Assignment

Ryan Thomas

Research Question: How can the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) help optimize their ability to work with state and local law enforcement agencies to help protect the United States from the many ways terrorists could strike the United States?

Thesis: The Department of Homeland Security is comprised of 22 different federal departments and agencies. The ability for these agencies to be able to function with state and local law enforcement is key in keeping the United States free from terrorism. Optimizing the functions that DHS are responsible for by reducing the amount of total agencies under that hat and working better with local and state law enforcement agencies would help.

Introduction: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is the name of one department, with multiple agencies below them. Their relationship with local and state law enforcement agencies is one that could improve, among those improvements combining some of the many agencies under the DHS umbrella would be a good start in reducing the overlap in DHS by multiple departments, making working with local and state law enforcement agencies easier.

1.Agencies and their Roles

a.United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

i.Keep terrorists and their weapons from coming into the United States.

ii.Enforcement of all applicable United States Laws including those against illegal immigration.

iii.Stopping the smuggling of narcotics, weapons, people, and goods.

b.United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

i.Enforce more than 400 federal statues

ii.Immigration enforcement

iii.Keep terrorists and their weapons from coming into the United States.

iv.Combat illegal movement of people, weapons, goods, and narcotics

c.United States Citizenship and Immigration Services

i.Oversee lawful immigration to the United States

2.Benefits of combining these agencies a.Boots manpower for additional border protection

b.Reduces multiple agencies doing the same task

c.Gives more opportunity to work with local and state law enforcement on a common goal.

3.Ways to work with state and local law enforcement agencies a.Intelligence Sharing

b.Work together on large operations targeting narcotics, personnel, weapon smuggling.

c.Training together in the event of joint operations

4.Conclusion

With how large of a department DHS is, downsizing some of their agencies by combining and reorganizing responsibilities like Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Citizenship and Immigration Services would aid in the ability to work with local and state law enforcement agencies in a common goal of ensuring border protection and keeping terrorists out of the United States.

References

Department of Homeland Security. (2016, June 27). History. Retrieved March 7, 2017, from https://www.dhs.gov/history

Department of Homeland Security. (2016, June 28). Operational and Support Components. Retrieved March 7, 2017, from https://www.dhs.gov/operational-and-support-components

Department of Homeland Security. (2017, March 3). Leadership. Retrieved March 7, 2017, from https://www.dhs.gov/leadership

Department of Homeland Security. (n.d.) Organization. Retrieved March 7, 2017 from https://www.dhs.gov/leadership

Department of Homeland Security. (17 June, 2016). State and Major Urban Area Fusion Centers. Retrieved March 7, 2017 from https://www.dhs.gov/state-and-major-urban-area-fusion-centers

Department of Homeland Security. (21 February, 2017). Fusion Center Locations and Contact Information. Retrieved March 7, 2017 from https://www.dhs.gov/fusion-center-locations-and-contact-information

US Department of Justice. (n.d.). Fusion Centers and Intelligence Sharing. Retrieved March 7, 2017, from https://it.ojp.gov/initiatives/fusion-centers

Federal Bureau of Investigation. (12 March, 2009). Fusion Centers Unifying Intelligence to Protect Americans. Retrieved March 7, 2017 from https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/news/stories/2009/march/fusion_031209

US Customs and Border Protection. (17 March, 2017). Border Security. Retrieved March 19, 2017 from https://www.cbp.gov/border-security

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. (N.D.) What We Do. Retrieved March 19, 2017 from https://www.ice.gov/overview

US Citizenship and Immigration Services. (30 December, 2016). About Us. Retrieved March 19, 2017 from https://www.uscis.gov/aboutus
Jennifer Pepe

Research Question: Does the technology that is used for both military and civilian law enforcement really help save human lives or is it just a money pit?

Thesis Statement: The impact that technology has on all law enforcement fields out weights the cost that it takes to fund each program.

Introduction: The department of Homeland Security relies not only on human agents but they also rely on technology elements that help reach the goal of the mission. The technology that is used can range from bomb seeking robots to metal detectors. The sole purpose of this technology is to help and save as many human lives as possible.

Main Points:

1. What technology is used?

Military
Civilian

2. What are the cost of each technology?

Production of item
Training on item and training of operator
Cost to the company that is buying the item

3. Who uses the technology the most? Military or Civilian
Which field uses the most technology and for what.

4. How does the technology help save human lives?
What are the uses of the item?
If the item is broke or lost does it get replaced? This would be after an incident.

5. What type of training is needed?
How does the Military train on the item?
How does Civilians train on the item?

Conclusion: The use of technology in any field tends to be for a useful purpose not just to be a paycheck for the inventor. The goal of technology that is used within the military or civilian world is to help save lives and prevent more damage. Even the cost of any of the approved technology would out weight the true unlimited price of anyone's life.

Reference

1. Link, A. N., &Henrich, V. C. (2003). Deploying homeland security technology. Journal of Technology Transfer, 28(3-4), 363-368. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy1.apus.edu/docview/203625013?accountid=8289

2. Bonvillian, W. B., & Sharp, K. V. (2002). Homeland security technology. Issues in Science and Technology, 18(2), 43-49. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy1.apus.edu/docview/195917811?accountid=8289

3. Committee, on Army Science and Technology for Homeland Defense -- C4ISR. Army Science and Technology for Homeland Security, edited by on Army Science and Technology for Homeland Defense -- C4ISR Committee, National Academies Press, 2004. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com.ezproxy1.apus.edu/lib/apus/detail.action?docID=3377186.

4. Franceschetti, Giorgio, and Marina Grossi. Homeland Security Technology Challenges, edited by Giorgio Franceschetti, and Marina Grossi, Artech House, 2008. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com.ezproxy1.apus.edu/lib/apus/detail.action?docID=456895.

5. Malakoff, D. (2003). New science chief wants ready-made technologies. Science, 300(5618), 406. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy1.apus.edu/docview/213595783?accountid=8289