPD) and Fire Department City of New York (FDNY) have suffered from a lack of inter-agency communication for many years, which is of particular detriment to the safety of front-line members of the FDNY. This thesis sought to find new solutions to the problem by analyzing the processes and policies driving communications to and within the FDNY and the degree to which they have changed since McKinsey & Company's analysis of the department in 2002. A study of organizational change theories, including Leavitt's Diamond, was used to analyze organizational change issues within the FDNY. Synthesizing these theories with the department's successful and failed change attempts produced a set of tasks to create and implement a new technology in the form of a mobile application called FDNY Mobile. This thesis concluded that improving information sharing between the FDNY and the NYPD is nearly impossible without first analyzing the information-sharing practices of an individual organization. Information sharing between these organizations must be reciprocal. This thesis found that without creating a sense of urgency and managerial support, FDNY Mobile will end in failure. Moreover, the FDNY needs to strengthen its own information-sharing practices before a more detailed focus is made on inter-agency information sharing with the NYPD."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Russo, Joseph
2017-03
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Puerto Rico's Homeland Security Readiness: Redesigning the Island's Power Grid to Improve Its Resiliency
From the Thesis Abstract: "The damage caused by Hurricane Maria to Puerto Rico left this American territory ill-equipped to rebuild--or even maintain--its aging power grid. As reconstruction is in order, this tragedy presents an opportunity to design a more resilient and efficient power grid for Puerto Rico. A sustainable distributed power plan that includes renewable energy, distributed generation, and smart grid technology could be the answer to Puerto Rico's energy problems. This grid could incorporate features that exploit the unique environment of Puerto Rico and include maintenance fees commensurate with the financial abilities of the island. The prospect of a new power grid is not simply a question of opportunity or need; it is part of a homeland security mandate. The exploration of alternative and sustainable power options for Puerto Rico can serve as a test bed for new technology, systems, and protocols that could affect other jurisdictions under similar economic or natural hazard circumstances."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Alicea, Juan E.
2019-03
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Leveraging Gamification Techniques and Strategies as a Means of Improving Border Security Data Collection
From the thesis abstract: "Gamification has served as an emerging trend toward engagement and data collection. This thesis seeks to apply the methods and procedures of gamification systems toward the data gathering processes utilized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) as part of its maritime border security strategy. It focuses on what makes gamification work, as well as how it can be applied in the e-government sphere toward improving the interaction between the trade and shipping communities with CBP. A review of existing CBP data collection systems and requirements, as well as a study of the organizational strategies, psychologies, and application techniques, point to the feasibility of gamification features toward solutions to concerns regarding motivation, accuracy, and efficiency of persons providing cargo and supply-chain data to CBP. It recommends the implementation of these features into existing CBP maritime data collection programs used by trade entities."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Coulter, Joseph Paul
2017-09
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Hastily Formed Networks - Chaos to Recovery
From the thesis abstract: "Historically, response to catastrophic events has failed to reestablish communications rapidly, resulting in an extension of the chaotic response phase. Communication is not simply a support service but an independent strategic imperative within the crisis response system. Current domestic crisis management acknowledges that a communications system is indispensable yet continues to prioritize and utilize communications as a support function. This thesis considers the centrality of the communications system binding complex emerging systems. The goal for crisis response is also to stabilize disrupted and interrelated systems that define a modern society. A communications system is the key element that allows systems to self-organize, adapt, and exert control over the chaos. Defining the role of communications requires an understanding of complexity, chaos, systems, and network evolution. There is a need to change crisis response organizations to reflect a modern understanding of the changing technical environment, and the foundational function communications serves in linking dynamic complex systems. This thesis also identifies the forces unleashed in the aftermath of a catastrophic event and illustrates how the rapid restoration of communications is required for successful crisis response."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Arezzi, Mark
2015-09
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Groupthink: A Significant Threat to the Homeland Security of the United States
From the thesis abstract: "The groupthink psychological phenomenon prevalent in the homeland security enterprise is a significant threat to the United States. Homeland security is vulnerable to groupthink because its leaders frequently share similar backgrounds, work histories, and world-views. This similarity minimizes the chance of outside perspectives being introduced to the decision-making process, which insulates leadership from external ideas. This research project asks, 'Has groupthink influenced the homeland security enterprise and if so, what are the implications of this phenomenon?' It examines case studies of decisions made by government in-groups to determine if the antecedent conditions and symptoms of groupthink are present and if the resulting fiascos are caused by groupthink. Furthermore, it analyzes Irvin Janis's original remedies, which have successfully alleviated groupthink in the past, and it offers recommendations to mitigate this phenomenon. Leaders who wish to alleviate groupthink should promote a culture in which employees are encouraged to play the role of devil's advocate by offering alternatives to organizational decisions and commonly held assumptions. Homeland security can reduce groupthink by employing Janis's remedies and encouraging critical thinking, innovation, and imagination to bolster the national security of the United States."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Ricciuti, James E.
