Rich Cooper

Thad Allen – My Interview and Nomination

November 18, 2010

Several weeks back, I had the good fortune to interview retired U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Thad Allen for Faircount Media Group. In our discussion, he reflected on the lessons learned from this year’s Gulf oil spill, as well as his experiences with Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and what can only be called an eventful career in public service. The interview is offered below, but in sharing it, I can’t help but feel as we approach the end of the calendar year and hand out honors that there is one more that should be handed out.

New Wardrobe Choices Tell TSA to Get a Grip

Rich Cooper |

November 12, 2010

Much has been made of late about the new “hands-on” approach TSA Screeners are applying to passengers at the nation’s airports. With a flood of vocal protests coming from the various unions representing airline pilots and flight attendants, as well as religious groups and the travelling public, DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano and TSA Administrator John Pistole have the distinction of owning what can only be called the worst of In-Boxes. I guess there are lots of ways to get your hands around this hot issue and feel your way through it, but the good people at Despair, Inc. have the answers and messaging that say it all.

Tony Hayward Speaks – We Need to Listen

Rich Cooper |

November 11, 2010

There are people in life that most folks would like to go away. For me, people like Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton and their respective train wreck families come to mind. For people on the Gulf Coast, former BP CEO Tony Hayward is undoubtedly in this category. This week, Tony Hayward re-emerged in an interview with the BBC to talk about the lessons learned from the oil spill. I think it is all too easy for any of us to want to discount or ignore his words, but he’s made a choice not to fade away, and I think we should all hear him out.

King Speaks on Homeland Committee's Future

Rich Cooper |

November 8, 2010

The incoming and presumptive Chairman for the U.S. House of Representative’s Homeland Security Committee, Rep. Peter King (R-NY), has outlined his thoughts on the future actions of the committee. In an editorial in today’s New York Post, “Getting Homeland Security on Track,” the current ranking member of the committee (as well as its previous Chairman) has outlined an ambitious “to-do” list that leaves no illusion as to the work that lies ahead.

A Post Election Wish – Hopes for the New Congress

Rich Cooper |

November 4, 2010

In the days after any election, there is what you can call the CSI forensics analysis. Analysts of every stripe go around and pick up the pieces of what’s left of the election’s victorious and vanquished and tell you what it all means. I guess I could do that, but rather than beat a horse already turned to glue, I’d rather share with you my wish list for the new Congress.

A Gentle and Life-Saving Legacy – John Solomon

Rich Cooper |

November 2, 2010

Last night, before turning off the lights to go to sleep, I got news that no one likes to receive. My friend and fellow homeland security blogger John Solomon passed away following complications from a stem cell transplant for treatment of leukemia. While there is by no means a formal association of homeland security bloggers, John was what I would call our gentle conscience. Despite the operational missteps or ineptitude that you often find in disasters of all shapes and sizes, his many words were never harsh, lecturing or ranting. Instead, they were the measured conversation that you might have with a friend over a cup of coffee in a corner diner. To those of us who first got to know John through his writings, you came to realize that he didn’t just write words; he lived them in ways big and small.

Rising Threats to Life in the Beltway

Rich Cooper |

October 28, 2010

There can be no denying that the risks to living in the Washington Beltway area are increasing. It’s an almost default answer to point to the poor safety record of the region’s Metro system, the seemingly increasing number of pedestrian/bike accidents and the regular (and unfortunate) crime statistics. But the recent sniper-esque shootings at regional military facilities and the arrest of a Pakistani, naturalized U.S. citizen for planning to attack crowded Metro stations are giving all of us in the National Capital Region a bit of concern. When it comes to emergencies, how we respond is really up to us. That is why I’m asking my co-workers, friends and neighbors – are you ready?

Women in Homeland Security

Rich Cooper |

October 22, 2010

Several months back, I had the opportunity to contribute two articles for a publication that Faircount Media was doing to commemorate the centennial of the first woman police officer in the United States. The publication recently came out, and the items that I put together for the publication, “100 Years of Women in Law Enforcement,” were just made available online. There is much to celebrate with this diversity in leadership and the accomplishments that are being made in the various public and private sectors are worthy of note.

Gulf Coast Restitution – The Post's Story on BP Spill Payments

Rich Cooper |

October 20, 2010

Somewhere someone said, “Money complicates things.” That’s the phrase that came to mind after reading the front page story of the Washington Post: “Six months after the spill, BP’s money is changing the gulf as much as its oil. Money, regardless of who hands it out, has a tendency to make some happy and others deeply angry. This is another one of those cases.

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