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Managing the Aviation Insider Threat
"Despite enhancements to aviation security since September 11, 2001, there remain vulnerabilities from employees at airports. This threat results from airline/airport employees that have access to sensitive and restricted areas during the normal course of their required duties. This thesis evaluates the threat and the measures in place to prevent attacks from aviation insiders. In addition, it evaluates a measure commonly referred to as 100 percent employee screening. Finally, the thesis derives recommendations to enhance the current methods to reduce the vulnerability, as well as proposes additional measures to further reduce the threat from aviation insiders."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Black, Alan
2010-12
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Striking the Right Balance: Fusion Centers and Privacy
"After the events of 9/11, the number of fusion centers rapidly multiplied. As a result, state and local agencies that operated the centers adopted a myriad of policies. This thesis seeks to answer how fusion centers can implement policies as to operational structure and transparency that simultaneously safeguard against abuse of citizens' privacy while facilitating the collection, maintenance, and dissemination of information. Two methods of research are utilized: policy analysis and policy options analysis. This thesis examines existing federal guidelines, federal case law, and various federal statutes and regulations. Moreover, the thesis explores three policy options as possible decision-making tools for fusion centers: 1) mandatory federal guidelines, 2) imposition of a balancing test and administrative review process, and 3) a compulsory reasonable-suspicion requirement. In the end, this thesis recommends imposition of all three policies."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Skahill, Tina M.
2010-09
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21st Century Strategies for Policing Protest: What Major Cities' Responses to the Occupy Movement Tell Us About the Future of Police Response to Public Protest
From the thesis abstract: "The study of a law enforcement response to a national movement is a homeland security issue. How America polices its population establishes the benchmark for how it treats the world and is worthy of exploration. What can the experiences of four major U.S. cities, in their response to the Occupy Movement, tell us about using emergent strategies for policing protest in the twenty-first century? In the fall of 2011, the Occupy Movement protests swept across the United States in a matter of weeks. Activists demonstrated against income inequality and the state of the economy, and they established camps in major urban areas, occupying public spaces. I conducted case studies of New York City; Oakland, California; Portland, Oregon; and Dallas, Texas, and analyzed the results. That analysis revealed common themes, including a lack of negotiated management, restricting access to traditionally open public spaces by the police and the use of emergent practice in the complex adaptive environment of demonstrations. From this analysis, I am able to provide strategic recommendations for city and police leaders in dealing with protests in the twenty-first century utilizing a sense-making framework that will assist leaders in strategic planning for protests for large and small cities alike."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Geron, Stephen Max
2014-03
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Minding the Gap: The Growing Divide Between Privacy and Surveillance Technology
From the thesis abstract: "Pervasive mass surveillance in a given in U.S. society. However, whether U.S. citizens sacrifice privacy as a result remains under debate. Does privacy fade away in light of the connected world in which we all live? The recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in U.S. v. Jones did not address whether pervasive mass surveillance by the government constituted a search under the Fourth Amendment, and, thereby, triggering constitutional review. The lack of legal guidance presents challenges for law enforcement investigations, as it can takes years for a court to decide a privacy case and surveillance technology evolves at a far more rapid pace. Given the refusal, or inability, of the courts to answer what constitutional privacy protections are afforded U.S. citizens in light of the growing use of sensor technology to conduct mass surveillance, inclusive of GPS [Global Positioning Satellite], RFID [Radio Frequency Identification], and LPR [License Plate Recognition], comprehensive legislative privacy options must be explored. To date, privacy has been left to the individual states, which results in privacy protections based upon geography. Federal privacy legislation is limited, focusing on certain technologies, such as eavesdropping under Title III, or certain privacy issues, such medical record data under HIPAA [Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act]. Further, very few laws govern the use and dissemination of the PII [Personally Identifiable Information] data that derives not only from governmental surveillance, but also from commercial data collection. A federal data protection act would define the privacy interests protected, rather than using the law to limit the government's specific use of a surveillance technology, which would ensure that the rules of engagement for the government surveillance were clear and held the government accountable to its citizens."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Kirby, Debra
2013-06
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Fear Factors In: Political Rhetoric, Threat Inflation, and the Narrative of September 11
From the thesis abstract: "The terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon transformed the way the nation views homeland security and terrorism. It changed the priorities of the nation. The current frame of reference on terrorism, national security, and fear of future attacks were informed by political remarks and speeches made in the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks. Political rhetoric that defined the terrorist attacks as acts of war laid the foundation for a period of public insecurity and vulnerability to the threat of terrorism in the homeland and provided justifications for counterterrorism legislation that impinged individual freedoms and civil rights. The purpose of this research is to analyze political rhetoric in the aftermath of the September 2001 terrorist attacks, to determine whether political rhetoric contributed to threat inflation, public fear, and misperception of the security threats faced by the American public. An examination of the divergent scholarly perspectives on the role of political rhetoric on public perception, emotion, and reaction is performed to uncover mechanisms that impacted critical assessment, minimized debate of policy alternatives, and fostered public fear. The study exposes the characteristics of political rhetoric and the discursive devices employed in response to the terrorist attacks, which influenced public threat perception and fear. It argues that the rhetorical choices, which emphasized fear, were part of the mechanics for threat inflation seen in the aftermath of the September 2001 terrorist attacks."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Atmore, Lorna Y.
