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Big Brother or Trusted Allies? How the Police Can Earn Community Support for Using Unmanned Aircraft
From the thesis abstract: "This thesis examines how local law enforcement agencies can adopt unmanned aircraft, or drones, as tools to help them perform their public safety missions while earning the support and trust of the communities they serve for the use of this controversial technology. The paper presents the current state of the law surrounding drone use by the police, along with published recommendations on drone implementation and trust-building practices. Through the use of a structured multicase study and comparative analysis, the author tests the validity of the drone-specific recommendations of groups like the International Association of Chiefs of Police, American Civil Liberties Union, and Community Oriented Policing Office of the United States Department of Justice. The case studies also examine the influence of factors like demographics, political affiliation, crime rate, and pre-existing community law enforcement relationships on the success or failure of an agency's drone adoption efforts. Based on the analysis of the case studies, the thesis provides a recommended process to follow for law enforcement leaders looking to implement their own drone programs using evidence-based practices to earn the trust of their citizens."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Schwartz, Stephen Craig
2017-12
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Border Patrol, Social Media, and Transnational Messaging
From the thesis abstract: "Since the U.S. Border Patrol was established in 1924, agents have been an integral part of the community and have worked to educate the public on the Border Patrol mission and how they can support it. Outreach campaigns began with such programs as D.A.R.E. [Drug Abuse Resistance Education], Red Ribbon Week, and No Mas Cruces. The campaigns were conducted via schools and traditional media such as radio, television, and print. In 2003, Border Patrol's Public Affairs Office was absorbed into the newly created Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency. While Border Patrol conducts public affairs, the messaging is controlled by CBP. The prevalence of social media has provided an inexpensive, high-capacity way for Border Patrol to conduct community engagement. However, CBP retains the authority to approve social media use in an official capacity and only allows Border Patrol to use social media under the CBP umbrella. This thesis argues that Border Patrol should be allowed to use Border Patrol-specific social media accounts for community engagement and to educate the public on the Border Patrol mission. Furthermore, engagement should occur with Canadian and Mexican citizens in their native languages when possible and applicable."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Christie, Kathleen Ann
2017-12
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Dashboards for the Fire Service
From the thesis abstract: "The purpose of this thesis is to examine how fire service agencies can best apply the principles of Business Intelligence (BI) toward constructing dashboards to improve agency performance. To accomplish this project, action research principles were applied to construct a first-generation model of such a dashboard. The model dashboard(s) constructed contains program measures and information that fire agency supervisors at different levels may use to improve subordinate performance and to support decision-making. It does appear possible for fire departments to apply modern BI principles toward improving fire department performance. Since the dashboard developed only represents the first generation of this process, it is recommended that further research focus on how to improve such dashboards through iteration and to examine the effects of such dashboards on agency performance to see if they are truly useful."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Butsch, Alan L.
2017-12
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New High: A Future-Oriented Study of American Drug Policy
From the thesis abstract: "Drug policy in the United States is reactive and unprepared for burgeoning phenomena related to the convergence of drugs and technology. In the twenty-first century, innovations are disrupting society with unconventional rules. This thesis investigated how emerging technologies and global megatrends might converge to affect the future of United States drug policy. Through a scenarios-based future studies methodology, global megatrends and other nascent variables intertwine in two fictional scenarios to highlight regulatory and ethical challenges. Thesis findings underscore how it is critical for the United States to remain adaptable and identify general long-term, cyclical forces. Subsequently, it is imperative to analyze how these forces might influence the environment of illicit drug use before current regulatory drug frameworks become obsolete. Thesis findings recommend that the U.S. government decriminalize illicit drugs and transition drug policy from the domain of law enforcement to a strengthened public and behavioral healthcare system. Finally, this thesis also recommends the creation of a national biotech ethics committee and an office of the future." A video discussion of this thesis may be found as part of the CHDS Reflecting Pool series here: https://www.hsdl.org/?abstract&did=818744.