2014-12
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Security and Prosperity: Reexamining the Connection Between Economic, Homeland and National Security
From the thesis abstract: "What is the relationship between economic, homeland, and national security? This question drove the investigation of journal articles and federal doctrine to determine the answer. Through qualitative and quantitative research, I explored definitions, examined connections, and made observations. From this effort I found that the definitions for these security elements are cloudy; furthermore, the relationships between the elements are primarily described in relation to the elements explored but not in the context of the security environment, which plays a significant role. Key findings include: 1) there is not a balanced relationship between economic security, homeland security, and national security; 2) the security relationship is an uneven overlap of the elements; and 3) metamorphic forces shape the security relationships. All combined, when some security decisions are being made they lead to unintended consequences. To align national security efforts, the focus should be on discussion the nation's health through the lens of security and prosperity. The first steps to accomplishing this goal are: 1) develop a national narrative, 2) integrate Department of Homeland Security and Department of Defense, 3) create a Department of Prosperity, 4) continue combatting violence and extremism and, 5) continue promoting prosperity abroad."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Karimi, Bijan P.
2015-09
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Building a Collaborative Governance System: A Comparative Case Analysis
From the thesis abstract: "Governance processes in the public sector establish policies and institutionalize procedures for how organizations work together. Developing and sustaining these governance processes may be difficult. Efforts to develop a regional wireless interoperable communications network in the Phoenix metropolitan area resulted in a series of successes and failures. This thesis uses a classic case study framework to examine the governance development process from 1999 to 2015 among the City of Phoenix, City of Mesa and additional parties. Three distinct phases in the governance development process were identified and used to conduct a comparative analysis. Seven executives involved in the process were interviewed to provide insight and experience related to the governance development process across the three phases. The comparative case analysis illustrates factors that contributed to the success and failure of the network's governance. Recommendations are provided that other agencies may employ in their own governance development to accelerate the process or avoid potential pitfalls and achieve successful outcomes more quickly. While the case study focuses on the establishment of an interoperable communications system, the principles and examples may apply to other technology or homeland security efforts to establish formal cross-jurisdictional governance structures."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Cooper, Jesse W.
2015-06
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Analysis of C3 Counterinsurgency Inspired Policing, and the Flip Side of the COIN
From the thesis abstract: "The Massachusetts State Police Special Projects Team instituted a new strategy named 'Counter Criminal Continuum (C3) Policing' late in 2009 in an attempt to address the escalation of gang-related violence in the North End of Springfield. The perceived success of this initiative has prompted calls for its expansion into other high-crime areas of the city. However, there is an undercurrent of concern among critics of the military nexus in social science research and application; they warn that applying a counterinsurgency approach in domestic law enforcement, regardless of how it is labeled, risks casting local communities as hostile populations. Therefore, a current and objective analysis of the true effect of the C3 counterinsurgency inspired policing strategy is needed before its planned expansion. Research for this thesis utilized a single case study limited to quality-of-life indicators before and after the implementation of C3 for the gang-related problem. The advantage of this control is that the data spanned from 2007-- 2014 as C3 commenced in the fall of 2009. The review of quantitative data collected from various police and city sources revealed a neighborhood trending in a positive direction since the implementation of C3, but that not all indicators across the board were able to support this conclusion."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Hiorns, Bruce
2014-12
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What's In a Name: A Comparative Analysis of the United States' REAL ID Act and The United Kingdom's National Identity Scheme
From the thesis abstract: "Since September 11, 2001, many governments have considered developing national identity management systems. Beyond identification, politicians and proponents of these systems have touted such system benefits as combating terrorism, preventing identity theft, facilitating travel, and combating illegal work and benefit fraud. For these reasons, the United States and United Kingdom both considered variations of these systems. While the United Kingdom passed the Identity Cards Act of 2006 and spent several years developing a national identity management system before ultimately scrapping the scheme in 2010, the United States sought to secure further the existing means of identification--driver's licenses and identity cards--through the passage of the REAL ID Act. Both measures met with widespread resistance. What does an examination of resistance to nationwide identity management schemes in the United States and United Kingdom reveal about the nature of national identity management systems and identity cards, and what does this resistance tell policymakers and security officials who promote such schemes? Through a comparative analysis of the REAL ID Act implementation and the National Identity Scheme, this thesis shows that Anglophone, common-law nations experience the same inhibiting factors, whether or not they attempt to implement a national identity management system or an identity card on a national scale."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Jefferson, Karrie Ann
2015-12
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What Can History Teach Us? A Comparative Historical Analysis on the Reserve Officer Training Corps and the Department of Homeland Security
From the thesis abstract: "This thesis examines an institution that has been educating, providing leadership training and commissioning the vast majority of U.S. military officers for nearly 100 years, the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC). This program was formed and shaped over nearly a century through conflict, military necessity, and political maneuvering. Through the incorporation of a historical comparative lens, this program's mechanistic and temporal conditions are captured to provide lessons learned for other entities searching for an educational identity. One such organization that is struggling to establish a preparatory program and identity is the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). When looking at the two case studies side by side, it is easy to see that they do indeed share commonalities in organizational structure, need, and mission. The findings from this thesis offer evidence that the DHS is growing in educational parallel to ROTC, while suffering from many of the same growing pains the Department of Defense did while trying to establish its educational roots. This thesis tracks conditions that shaped the ROTC we know today, while simultaneously highlighting the deficiencies the DHS is facing. It also lays the path for future work that could call for a similar analog as the ROTC for the DHS."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Banker, Thomas A.
