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• 'Gang of Four' Congressional Intelligence Notifications [March 18, 2011]

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  "'Gang of Four' intelligence notifications generally are oral briefings of certain particularly sensitive non-covert action intelligence activities, including principally, but not exclusively, intelligence collection programs, that the Intelligence Community typically limits to the chairmen and ranking Members of the two congressional intelligence committees. Gang of Four notifications are not based in statute but have constituted a practice generally accepted by the leadership of the intelligence committees and that is employed when the Intelligence Community believes a particular intelligence activity to be of such sensitivity that a restricted notification is warranted in order to reduce the risk of disclosure, inadvertent or otherwise. Intelligence activities viewed as being less sensitive typically are briefed to the full membership of each committee. [...] This report reviews the history of Gang of Four notification process and compares this procedure with that of the 'Gang of Eight' notification procedure. The 'Gang of Eight' procedure is statutorily based and provides that that the chairmen and ranking Members of the intelligence committee, along with the Speaker and minority leader of the House, and Senate majority and minority leaders--rather than the full membership of the intelligence committees--are to receive prior notice of particularly sensitive covert action programs, if the President determines that limited access to such programs is essential to meet extraordinary circumstances affecting vital U.S. interests."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Cumming, Alfred

  2011-03-18
• Eastern Pennsylvania Drug and Gang Threat Assessment 2011

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  "The influence of New York area (New York City and northern New Jersey) drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) and gangs reaches nearly every sizable drug market in eastern Pennsylvania. a Dominican DTOs and gangs are the most active of these groups, and their influence within the region is increasing except in select drug markets where Mexican DTOs are dominant and growing. [...] The National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC) assesses with high confidence that the influence of Mexican DTOs will increase in eastern Pennsylvania drug markets, spurred by the ability of these groups to supply the markets with cocaine shipments directly from the Southwest Border area and supported by growing Mexican populations in the region, which they use as cover to mask their operations. Furthermore, NDIC assesses with moderate confidence that incidents of drug-related violence against law enforcement officers will increase, as evidenced by rising levels of aggression by some gang members. NDIC assesses with high confidence that heroin use will increase in the near term as high availability and low prices encourage an increasing prescription opioid abuser population to transition to heroin. Finally, NDIC assesses with high confidence that members affiliated with New York area gangs will move farther into Pennsylvania drug markets--including those in central and western Pennsylvania--where drug prices are higher and where smaller communities often lack the law enforcement strength to deter highly organized drug distribution groups."

  United States. Department of Justice; National Gang Intelligence Center (U.S.); National Drug Intelligence Center (U.S.)

  2011-03
• Human Security in Complex Operations

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  "Complex operations take place in zones of insecurity. In these zones, ordinary people face a range of everyday risks and dangers. They risk being killed, tortured, kidnapped, robbed, raped, or displaced from their homes. They risk dying from hunger, lack of shelter, disease, or lack of access to health care. They are vulnerable to man-made and natural disasters--hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, or fires. These risks and dangers feed on each other. They are very difficult to eliminate; hence, the current preoccupation with 'persistent conflict' or 'forever wars.' These have a tendency to spread both to neighboring regions--growing zones of insecurity in places such as East Africa, Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Middle East, or the Balkans--and, indeed, to the inner cities of the industrialized West. Yet our security forces, largely based on conventional military forces designed to meet a foreign attack, are unsuited to address these risks and dangers; indeed, the application of conventional military force can often make things worse--as we have learned painfully in Iraq and Afghanistan. Already, a range of private actors, security contractors, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), militia, warlords, and criminal gangs have rushed to fill the vacuum created by the failure of public institutions to provide security, contributing both to security and, more often than not, to greater insecurity."