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Bress, Jessica Marie
2017-12
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Black Flags of Their Fathers: The Islamic State's Returning Foreign Fighter Youths and the Implications for U.S. Domestic Security
From the thesis abstract: "The Islamic State's strategic resources are dissolving as fast as they once appeared. The fear is that, as the Islamic State deteriorates, it will expand its operations outside the region through the use of returning foreign fighters. Evidence suggests that Islamic State children are subject to indoctrination and training that give them the tools to plan, organize, and execute terrorist attacks. These children also have the motive, means, and opportunity to attack the West while in the West. This thesis contains both quantitative and qualitative analyses that help assess the dangers that Islamic State returning foreign fighter youths pose to the domestic security of the United States. Three significant findings emerged out of this work. First, avenues exist for youth fighters indoctrinated and socialized by the Islamic State to plan, conduct, and execute terrorist operations in the United States. Second, youth fighters of the Islamic State share similarities with the child soldiers of other armed groups that influence whether they will have the propensity to engage in future terrorist attacks. Lastly, U.S. policies are geared toward addressing the humanitarian crisis that emerges out of the use of child soldiers, yet we treat the child soldiers of terrorist organizations like criminals. These findings have long-lasting implications for U.S. domestic security."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Tani, John J., Jr.
2017-12
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Born of the Troubles: Lessons in Trust and Legitimacy from the Police Service of Northern Ireland
From the thesis abstract: "Trust and the establishment of legitimacy are essential to building strong relationships between law enforcement and the communities they serve. Distrust of the police can lead to a lack of community involvement and, in some cases, a perception of the police as an occupying force. American policing has faced recent challenges regarding trust, legitimacy, and accountability resulting in calls for police reform. This thesis answers the question of whether the police reforms outlined in the Report of the Independent Commission on Policing for Northern Ireland, or the Patten Report―for the purposes of establishing trust and legitimacy and implemented in Northern Ireland―are applicable as a possible model for American policing. This thesis provides a qualitative analysis of the Patten Report and its reforms as well as the Police Service of Northern Ireland's implementation of recommendations. An appreciative inquiry approach was used to examine application to American policing and comparison to The Final Report of the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing. The conclusion is that the Patten Report provides a model for policy makers in the United States. Application of lessons learned from Northern Ireland and the Patten Report will enhance American policing's ability to build trust, legitimacy, and strengthen this nation's homeland security."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Murray, John Charles
2017-12
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Follow the Silk Road: How Internet Affordances Influence and Transform Crime and Law Enforcement
From the thesis abstract: "A new category of crime has emerged in the border environment that is disrupting criminal typology. This new 'hybrid' category intermixes physical and digital elements in ways not possible in the past. Internet technologies are facilitating this criminal evolution by affording perpetrators anonymity, efficiency, and distance. New criminal uses of the Internet have resulted in investigative challenges for law enforcement, especially concerning the illegal movement of people and goods. This thesis mapped the evolution of hybrid crime using cases from the Silk Road and Silk Road 2.0, viewed through the lenses of stigmergy and affordance theory. While the research identifies challenges for law enforcement, it also uncovers methods for countering hybrid crime. I found that while criminals are opportunistic in perceiving new affordances to commit crime, law enforcement can be equally capable of countering them by removing technological barriers. Law enforcement can break down these barriers by changing mindsets, implementing smart enforcement, and relying on expertise from public-private partnerships."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Jerde, Ryan D.