2015-12
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Considerations for Domestic Law Enforcement Implementation of a UAS Program in the Proposed FAA Regulatory Environment of Integration into the National Airspace System
From the thesis abstract: "This thesis identifies the potential future mission profile of an unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) program within a domestic law enforcement agency after implementation of UAS regulations, a task currently in progress by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). First, the author reviews current academic literature and provides analysis on key policy issues of safety, the transfer of risk, and constitutional rights. Then, the author consults the knowledge and experience of individuals responsible for the integration architecture of UAS through an IRB [Institutional Review Board]-approved online survey. The survey of these subject matter experts using the Delphi method resulted in the following recommendations: (1) early public engagement and transparency for intended UAS use by law enforcement; (2) a policy framework that addresses safe operation and privacy; (3) further investment in 'sense and avoid' technology; (4) the development of a comprehensive UAS training program. This academically rigorous consultation provides law enforcement executives and elected officials the policy implications of initiating a new UAS program and the groundwork to assess existing UAS programs."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
McMinn, Keith Andrew
2015-12
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Advance of the Black Flags: Symbolism, Social Identity, and Psychological Operations in Violent Conflict
From the thesis abstract: "The United States is in an ideological war with violent extremists in the realm of mass communication, but the nature of this conflict is not well understood. This thesis reviewed literature concerning communication principles and the psychology of symbolism, then used qualitative analysis to investigate strategic communication samples to understand how media was used to construct group identity, influence attitudes, and challenge adversaries. Themes critical to narrative construction were identified, as were communication techniques that place emphasis on key ideas in music and film. The roles of symbolism, rituals, and music in human behavior were further researched. This research was then applied to the Islamic State's use of media to influence attitudes and inspire behavior. The ultimate recommendation suggests that the United States approach this conflict as a true war by asserting a communication strategy designed to disrupt violent, exclusionary ideologies."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Milburn, Christopher D.
2015-12
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Tactical Firefighter Teams: Pivoting Toward the Fire Service's Evolving Homeland Security Mission
From the thesis abstract: "Firefighters and police officers are increasingly called upon to work in each other's spaces but are neither trained nor equipped to do so; consequently, they are limited in their ability to enter one another's high threat areas. Fire complicates the police's ability to respond to hostile incidents by creating visibility issues and thermal injuries as the burning building deteriorates. Firefighters are equally ill-prepared to enter an environment in which fire and firearms are present while victims are trapped within the hazard zone. As a result, first responders consistently lack the capability to accomplish combined missions when multiple threats are present. This thesis investigates the best way to fill this operational gap, first by examining the merits and limitations of several models related to the role of firefighters during hostile events. It then documents and analyzes the field tests of a fourth model piloted by the Houston Fire Department that would deploy cross-trained firefighting strike teams into hot zones with both incendiary and ballistic hazards."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Vargas, Cynthia M.
2016-09
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Social Networks and High Healthcare Utilization: Building Resilience Through Analysis
From the thesis abstract: "This thesis explores the links that exist between human beings and how the presence, or absence, of connectivity within a person's social network impacts one's health and well-being. Through the analysis of both the social and clinical sciences, this research explores the question: What role do social relationships, and their associated networks, play in the lives of high healthcare utilizers? This thesis studies the origins of human connection and presents the science of social network analysis to demonstrate how interconnected relationships influence the well-being of networked individuals. The findings indicate that the quality of an individual's social network can have a positive or negative effect on the individual's health. Those who are socially isolated in their community often have difficulty managing complex health conditions and navigating the fractured national healthcare system. Deficits in community healthcare and social support networks cause these individuals to frequently utilize expensive and finite public safety and hospital emergency department resources for primary healthcare services. This research presents four recommendations to promote improved healthcare system navigation for high healthcare utilizers by not only understanding the patients' social networks, but also the healthcare provider network."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Baker, Michael D.
2016-09