  National Defense University Press

  Kaldor, Mary

  2011-03
• Federal Crime Control Issues in the 111th Congress [January 25, 2011]

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  "States and localities have traditionally been responsible for preventing and controlling domestic crime. As crime rates continued to increase throughout the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, the federal government increased its involvement in crime control efforts. Over a period of 10 years (1984-1994), Congress passed five major anti-crime bills and increased appropriations for federal assistance to state and local law enforcement agencies. Since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, federal law enforcement efforts have been focused on countering terrorism and maintaining homeland security. Amid these efforts, however, Congress has continued to address many traditional crimerelated issues. This report aggregates various issues surrounding federal crime control into five broad themes: violent crime control, combating fraud and theft, drug control, sentencing reform, and state and local justice assistance. Within these themes, the report examines more specific issues that confronted the 111th Congress. Issues discussed under the umbrella of violent crime control include hate crimes, gangs, and gun control. Issues related to the federal government's efforts to combat fraud and theft include identity theft and organized retail crime. A perennial drug control issue discussed is that of drug trafficking. Congress also considered sentencing reform issues such as disparities in crack and powder cocaine sentencing as well as early prison release. With respect to state and local justice assistance, issues regarding the adequacy of federal assistance grants to state and local law enforcement--via the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Program--and the proposal of a new witness protection grant program as well as juvenile justice are discussed."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Finklea, Kristin M.

  2011-01-25
• Gangs in Central America [January 3, 2011]

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  "Congress has maintained an interest in the effects of gang violence in Central America, and on the expanding activities of transnational gangs with ties to that region operating in the United States. The violent Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and its main rival, the '18th Street' gang (also known as M-18) continue to threaten citizen security and challenge government authority in Central America. Gang-related violence has been particularly acute in Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala, which have among the highest homicide rates in the world. In recent years, governments in those countries appeared to move away, at least on a rhetorical level, from repressive anti-gang strategies. However, continuing gang-related violence prompted El Salvador to adopt tough new legislation on gangs in September 2010. Guatemala may follow suit. U.S. officials have expressed concerns about the expanding presence of the MS-13 and M-18 in cities across the United States, as well as reports that these gangs may be evolving into more sophisticated transnational criminal enterprises. Between February 2005 and October 2010, U.S. officials arrested some 3,332 alleged MS-13 members in cities across the United States, many of whom were subsequently deported. Evidence suggests, however, that previously deported members of both the MS-13 and the M-18 often reenter the United States illegally."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Seelke, Clare Ribando

  2011-01-03
• Milwaukee Police Department: Operation Cornerstone

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  "In the summer of 2010, several shootings involving shotguns took place in a six-block radius on the south side of the city of Milwaukee. The problem resulted from a gang war between two Hispanic street gangs, the Sureno 13, Mexican Posse Sur 13's (MP's), and Clantones Sur 13 (C14). The problem was identified by Milwaukee Police Department during an agency-wide briefing and directed to Detective Thomas Obregon of the Milwaukee Police Department's Intelligence Fusion Center. Detective Obregon is a Gang Liaison Officer recently introduced into the Milwaukee Fusion Center to coordinate initiatives with local, state, federal, and tribal partners in an effort to mitigate the threat that organized gangs bring to the region. Detectives assigned to the Criminal Investigation Bureau and Police Officers assigned to the Neighborhood Policing Bureau were addressing the numerous violent crimes involving the Latino gangs on an individual incident basis. The violent crimes continued without interruption despite the investigative efforts of the police department. Continuity problems and a lack of communication between investigators were identified as the cause of the mitigation failure. Robberies, shootings, and drug dealing skyrocketed and created a sense of chaos in the neighborhood."