2017-12
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Fire Department Perspective: Crowd Dynamics and Safety at Outside Events
From the thesis abstract: "Fire departments often respond to incidents at crowded events with no prior planning or coordination with other agencies. The result can be decreased safety for patrons at the events. The purpose of this thesis is to understand causes of injuries at crowded, outside venues and what could make these events safer. This thesis asks how fire department personnel can plan for the safety and care of large crowds at outside venues. The research design includes a review of literature on crowd dynamics and example incidents. Using root cause analysis, this thesis analyzes four case studies: 1989 Hillsborough soccer match, 2011 Reno Air Race, the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, and 2014 Travis Air Force Base Air Show. The success of the Reno Air Race and Boston Marathon rescue personnel in taking care of injured victims can be attributed to careful planning by stakeholders before the events took place. This thesis recommends that before large, crowded events, stakeholders establish relationships and that all stakeholders participate in careful planning and realistic training. This planning and training should include interoperability of communications, roles for volunteer staff, and ways to prevent and decrease overcrowding. Finally, this thesis recommends strategies to educate event patrons on safety."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Griggs, Rick
2017-12
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Fire as a Weapon: High-Rise Structures
From the thesis abstract: "This thesis identifies an emerging problem space, high-rise pyro-terrorism. Although modern urban environments are vulnerable to sophisticated arson, and terrorists and lone-wolf attackers have exploited that vulnerability, neither practitioners nor the academic community have addressed the unique threat posed by arson. This thesis fills that gap by showing, first, that a good reason exists to believe that terrorists will use arson against high-profile urban targets in the future; second, that existing regulatory strategies may be sufficient to guard against accidental fires and opportunistic arson, but have weaknesses that sophisticated attackers can identify and exploit; and third, that the approach to urban firefighting must be modified to protect first responders, improve life safety in cases of pyro-terrorism, and facilitate effective collaboration with counter-terrorism forces. This thesis is valuable for an academic audience because it identifies the most pressing gaps in the literature on pyro-terrorism and explains their significance. It is also valuable to practitioners because it highlights vulnerabilities that can be addressed immediately, in a proactive rather than a reactive way."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Sheppard, Adrian Bernard
2017-12
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United States Earthquake Early Warning System: How Theory and Analysis Can Save America Before the Big One Happens
From the thesis abstract: "The United States is extremely vulnerable to catastrophic earthquakes. More than 143 million Americans may be threatened by damaging earthquakes in the next 50 years. This thesis argues that the United States is unprepared for the most catastrophic earthquakes the country faces today. Earthquake early warning systems are a major solution in practice to reduce economic risk, to protect property and the environment, and to save lives. Other countries have already built earthquake early warning systems, but only after they suffered devastating earthquakes. In the United States, ShakeAlert is the available solution, but it only operates on a test basis in California and still lacks sufficient capability and sustained funding to become operational. This thesis applies an input-output model of political systems theory to analyze how the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program, which controls the development of ShakeAlert, functions in the United States. Using this model provides a framework for a discourse of the analysis to determine how the consequences of catastrophic earthquakes shape our decisions and policies for ShakeAlert. This thesis also examines what changes are required within our political system for ShakeAlert to launch as quickly as possible on a national scale and to allow for its sustained integration within the American preparedness culture. Perhaps most importantly, the implementation of ShakeAlert will help prepare the people, businesses, infrastructure, economies, and communities, hopefully before the next significant earthquake impacts the United States. Will the United States have to experience a devastating earthquake before implementing a solution that is recognized to save lives?"
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Rockabrand, Ryan
2017-12
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Evolving Role of Emergency Medical Services in Sacramento, CA
From the thesis abstract: "Due to the Affordable Care Act, millions of Americans now covered with health insurance have found it increasingly difficult to find primary care physicians. The demand for health care has exceeded the capacity of the current system to supply it. People have turned to emergency medical services to receive care for their chronic illness and non-acute medical problems instead of dealing with the long wait times at clinics or unavailability of primary care physicians. This transition to low acuity care occupies a large portion of the emergency response system and leaves communities with very limited emergency response resources. Several cities have attempted to increase the availability of their emergency response resources by matching the type of care that is being requested through the nation's 9-1-1 system. Mid-level nurse practitioners and behavioral health specialists paired with paramedics can provide a broader set of solutions instead of transporting all patients to a hospital emergency department and at the same time allow traditional emergency response ambulances to remain available. Measuring the performance of these new programs and tailoring them to meet the precise needs of a community can enhance the resilience of emergency resources and improve the nation's homeland security."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
King, Niko S.