2014-12
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Community-Oriented Counterterrorism: Incorporating National Homeland Security Mandates into the Local Community Policing Philosophy
From the thesis abstract: "Since 9/11, many local police agencies have been chipping away at important community policing programs in order to meet new homeland security responsibilities. With this in mind, the current study set out to answer the question: Do newly acquired homeland security responsibilities require police agencies to reduce or eliminate community policing programs, or can homeland security mandates be effectively integrated into an agency's already established community policing philosophy? In order to answer this question, the study looked at 720 municipal law enforcement agencies from all 50 states that responded to a variety of community policing and homeland security questions in both 2000 and 2007 Bureau of Justice Statistics Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics surveys. These agencies incorporate most major U.S. police departments as well as a representative sample of smaller agencies. The study provides strong evidence that since 9/11, police agencies have significantly reduced the attention given to community policing, while at the same time substantially increasing their focus on homeland security. The study also strongly suggests that police agencies that instead integrate community policing and homeland security not only excel in counterterrorism preparedness, but they also enjoy lower crime rates. This supports the idea that community-oriented counterterrorism is a viable policing strategy and should be implemented as a preferred organizational practice."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Adcox, Kenith Roland
2014-12
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School Shootings: Law Enforcement and School District Networking
From the thesis abstract: "School shootings have happened in the past and will happen again. The history of school shootings prompts all stakeholders to look at ways to prevent them from happening, and if they do happen, to be resilient. Change is needed in the prevention of school shootings. The case studies of Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook, E. O. Green Junior High, and Beslan school shootings reveal that the lack of information sharing and lack of communication were flaws; and the incidents might have been preventable. Prevention is a key element that both schools and law enforcement need to improve upon. In order to make strides in prevention, there needs to be advanced planning, continuous information sharing amongst stakeholders regarding those individuals that conduct themselves in ways that cause concern, a change in organizational culture with law enforcement and schools regarding sharing information, legal solutions, as well as resiliency if a shooting does occur. School shootings can never be completely preventable; however, it is feasible to have systems that prevent school shootings and increase the safety of the students and the community."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Topadzhikyan, Tigran
2013-12
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California Law Enforcement Community's Intelligence-Led Policing Capacity
From the thesis abstract: "Hindsight gives the nation much clarity regarding the cause of the failure to prevent the tragic events of 9/11. Calls for reform challenge the intelligence community, and law enforcement in general, to create the collaborative capacity to connect the dots, dare to imagine, and become accustomed to expecting the unexpected. Throughout the various reformation efforts over the last nine years, one central theme endures: the ability to share intelligence across interagency and intergovernmental barriers is imperative. The inextricable link between foreign and domestic intelligence demands that changes be made to smooth the continuum of efforts from public safety, to homeland security, to national security. If the quality of intelligence in this continuum is directly related to the depth and breadth of information available, then the participating agencies must be fully networked. Such a network is one way to transform the unknowingly relevant into potentially actionable intelligence. How else can domestic events be understood in an international context (or vice versa)?"
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Wade, Cheryl L.
