Assignment: Security Risk in the Centervale Neighborhood
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has called the mayor of Centervale on issues related to terrorism. With a resident population of seventy-five thousand and close proximity to a major metropolitan area of two million people, Centervale may be a potential terrorist target. To confirm the threat, the DHS has asked the mayor to assess the risk of Centervale being a target of terrorism and to submit a report to the federal government on the findings.
Because of your knowledge of terrorism, the mayor has asked you to assess the most likely terrorist-related risks in Centervale. Your goal is to conduct research on terrorist organizations-their goals, history, primary strengths and weaknesses, and membership profile. Since the "fight against terrorism" is one of the highest priorities for the DHS, you are required to tailor your report to help the DHS and Centervale plan against the ongoing threats of terrorism.
Instructions:
The mayor expects you to present a 6- to 8-page research paper that explains your findings and utilizes supporting documentation from a minimum of five references in APA format to validate your research.
Overall, your research paper should help the city of Centervale to prepare for potential terrorist attacks by identifying the most likely ways in which attacks might occur.
Take into consideration the following possible actions:
1. Detecting explosives in public places and transportation networks and other such preventive measures
2. Helping protect critical infrastructure and cyber networks from attack
3. Detecting agents of biological warfare
4. Building information-sharing partnerships with state and local law enforcement that can enable law enforcement to mitigate threats
Tasks:
As you construct your report for the mayor, take the following aspects into consideration:
1. Analyze and determine the potential areas of risk for the city of Centervale by selecting one of these areas of concern as the focus of your report:
a. The local airport
b. The water filtration system
c. Community facilities
Explain, on the basis of research, why the mentioned areas would be a potential target for terrorists and how an attack would occur and potentially affect the community.
1. Profile the potential terrorist organizations by providing your analysis on the terrorist organization that is most likely to launch an attack on Centervale. On the basis of the organization's main causes or ideologies, explain why it is likely to attack the area you selected.
2. Evaluate where and how the terrorist organization may be able to obtain the resources necessary to launch an attack on Centervale. You should consider all the potential resources. Include effective strategies to verify the legitimacy of each potential terrorist resource without violating the rights of Centervale's citizens.
3. Create a counterterrorism preparedness plan for preparing for and preventing terrorist attacks and protecting the citizens of Centervale from harm. Compare this plan with the preparedness measures offered by the Department of Homeland Security for individuals, families, and businesses. Go to http://www.ready.gov/ to view other types of comparative preparedness plans.