2017-12
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DSCA Corps: Bridging the Gap Between the Profession of Arms and Domestic Operations
From the thesis abstract: "Defense Support to Civil Authorities (DSCA) is an important mission for the Army and the Department of Defense. Inherent to this mission, and critical in its execution, is effective liaison, coordination, and integration of Army forces into the emergency response structures of local, state, and federal civilian agencies. An examination of two cases, the 2012 response to Hurricane Sandy and the 2016 Cascadia Rising earthquake response exercise, identifies several shortfalls in integration and coordination between the Army, other service components, and civil authorities. This thesis examines these shortfalls and provides a potential solution to correct them for future DSCA missions. This thesis suggests that a creation of a functional area and force structure within the Army that is dedicated to the Army's DSCA mission would bridge the gap between the Army and its civilian partners at all levels. The new DSCA Corps would be responsible for civil-military liaison, relationship building, and integrated planning prior to a disaster. During a disaster, the DSCA Corps would provide a core of DSCA subject matter experts (SMEs) to facilitate the rapid deployment and integration of Title 10 and Title 32 forces in support of the civilian Incident Command System (ICS)."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Winters, Nicholas E.
2017-12
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Arctic: A Wait and See Approach to Defending the Homeland
From the thesis abstract: "When it comes to the Arctic, there is no lack of planning, debating, studying, or shortage of opinions as to what the U.S. should or should not do in this region of extremes. Should the United States spend billions on icebreakers that when completed may not have ice to break, ignore the region and hope the rest of the world follows suit, or worse, militarize the region for an unknown future threat? Given the budget-constrained environment and lack of threat to the U.S. national security from the Arctic, is there another option or method to allow policy makers to envision a different future for the Arctic, one requiring them to wait and do nothing, knowing with some certainty that taking no action is the right decision at this moment in time? Using scenario planning, this thesis examines four future scenarios for the Arctic and evaluates the strategic patience and persistence strategy introduced in the 2015 National Security Strategy to understand better the costs, risks, and benefits of doing little or nothing in the Arctic. Given the uncertainties in the Arctic and faced with greater threats to the homeland, the strategic patience and persistence strategy is a viable approach to pursue in the Arctic, which allows the U.S. to achieve its national Arctic goals."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Hegedusich, William
2017-12
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How the Democratization of Technology Enhances Intelligence-Led Policing and Serves the Community
From the thesis abstract: "This thesis examines how the democratization of technology can enhance intelligence-led policing and serve the community. The research compares the models of community policing and intelligence-led policing and considers how the leveraging of social media platforms and personal surveillance cameras can improve police intelligence collection and enhance relationships with the community. While research supports intelligence-led policing to be effective in crime reduction, intelligence-led policing may also produce unexpected benefits when coupled with mainstream technologies serving as a bridge to the people living in those communities. These technologies can create collaborative opportunities and roles of empowerment for citizens' personal safety, thus potentially increasing police legitimacy and fostering more democratic and participatory communities. By incorporating the best of community policing, such as its goals of relationship-building and improving police legitimacy, with the crime reduction capabilities of intelligence-led policing, we might call this community-enhanced intelligence-led policing. With this combination of values and positive outcomes, law enforcement may achieve the desired benefits of each model."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Canaday, Johanna
2017-12
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Marijuana, the Straight Dope: Guidance for Federal Policy Reform
From the thesis abstract: "This thesis explores the increasingly popular push by states to decriminalize and legalize marijuana and the resulting problems that raise concern about maintaining the current federal marijuana policy. This thesis conducts an analysis of various policy options to resolve conflicts that arise between recently enacted state legislation and federal criminal statutes, U.S. compliance with international treaties, and public safety. Utilizing Bardach's eight-step method, this thesis compares three possibilities for policy recommendation. The first option is to maintain the status quo, or to continue a policy of relaxed federal enforcement. The second option is one of strict enforcement, essentially rolling back marijuana laws in the states and mandating compliance with current federal law. The third option is one of balancing the desires of the states while ensuring treaty compliance and public safety by rescheduling marijuana. The research shows that a rescheduling of marijuana, from Schedule I of the Controlled Substance Act to Schedule III, would protect marijuana's access to those with a medical necessity while ensuring compliance with international counter-narcotics accords and enable the drug's availability for research purposes."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Baker, Erik D.