  United States. Department of Justice. Office of Community Oriented Policing Services

  2011?
• Addressing Gang Issues: Gangs Action Group

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  This report addresses gang issues in London Borough of Enfield, Greater London, United Kingdom. "Scanning: [1] Several youth murders in 2008, three of which were arguably 'gang-related' [2] Widespread media attention referring to Edmonton as 'knife town' highlighting gang problems Several youth gang members injured by gunshot from a Mac-10 submachine gun [3] Fear within the local community - 50% of residents selecting weapon and gang crime as a local priority [4] Concern regular gang stabbings could lead to another fatality [5] 12% increase in youth violence Analysis: [1] Early enforcement did not eradicate gangs and instead paved the way for the younger generation [2] Difficulty in disaggregating individual offences and those carried out collectively [3] Criminality levels varied amongst gang members -- not all members commit crime but nonetheless are at equal risk of serious violence [4] Two rival gangs were responsible for 72% of all violent incidents [5] Gang members were both victims and offenders [6] High-risk locations, gang hangout areas, were the setting for a disproportionate amount of violence"

  United States. Department of Justice. Office of Community Oriented Policing Services

  2011
• Ten Years After: The FBI Since 9/11, Violent Gang Initiatives [Factsheet]

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  "While preventing terrorist attacks remains the FBI's top priority, our resources dedicated to combating violent crime are focused on the most acute problems threatening our society and on complex, multijurisdictional investigations where we can offer special capabilities. Since 2001, the FBI has increased its focus on violent gangs."

  United States. Federal Bureau of Investigation

  2011
• Border Corruption: Assessing Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General's Office Collaboration in the Fight to Prevent Corruption, Hearing Before the Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery and Intergovernmental Affairs of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, United States Senate, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, First Session, June 9, 2011

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  From the opening statement of Mark L. Pryor: "We are going to examine the progress of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in preventing corruption in its workforce as well as the work of the Inspector General's office at the Department of Homeland Security in investigating and prosecuting those individuals who have been accused of corruption. Securing the United States' borders is a constant struggle for the residents of the border States and for the government officials who represent them. The Mexican cartels dominate drug trafficking into the United States. Their operations and methods are sophisticated, ruthless, and well funded. Their notorious presence and power in Mexico is made possible by bribery and corruption, intimidation, paramilitary force, and murder. […] We must continue to do everything that we can to disrupt and prevent these gangs from penetrating our communities. That is why I am pleased that last year the Congress passed and the President signed the Anti-Border Corruption Act of 2010. This bill is designed to complement CBP's Workforce Integrity Plan and prevent rogue border agents from being hired and retained. […] Hiring new Border Patrol agents will help secure our borders only if these agents are truly committed to protecting our country. […] Another area of interest today is the ongoing concern about the lack of true collaboration and information sharing between CBP and the Inspector General's office when it comes to investigating alleged acts of corruption. Fighting corruption is vital to protecting our borders and securing our communities. We must aggressively attack and investigate these cases if we are going to end corruption within the U.S. law enforcement agencies. However, we must conduct these investigations in an efficient and collaborative way that leads to results in the quickest way possible." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Mark L. Pryor, Rand Paul, Alan D. Bersin, and Charles K. Edwards.

  United States. Government Printing Office

  2011
• Watermark: The Alumni Magazine of the Center for Homeland Defense and Security [Fall 2011]

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  This edition of Watermark features the following articles: "1) Integrating Cybersecurity Strategy Into CHDS [Center for Homeland Defense and Security] Courses 2) CHDS Grads Take Public Health to Middle East 3) Alumni Feature: Winski at the National September 11 Memorial 4) Magram Moves Cooperative Effort Forward 5) First Responder Safety: Dooris Has Your Back 6) ELP [Executive Leaders Program] Expands to Pacific 7) 'Breaking Bad' on Motorcycle Gangs 8) Strindberg Discusses 'Arab Spring'".

  Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security

  2011
• Results from a Multi-Site Evaluation of the G.R.E.A.T. Program [draft]

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  "Despite a long history of youth gang problems in the US, there remains a paucity of evaluations identifying promising or effective gang prevention and intervention programs. One primary prevention program that has received limited support is the Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.) program. An earlier national evaluation of the G.R.E.A.T. program's core middle school curriculum reported modest program effects but, importantly, did not find any programmatic effect on gang membership or delinquency. In this manuscript, we present results from a second national evaluation of the revised G.R.E.A.T. core curriculum. This current evaluation utilizes a randomized field trial in which classrooms were randomly assigned to treatment and control conditions. Approximately 4,000 students attending 31 schools in seven cities comprise the initial sample. Analyses of one-year post-treatment data indicate that students receiving the program had lower odds of gang membership compared to the control group. Additionally, the treatment groups also reported more pro-social attitudes on a number of program-specific outcomes."