2010-12
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Preventing Bulk Cash and Weapons Smuggling into Mexico: Establishing an Outbound Policy for the Southwest Border for Customs and Border Protection
"U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is the agency responsible for securing the borders of the United States from those people and things that would do the United States harm. The Office of Field Operations (OFO) is the office responsible for securing the Ports of Entry (POEs). CBP/OFO has dedicated personnel, technology, infrastructure and resources assigned to the inbound inspections for processing those travelers and inbound processing has been a national priority of CBP since its inception in 2003. Although CBP/OFO has the authority to conduct outbound inspections, there is little infrastructure, intelligence sharing or technology at the POEs for conducting outbound operations. Some POEs are conducting outbound operations with officers that have been taken from the inbound staffing models. However, at the time of writing this thesis, CBP does not have a national policy mandating POEs conduct outbound operations. On the Southwest Border (SWB), the Mexican Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTOs) are continuing to smuggle bulk cash and weapons into Mexico and border violence continues to increase. This thesis makes a recommendation of what the best policy option for outbound operations would be to implement on the SWB."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Good, Beverly
2010-12
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Anthrax Vaccine as a Component of the Strategic National Stockpile: A Dilemma for Homeland Security
"The author explains how past problems with the Defense Department anthrax vaccine currently affect Department of Homeland Security and Department of Health and Human Service policy. The departments included the BioThrax® anthrax vaccine in the Strategic National Stockpile following the 2001 anthrax letter attacks. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the vaccine's "failing" status possibly motivated the letter attacks to create demand for the vaccine. This thesis explores the Department of Defense's troubled experience with the vaccine through four methodologies. The multiprism methodological approach of 'quadrangulation' serves to 'box' in past safety, efficacy, regulatory, and legal problems. A literature review demonstrates an evolving shift in critiques of the vaccine that parallels policy pronouncements. A case study tool offers a chronological review of the anthrax vaccine to evaluate causal events precipitating the anthrax letter attacks in 2001. A program evaluation includes process tracing through quantitative, qualitative, summative, and formative reviews. Finally, a gap analysis aids in explaining continued reliance on the old vaccine technology. To conclude, the thesis recommendations encourage formulation of a Presidential Study and Policy Directive process to reassess the vaccine, while suggesting alternative Department of Homeland Security policy courses of action centered on antibiotics and new technologies."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Rempfer, Thomas L.
2009-12
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Climate Change Mitigation: Can the U.S. Intelligence Community Help?
From the thesis abstract: "The administration has declared climate change to be a threat to national security. Thus far, the national security establishment has focused its attention on adaptation to the effects of climate change rather than mitigation of the human cause, though evidence of the need to reduce global CO2 [Carbon Dioxide] emissions continues to mount. This thesis asks whether the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC) might be enlisted in the battle against climate change (global warming), by supporting the international monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) of a global greenhouse gas limitation treaty. This covert monitoring is already contemplated by the CIA, though the question remains open, Congress has conducted no public discussion of whether using the IC's unique covert sources and methods would in fact aid in climate change mitigation. This thesis compares various cases involving the IC's monitoring of weapons nonproliferation--and in particular the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)--with a hypothetical international CO2 emissions limitation agreement (ICELA) successor to the Kyoto Protocol. Using these case study findings, an analysis of four policy options for structuring an IC CO2 emissions limitation monitoring entity (ICCME) is conducted. By adopting the most promising of these options, Congress might ensure that the ICCME would support, rather than undermine, a future ICELA."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Bruhnke, Louis
2013-06
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Preventing School Shootings: A Public Health Approach to Gun Violence
From the thesis abstract: "Gun violence in America must be addressed at the highest levels of society. Newtown, Aurora, and Virginia Tech were attacks on the very fabric of America. School shootings represent attacks on our nations' future. A public health approach to gun violence focuses on prevention. Public safety professionals, educators and community leaders are squandering opportunities to prevent horrific acts of extreme violence. Preparedness is derived by planning, which is critical to mobilizing resources when needed. Rational public policy can work. Sensible gun legislation, which is accessible through a public health approach to gun violence, neither marginalizes nor stigmatizes any one group. University administrators must fully engage the entire arsenal of resources available to confront this pernicious threat. The academic community can create powerful networks for research, collaboration and information sharing. These collective learning environments are investments in the knowledge economy. In order for the police to remain relevant, they must actively engage the community they serve by developing the operational art necessary to cultivate knowledge, relationships and expertise. Police departments must emphasize strategies that improve performance. Police officers must understand the mission and meaning of 'To Protect and Serve' and the consequences of public safety, which often comes at their personal peril. Gun violence in America is a public health epidemic and preventing it requires a collective responsibility."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Welch, Edward J.
2013-03
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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