2017-12
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Indications and Warning Methodology for Strategic Intelligence
From the thesis abstract: "Today's U.S. intelligence community lacks the human-centric focus needed to develop a forwardlooking intelligence estimate. Using a comparative research model, this thesis explored how gray zone indicators used by the U.S. Army Special Operations Command translate into modern indicators for the intelligence community, and sought similar applications for the homeland security enterprise. The research found that, for homeland security, implementing a human-centric indications and warning methodology that focuses on the actor as the key security challenge can help provide advance warning for a planned attack or can indicate a bad actor who is inspiring others to take action."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Kimmelman, Susann
2017-12
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Humans, Intelligent Technology, and Their Interface: A Study of Brown's Point
From the thesis abstract: "The integration of self-driving vehicles introduces a unique and unprecedented human-machine interface that brings promise and peril. Several socially constructed theories try to explain this human-intelligent machine interface and predict how the future will look. This thesis offers a counter-narrative called Brown's Point that suggests an alternative way of thinking about this relationship. The first Autopilot fatality offers a window into the human considerations needing attention as these intelligent machines, such as self-driving vehicles, combine with humans. How can the human-machine interface be optimized to ensure it offers the most benefit and safety for humanity? This thesis investigated the causal variables that led to the first Autopilot fatality by using Joshua Brown's interface with the technology before and during the accident. I combined the findings from the accident investigation with various heuristics regarding the human-machine interface, theories from cognitive psychology, and sociological constructs to determine how Brown came to trust a machine he knew was fallible."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
White, Jackie L. J.
2017-12
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Police Reforms: Identifying the Potential Adverse Impacts and Challenges to Law Enforcement Agencies
From the thesis abstract: "This thesis examines the issue of police reform and considers whether a causal connection exists between the reforms being implemented by law enforcement agencies and the issue of police disengagement or de-policing. The two most salient reforms, the 'Final Report of the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing' and the 'Police Executive Research Forum's Guiding Principles on the Use of Force', are currently in the process of being adopted and implemented in many law enforcement agencies, which is a process that will take many months if not years to complete. To provide some insight into how these reforms will affect these agencies, three case studies examined police departments currently under federal supervision from either the Department of Justice or the federal court to determine how they impacted officer activity. These studies considered the reform process along with the individual reforms adopted in each agency and examined the levels of officer activity to determine how they were impacted by these reforms. These results were then examined in the context of current research and officer surveys to assist in interpreting the reported declines in officer activity. These findings have possible implications for law enforcement agencies that adopt the reforms in the 'Final Report and Guiding Principles.'"
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Timpf, Mark L.