  National Institute of Justice (U.S.)

  Esbensen, Finn-Aage; Peterson, Dana; Taylor, Terrance J.

  2010-12-30
• Future of Crime Prevention: Developmental and Situational Strategies

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  "Crime prevention means many different things to many different people. Programs and policies designed to prevent crime can include the police making an arrest as part of an operation to deal with gang problems, a court disposal to a secure correctional facility, or, in the extreme case, a death penalty sentence. These measures are more correctly referred to as crime control. More often crime prevention refers to efforts to prevent crime or criminal offending in the first instance -- before the act has been committed. Both forms of crime prevention share a common goal of trying to prevent the occurrence of a future criminal act, but what distinguishes crime prevention from crime control is that prevention typically operates outside of the confines of the formal justice system. […] In this paper we set out to address three main questions as they relate to developmental and situational crime prevention today and in the years to come: 1. What do we know? This pertains largely to the effectiveness of the two strategies. 2. What do we need to know? This concerns gaps in knowledge on effectiveness and related key issues. 3. How can we find out? This final question has to do with research strategies to address the gaps in knowledge and priorities for research."

  National Institute of Justice (U.S.)

  Welsh, Brandon, 1969-; Farrington, David P.

  2010-12-11
• Countering Islamic Radicalization and Al Shabaab Recruitment within the Ethnic Somali Population of the United States: An Argument for Applying Best Practices for Stemming Youth Gang Recruitment and Initiation

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  "Over the past few years, a spate of attempted plots, lethal attacks, and arrests of American Muslims both at home and overseas has created the perception of a more worrisome development regarding the issue of domestic radicalization and homegrown violent extremism. The individuals involved in these developments have come from a broad cross-section of various ethnic, socioeconomic, cultural, and geographic backgrounds in the United States, making it difficult for law enforcement and the intelligence community to focus their efforts to predict or determine where violent extremists will emerge. This thesis focuses on the Somali-American community in particular and the threat posed by a very small percentage of that community that has, in recent years, been drawn to violent extremist agendas in Somalia. This thesis examines existing best practices that might be leveraged or utilized to combat the radicalizing influences that have affected some Somali-Americans in the past, with the hope that those practices can prevent similar effects in the future."

  Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)

  Jones, Jeffrey J.

  2010-12
• Gang Prevention: An Overview of Research and Programs

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  "This bulletin presents research on why youth join gangs and how a community can build gang prevention and intervention services. The author summarizes recent literature on gang formation and identifies promising and effective programs for gang prevention. The following are some key findings: 1) Youth join gangs for protection, enjoyment, respect, money, or because a friend is in a gang. 2) Youth are at higher risk of joining a gang if they engage in delinquent behaviors, are aggressive or violent, experience multiple caretaker transitions, have many problems at school, associate with other gang-involved youth, or live in communities where they feel unsafe and where many youth are in trouble. 3) To prevent youth from joining gangs, communities must strengthen families and schools, improve community supervision, train teachers and parents to manage disruptive youth, and teach students interpersonal skills."

  United States. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

  Howell, James C.

  2010-12
• Small Town Insurgency: The Struggle for Information Dominance to Reduce Gang Violence

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  "Since 2006, the gang related homicide rate in Salinas, California has quadrupled. As of 2009 the homicide rate associated with gang activity far exceeds those of much larger cities such as San Francisco, San Jose, and even Los Angeles, California. This report examines this negative trend through the lens of counterinsurgency, since gangs exhibit many similarities in structure and tactics to insurgent groups. Accordingly, this thesis capitalizes on the diverse academic theories available to the study of counterinsurgencies. While the common narrative for an effective counterinsurgency campaign focuses on the importance of information dominance, there has been little research into component factors that might either promote, or inhibit, the flow of information that is also critical in combating the American street gang phenomenon. In reality, gangs exist because of an information advantage bestowed upon them by the population. Thus, we postulate that two factors, information volume and information processing, mutually contribute to information dominance with respect to a counter-gang strategy. Through comparative analysis, our research suggests that improving relationships between the population and the government encourages more communication about gang activities. Additionally, improving communication structures within the government enhances information processing. Combined, these two factors reduce the gang's information advantage."

  Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)

  Arnold, Laurence H.; O'Gwin, Christopher W.; Vickers, Jeremy S.

  2010-12
• Findings from the Evaluation of OJJDP's Gang Reduction Program

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  "Researchers from the Urban Institute conducted an independent evaluation of the impact of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention's (OJJDP's) Gang Reduction Program (GRP) on gang-related crime in Los Angeles, CA; Milwaukee, WI; North Miami Beach, FL; and Richmond, VA. The evaluation focused on program implementation and outcomes in each of the four cities. Following are some of the authors' key findings: (1) In contrast to many previous crime prevention and reduction efforts, all sites successfully implemented the GRP model. Three of the four sites also implemented plans to sustain elements of the program as federal funding expired; (2) Successful outcomes related to crime reduction were seen in most of the sites although results varied; (3) Strong leadership of a site coordinator, close oversight by OJJDP during the strategic planning and implementation phases, and the availability of technical assistance contributed to implementation progress at the sites; (4) GRP is not a one-size-fits-all approach to gang prevention and reduction. The model is flexible enough that sites can adapt it to local conditions yet remain true to the original design."

  United States. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

  Cahill, Meagan; Hayeslip, David W.

  2010-12
• Responding to Gangs in the School Setting

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  "Gang members do not leave their conflicts, attitudes, and behaviors outside the school doors. Some of the most dangerous gang activities in any community may take place in and around local schools. Gang members encounter each other at school during class changes, in the lunchroom, in common areas, and during assemblies and school events. Students may loiter on or around the school campus before and after school, and conflicts may occur between rival gangs. In some instances, gang members come to school to engage in criminal behavior (drug dealing) or to confront rivals. Because of the potential for violent gang interactions at school, school staff members and administrators need to formulate a plan to deal with gang activity. This article provides an overview of action steps that schools can take to prevent, intervene in, and suppress violent gang activity, as well as crisis response plans that can be developed to address potential acts of school violence including, but not limited to, gang activity."

  United States. Bureau of Justice Assistance; United States. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

  Arciaga, Michelle; Sakamoto, Wayne; Jones, Errika Fearbry

  2010-11
• FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin: November 2010

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  This issue of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Law Enforcement Bulletin features three articles: "Proactive Human Source Development" by Robin K. Dreeke and Kara D. Sidener; "Policing Liquor Establishments" by John L. Gray and "Supreme Court Cases 2009-2010 Term" by Lisa A. Baker. Other information in this edition includes: "Police Practice: Community-Oriented Policing in a Recession"; "Bulletin Honors:Contra Costa County, California"; "Leadership Spotlight: Lessons from the Living Room"; and "Bulletin Report: Gang Survey".

  United States. Federal Bureau of Investigation

  2010-11
• EMR-ISAC: InfoGram 43-10 [October 28, 2010]

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  This document from the Emergency Management and Response Information Sharing and Analysis Center is "distributed weekly to provide members of the Emergency Services Sector with information concerning the protection of their critical infrastructures." Sections include: "TATP [triacetone triperoxide] Update"; "Apparatus Safety"; "National Gang Center"; and "Hazardous Materials Course".

  Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (U.S.)

  2010-10-28
• Crime and Insurgency in the Tribal Areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan

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  "Insurgent and terror groups operating in the tribal areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan are deepening their involvement in organized crime, an aspect of the conflict that at once presents enormous challenges and also potential opportunities for Coalition forces trying to implement a population‐centric counterinsurgency (COIN) strategy. Within a realm of poor governance and widespread state corruption, anti‐state actors engage in and protect organized crime--mainly smuggling, extortion and kidnapping--both to raise funds and also to spread fear and insecurity, thus slowing the pace of development and frustrating attempts to extend the rule of law and establish a sustainable licit economy. Militant groups on either side of the frontier function like a broad network of criminal gangs, not just in terms of the activities in which they engage, but also in the way they are organized, how funds flow through their command chains and how they interact--and sometimes fight--with each other. There is no doubt that militant groups have capitalized on certain public grievances, yet their ties to criminal profiteering, along with the growing number of civilian casualties they cause on both sides of the frontier, have simultaneously contributed to a widening sense of anger and frustration among local communities. Through a series of focused and short anecdotal case studies, this paper aims to map out how key groups engage in criminal activity in strategic areas, track how involvement in illicit activity is deepening or changing and illustrate how insurgent and terror groups impose themselves on local communities as they spread to new territory. It is hoped that a closer examination of this phenomenon will reveal opportunities for disrupting the problem, as well as illustrate how Coalition forces, the international community and moderate Muslim leaders might capitalize on an untapped public relations opportunity by better protecting local communities who are the main victims of it."

  Combating Terrorism Center (U.S.)

  Peters, Gretchen

  2010-10-15
• Best Practices to Address Community Gang Problems: OJJDP's Comprehensive Gang Model; Second Edition

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  "This Report provides guidance for communities that are considering how best to address a youth gang problem that already exists or threatens to become a reality. The guidance is based on the implementation of the Comprehensive Gang Model (Model) developed through the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), and tested in OJJDP's Gang Reduction Program. The Report describes the research that produced the Model, notes essential findings from evaluations of several programs demonstrating the Model in a variety of environments, and outlines 'best practices' obtained from practitioners with years of experience in planning, implementing, and overseeing variations of the Model in their communities. The Model and best practices contain critical elements that distinguish it from typical program approaches to gangs. The Model's key distinguishing feature is a strategic planning process that empowers communities to assess their own gang problems and fashion a complement of anti-gang strategies and program activities. Community leaders considering this Model will be able to call on the OJJDP Strategic Planning Tool at no cost (http://www.iir.com/nygc/tool/default.htm). OJJDP's Socioeconomic Mapping and Resource Topography (SMART) system is another online resource available through the OJJDP Web site (go to http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ojjdp, and select 'Tools'). The main section of the Report presents best practices for the Comprehensive Gang Model and highlights results of a survey and a meeting of practitioners regarding their experiences in implementing the Model. This section contains specific practices that work best in a step-by-step planning and implementation process for communities using the Comprehensive Gang Model framework and tools."

  United States. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

  National Youth Gang Center (U.S.)

  2010-10
• Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report: Gang Units in Large Local Law Enforcement Agencies, 2007

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  "In 2007, 365 of the nation's large police departments and sheriffs' off ices had specialized gang units, employing more than 4,300 sworn officers dedicated to addressing gang-related activities. Thirty-five percent (35%) of these units were established between 2004 and 2007, suggesting a recent heightened interest in using specialized units to address gang issues. Gangs and gang-related activities are pervasive, nationwide problems. Gangs can contribute to higher violent crime rates, induce community deterioration through behaviors such as vandalism, graffiti, and drug dealing, and increase public fear of victimization. One way for law enforcement agencies to address gang-related problems is to form specialized gang units. The consolidation of an agency's gang enforcement activities and resources into a single unit can allow gang unit officers to develop specific expertise and technical skills related to local gang characteristics, behaviors, and gang prevention and suppression. The 2007 Census of Law Enforcement Gang Units (CLEGU) collected data on 365 local police departments and sheriffs' offices that had 100 or more sworn officers with at least one officer dedicated solely to addressing gang activity. Based primarily on findings from the CLEGU, this report details the types of problems handled by specialized gang units, followed by findings about unit operations, gang officers, and the attributes of the agencies and jurisdictions that contain these specialized units."