2017-12
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Not Just Another Piece of Equipment: An Analysis for Police Body-Worn Camera Policy Decisions
From the thesis abstract: "In the United States, law enforcement agencies are rapidly deploying body-worn cameras (BWCs) to increase organizational transparency and foster positive community relations. Proponents of the technology see BWCs as a tool to ensure police legitimacy and eliminate abusive conduct. Preliminary evidence identifies several benefits of using BWCs, such as: reduced citizen complaints, increased cooperation, and lower civil liability. However, emerging evidence suggests that the devices may be achieving the intended goals but with unintended consequences. BWC use may inadvertently increase use of force incidents and reduce the time that the police spend on de-escalating a situation. This thesis employs qualitative research methodology to examine how BWCs affect the ambiguous nature of police decision-making, as well as the effects of BWC use on the public, thereby investigating solutions for the frayed police-public relationship. By analyzing current data available on BWCs, examining information on human decision-making including heuristics, and completing a comparative analysis of a similar police technology--the vehicle dashboard camera--the thesis finds that BWC use can have different and changing impacts on police behavior, suggesting that variables related to human factors alter the dynamics of BWC use. The thesis provides recommendations that cover independent agency BWC evaluations, organizational training, limits on discretionary officer recording, and the practical application of automated camera systems."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Sacca, Giacomo
2017-12
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Regaining the Trust of the American Public: A Law Enforcement Initiative
From the thesis abstract: "While Americans remain confident in law enforcement, there are profound fractures in the relationship between the police and certain communities across the United States. Law enforcement shootings of unarmed individuals--particularly African Americans--inadequate police response, and the subsequent civil unrest raise disturbing and often volatile concerns for public safety. This thesis asserts that, as an industry, law enforcement is experiencing a nationwide crisis. Although law enforcement has been unable to successfully navigate the dynamics of reputation management during a crisis, companies in the private sector have identified effective frameworks, paradigms, and best practices for successfully regaining--and, more importantly, maintaining--the public's trust. Consequently, this paper seeks to determine how law enforcement can apply crisis and reputation management techniques developed by the private sector to effectively regain the trust of the American public. The thesis provides law enforcement executives with an opportunity to learn from the private sector and put the most critical lessons learned in crisis and reputation management into practice."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Alvarez, Micole C.
2017-12
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Mitigating Insider Threats in the Domestic Aviation System: Policy Options for the Transportation Security Administration
From the thesis abstract: "The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) defines insider threat as the risk posed by workers with inside access and knowledge to exploit vulnerabilities in the nation's transportation systems. In recent years, insiders have been leveraged by criminal and terrorist organizations to further nefarious plots in the aviation system. This thesis examines policy options for TSA to mitigate insider threats in the domestic aviation system and discusses the effectiveness of TSA's insider threat programs. This thesis also explores whether TSA can be more effective at insider threat prevention with additional intelligence collection authorities. The insider threat programs of the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Intelligence and Analysis, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United Kingdom's MI5, and federal defense contractor Lockheed Martin are analyzed to identify alternative solutions. At their core, insider threat policies center around three primary areas: security programs, counterintelligence programs, and organizational culture. TSA should establish its own counterintelligence program while continuing to fine-tune its security programs. Integrating counterintelligence and security programs enhances an organization's ability to detect and prevent insider threats. Finally, taking additional steps to establish a strong security ethos within the airport environment will help further 'harden the target.'"
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Bean, Brian S.
2017-12
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Millennials in the Fire Service: The Effectiveness of Fire Service Recruiting, Testing, and Retention
From the thesis abstract: "Modern-day fire service methods' ability to effectively attract and retain millennials is in question. Stale marketing and static testing processes may be contributing to smaller hiring pools and the inability to reach recruits with the skillsets needed to replace experienced firefighters lost through attrition. Millennials are looking for employment in organizations that complement four-year college degrees and offer immediate inclusion and growth. These traits may be misaligned with the fire service business model. Through a customized survey, this thesis gathered data needed to explore the challenges plaguing fire service attraction and retention. The research concluded: 1) the fire service is not attracting the number and quality of applicants that it once did, 2) the generational traits of millennials do not fully align with the business model of the modern fire service, and 3) parents direct their children toward the college education many of them did not have themselves. These issues are preventing the fire service from replenishing the profession with the quality and quantity of talent needed to ensure continuity of response at the local level"
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Neal, Scott F.
2017-12
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Pre-Incident Planning for the Los Alamos National Laboratory
From the thesis abstract: "The Los Alamos Fire Department (LAFD) provides emergency response services to the Los Alamos National Laboratory. The laboratory places high expectations on the delivery of these services; over a twenty-year period, however, multiple third-party evaluators identified problems with the LAFD's preincident planning process. This thesis investigated pre-incident planning improvement methods and found that the LAFD plans for the Los Alamos National Laboratory lacked information and collaborative efforts. A review of related literature and best practices from other national laboratory sites and accredited fire departments provided potential solutions. This research recommends that the LAFD establish a working group to improve the pre-incident planning process at Los Alamos National Laboratory, using the best practice examples as guidelines."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Hughes, Troy L.
2017-12
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Prospective Vigilance: Assessing Complex Coordinated Attack Preparedness Programs
From the thesis abstract: "State and local first responders in the United States lack a common strategic approach to prepare for complex coordinated attacks (CCAs). Inconsistent terminology and insufficient guidance from all levels of government and academia complicate matters. State and local agencies face three main barriers to CCA response preparedness: First, the United States has not experienced a CCA like those in Mumbai or Paris; this renders the threat low probability, if high consequence, and thus low priority. Second, preparedness funding in the United States is declining across the board; only high-priority, high-probability events receive necessary funding and attention. Third, if a CCA were to occur today without a unified response plan, first responders would attempt to bring order to chaos; but because this type of event is qualitatively different from those for which responders have trained, such a response could prove to be disastrous. This thesis analyzed and assessed federal summary reports from current preparedness programs. It surveyed program participants about the programs' value and use. When combined with the federal report examination, the survey results revealed that even without a national CCA strategy, these programs increase participants' preparedness and resilience, and first responders may be adapting to the current threat environment. Three recommendations are provided to help address the findings and augment state and local first responder preparedness before a CCA occurs."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Goff, Jared B.
2017-12
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Software Requirement Specifications for a Social-Media Threat Assessment Tool
From the thesis abstract: "Police officers are often the targets of threats, both verbal and written. Twitter and Facebook allow the communications of these threats quickly, anonymously and in high volume. Law enforcement agencies become overwhelmed trying to determine which are the most serious, since they have limited investigators. Identifying threats that have a high likelihood of violence is also very subjective. How can risk assessment of these threats be improved? As an answer to this question, a software-requirement specification document details a new software that starts the threat assessment process earlier. This software incorporates a social media and language sentiment analyzer, criminal history information and threshold, and confidence scoring to alert law enforcement of threats likely to end in violence. Twitter and Facebook posts that reach a predetermined score alert investigators of a high probability threat on which investigators can focus their efforts. During the development of the software proposal, this thesis finds that implementing this software could improve law enforcement intervention to threats communicated over social media."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Barnett, Craig T.
2017-12
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U.S. Refugee Policy in the Era of Homeland Security: A Comparative Government Analysis
From the thesis abstract: "U.S. immigration and refugee policy reform has stalled due to competing national narratives. Claims that refugees harm the U.S. economy and national security are in direct conflict with the country's historical national identity and values, and this is apparent in the public discourse. This thesis explores the validity of these claims and provides a comparative analysis with Canada and Germany, both of which are democratic Western societies facing similar issues. It answers the question of what U.S. policy makers can learn from the refugee policies of Canada and Germany and makes 11 recommendations for the United States based on this analysis. This thesis finds the claims that refugees negatively impact a country's economy and national security in the United States, Canada, and Germany to be unfounded. Basing U.S. refugee policy on unfounded claims harms U.S. standing and credibility in the international community as well as deprives it of the economic and safety benefits of admitting and properly integrating refugees into U.S. society."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Kuczera, Reiss
2017-12
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Nevada Family: Political Crisis Leadership and Resilience Narratives in the Silver State