  United States. Bureau of Justice Statistics

  Langton, Lynn

  2010-10
• Fact Sheet: Transnational Organized Crime: Growing Risk to U.S. and Global Interests

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  "Certain types of international crime -- terrorism, human trafficking, drug trafficking, and contraband smuggling -- involve serious violence and physical harm. Other forms -- fraud, extortion, money laundering, bribery, economic espionage, intellectual property theft, and counterfeiting -- don't require guns to cause major damage. Consequences include the loss of profits, productivity, and jobs for Americans at home, as well as negative public health consequences. Moreover, new categories of cybercrime continue to emerge and expand in both scale and sophistication. For the United States, international crime poses threats on three broad, interrelated fronts. First, the impact is felt directly on the streets of virtually every community in America. Drugs, migrants, firearms, counterfeit merchandise, child pornography, and other contraband are illegally smuggled into the United States every year, undermining our border security and inflicting harm on society and individuals. Transnational criminal gangs commit crimes affecting the safety and well being of Americans--often collaborating with peers beyond the territory of United States, and vice versa. Few (if any) threats from abroad have a more visible and pervasive impact on the lives of U.S. citizens than transnational crime."

  United States. Department of State

  2010-09-10
• Emerging Threat to America: Non-State Entities Fighting Fourth Generation Warfare in Mexico

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  From the thesis abstract: "The 2007 Merida Initiative provides the framework for the cooperation between America and Mexico, supporting the fight against the Pack Virus in Mexico. The new American-Mexican policy of combating the drug cartels, transnational gangs, and paramilitaries is a first step in creating a real U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) theater defense. The USNORTHCOM Mexico strategy is a supporting effort to the U.S. defense strategy, the Mexican strategy to counter the violence, and national policies of the U.S. government. The USNORTHCOM-Mexico strategy emphasizes the U.S. and Mexican military role in collaborating to create a solid institution to be utilized in support of the Mexican government. The partnering of the two militaries creates the conditions for increasing Mexican capabilities in eight functional areas. An emphasis on intelligence surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), Mexican Special Forces, and consequence management operations are factors that would contribute to the transformation of the Mexican military into a counter insurgency force. A list of recommendations for policy makers and military leaders is provided to strengthen the gains created by the Merida Initiative. The increase in capabilities and credibility of the Mexican military benefits both the economic and security policies of Mexico and the U.S."

  Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)

  Treglia, Philip

  2010-09
• Environmental Change, Natural Disasters and Stability in Central America and the Caribbean

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  "Threats to state and human security result from a variety of areas and issues such as criminal gangs, political and military sources, as well as from social, economic and environmental issues. A wide array of factors contribute to making people feel insecure, from the proliferation of small arms and drug trafficking, to transnational threats like water pollution, natural disasters, the spread of diseases and climate change. Because it is closely associated with heat and water, climate change is already having diverse impacts in Central America and the Caribbean, including: more powerful storms; altered river flows; changes in groundwater recharge; landslides; more intense floods; and longer droughts. The inability to predict and manage the quantity and quality of water, and the vulnerabilities of states and regions to the impacts of droughts, floods and climatic variability impose large costs on many economies in the region."

  Army War College (U.S.). Center for Strategic Leadership

  Ramirez, Marcela

  2010-09
• Designating Domestic Terrorist Individuals or Groups

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  From the thesis abstract: "Terrorism is a crime committed by individuals with a political or social agenda designed to influence a government or its population. The U.S. government, state and local law enforcement agencies have, as a priority, the mission of protecting the homeland from the threats of terrorism-domestic or foreign. However, the U.S. government has not effectively defined what constitutes a domestic terrorist with the same processes and vigor used to identify international terrorists, gang members, or sex offenders. The lack of a workable definition and validation process for identifying a 'domestic terrorist' places law enforcement and homeland security agencies in a position of having to balance the need to protect constitutional rights and the need to protect against the nation's security threats. To this end, this thesis will identify the problems associated with a lack of a comprehensive definition, address the safeguards required in a definition to ensure constitutionally protected rights are not impinged, and will offer a working definition and designation process."

  Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)

  Heller, David E.

  2010-09
• On the Southwest Border: Corruption, Drugs, Gangs, and More

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  "The U.S. border with Mexico extends nearly 2,000 miles, from San Diego, California to Brownsville, Texas. At too many points along the way, criminals ply their trade with surprising ease and devastating results. Drug cartels transporting kilos of cocaine and marijuana, gangs who think nothing of kidnapping and murder, traffickers smuggling human cargo, corrupt public officials lining their pockets by looking the other way--any one of these offenses represents a challenge to law enforcement. Taken together, they constitute a threat not only to the safety of our border communities, but to the security of the entire country."

  United States. Federal Bureau of Investigation

  2010-08-02
• Africa's Fragile States: Empowering Extremists, Exporting Terrorism

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  "Twelve of the twenty states deemed by the Failed States Index (FSI) to be at greatest risk of collapse in 2010 are in Africa. These fragile and failed states account for much of the continent's ongoing conflict, instability, and humanitarian catastrophes. State failure raises the risk of personal insecurity, lawlessness, and armed conflict. Such persistent and randomized insecurity undermines all aspects of ordinary life, forcing people to stay in their homes and close their businesses for fear of violence. Under such circumstances, residents become willing to support or accept virtually any groups that are able to restore order--be they warlords, local gangs, or organized criminal syndicates. Among the violent actors that fill the power vacuums of Africa's fragile and failed states are Islamist extremists. By providing security and basic services, they hope to gain greater public acceptance of their ideological agendas. A state's failure to assert a monopoly on legitimate force accordingly opens the door for extremists to build their bases of political power. Of the twelve 'high-risk' states in Africa, eight have populations that are one-third or more Muslim, a feature that more than doubles a state's risk of instability and provides fertile ground for Islamist extremists."

  National Defense University. Africa Center for Strategic Studies

  Devlin-Foltz, Zachary

  2010-08
• Jamaica: Background and U.S. Relations [July 9, 2010]

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  From the Document: "The Caribbean island-nation of Jamaica has had a relatively stable parliamentary political system stemming from its history of British colonial rule. Current Prime Minister Bruce Golding of the Jamaica Labour Party was elected in September 2007 when his party defeated the long-ruling People's National Party led by then-Prime Minister Portia Simpson. In late May 2010, however, Jamaica's stability was challenged after Prime Minister Golding agreed to extradite to the United States an at-large alleged drug kingpin and gang leader, Christopher Coke. The Jamaican government deployed police and soldiers seeking to execute a warrant for Coke, but his armed supporters erected barricades and roadblocks to battle the security forces. In the ensuing violence, 76 people were killed, including two policemen and a soldier. Human rights organizations have called on the government to conduct a thorough investigation into the killings, especially since Jamaica's police forces have been criticized for many years for extrajudicial killings and the indiscriminate use of force. Coke was ultimately captured and extradited to New York in late June 2010 to face drug and weapons trafficking charges. High rates of crime and violence have plagued Jamaica for many years. In the 1970s and 1980s there was a high level of politically motivated violence when political parties became allied with armed gangs to deliver votes at election time. Jamaica's gangs initially were involved in the trafficking of marijuana in the 1970s (Jamaica is the Caribbean's largest producer and exporter of marijuana), but in the mid-1980s became involved in cocaine trafficking, with Jamaica used as a transit country, as well as weapons trafficking."

  Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

  Sullivan, Mark P.

  2010-07-09
• EMR-ISAC: InfoGram 26-10 [July 1, 2010]

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  This document from the Emergency Management and Response Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) is "distributed weekly to provide members of the Emergency Services Sector with information concerning the protection of their critical infrastructures." This edition includes sections about preparation for Independence Day security, safety issues with fireworks, interim guidance to protect the Deepwater Horizon oil spill responders, and gang awareness.

  Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (U.S.)

  2010-07-01