From the thesis abstract: "Emergencies and disasters are political events, and can often become political crises for elected and appointed officials. Current scholarship suggests that five key tasks for political officials allow them to manage these crises: sensemaking, decision making, meaning making, terminating, and learning. These practices provide a solid foundation for political leaders during crises, but it is argued in this thesis that this approach is limited wholly to prescriptive recommendations, and that it does not include a realistic and descriptive understanding of how political leaders actually respond to crises. The key distinction is that political leaders must balance the perception of their effective governing during the crisis with the perception that they should not be blamed for causing or allowing the crisis to occur or be held responsible for any of the deficiencies in how the crisis was handled. Furthermore, in addition to including addressing blame risk, these five key tasks must also happen before, during, and after the crisis, which amounts to political crisis leadership, whereas applying the five tasks during the crisis amounts to political crisis management. Since the most important of these tasks for a political official is meaning making, political officials can best lead crises before they happen by establishing resilience narratives."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Cage, Caleb S., 1979-
2017-12
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South Carolina National Guard Secure Area Duty Officer Program: A Reserve Component Active Shooter Contingency Case Study
From the thesis abstract; "On July 16, 2015, five military reservists were murdered during an active shooter attack on two reserve component military facilities. This act of domestic terrorism was only the latest in a series targeting U.S. military facilities in recent years. Since the Fort Hood Massacre in 2009, at least 37 military personnel have been killed and 55 wounded while at their place of duty in the United States. In response to this threat the South Carolina National Guard, in collaboration with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, established an active shooter contingency program called the Secure Area Duty Officer Program, or SADOP. The focus of this single case study thesis is to determine whether SADOP is an effective method to mitigate risk posed by the dynamic active shooter threat. The assertion that this innovative approach achieves its purpose is supported by the deliberate development methodology and interviews with key decision makers instrumental in the crisis-action response concept planning and program implementation. The findings of this study indicate that SADOP resourcefully employs a force protection framework tailored to the success of the reserve component as opposed to obliging its organizations to utilize legacy force-protection regulations designed by and for the active component of the military."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Ramey, Barry N.
2017-12
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When the Shooting Stops: Recovery from Active-Shooter Events for K-12 Schools
From the thesis abstract: "Since Columbine, untold resources and planning efforts have been dedicated to active-shooter response by schools and public safety officials. Perhaps this is as it should be, but the almost exclusive focus on response has come at the expense of recovery. Active-shooter events were studied to identify and analyze gaps in recovery planning and operations. Research suggests that a comprehensive K-12 recovery plan with a phased approach would have enabled a faster and smoother recovery. There are no federal requirements for such a plan, and fewer than two-thirds of the states require a crisis plan for schools. The most important elements of active-shooter recovery for K-12 schools were determined: evacuation, relocation, and parent/student reunification; counseling and mental health therapy; funerals and memorials; post-incident staff reduction, suicide awareness, communication with non-English-speaking students and families, and donation management. Based on the lessons learned from six active-shooter incidents, steps are recommended for the successful"
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Berglund, Douglas A.
2017-12
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Implications of Nanotechnology for the Fire Service: Avoiding the Mistakes of the Past
From the thesis abstract: "Firefighters are exposed to numerous hazardous materials throughout their careers. Managing that exposure is essential for the health and safety of the fire service. This thesis examines how exposure to nanotechnology will impact the fire service in the future. This cutting-edge technology has the potential to revolutionize numerous industries by improving a wide variety of products including fabrics, electronics, furniture, and building materials that can break down in the uncontrolled environment of a structural fire. As industries race to incorporate nanotechnology into everyday products, those exposed to the material as it degrades may face dangerous health complications. Given the newness of this technology, and the evolving scientific data, this thesis examines known hazards that have plagued the fire service to provide guidance on how to manage exposure to nanomaterials. Carbon nanotubes have been found to interact with lung tissue in ways similar to asbestos fibers. They have also been found to be a part of the particulate matter in diesel exhaust. Both hazards are examined to show how they have progressed and what measures have been taken to minimize exposure to them. The connection to these hazards demonstrates why it is so critical for the fire service to be aware of this new technology. It also offers guidance on the most effective methods to use to mitigate exposure."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
O'Sullivan, Daniel John
2017-12
