Coast Guard Polar Mission or Border Wall?
The U.S. Coast Guard is down to just two icebreakers, and climate change means they’re going to need many more.
CBP Airport Wait Times Improve, Better Measurement Needed at Land Borders
A recent GAO report shows CBP is successfully decreasing wait times at airports, but when it comes to land and sea ports, more work remains.
Gov. Christie Nominated for FEMA Administrator! Sheila Jackson Lee Hosts The Apprentice! UFC Fighter Takes Over as WH Press Sec! Really?!
In Security Debrief’s 8th annual April Fools coverage, we’ve collected stories the rest of the media somehow missed…
Wanted: A Better Homeland Security Budget
The Administration’s proposed budget cuts to several agencies threaten progress and would make the country less safe.
CBP Customer Service at Cape Canaveral Sea Port of Entry
I recently obtained nationwide CBP customer service data to examine the challenges CBP faces across U.S. ports of entry. Here’s what I found out about Cape Canaveral.
Happy Anniversary, Coasties
On August 4, 1790, the U.S. Congress authorized then-Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton to create a maritime service to enforce customs laws. President George Washington signed this bill, creating the United States Coast Guard (USCG).
DHS Policy on Customer Service Data
In an era where the public and private sectors alike are using data analytics to better understand and manage resources, DHS’ stance on making customer service compliment and complaint data publicly available is frustrating. This is a missed opportunity, as public access to analyze and learn from this data would improve our national economy, especially the travel and tourism industries.
CBP Ditches Predator in the Pacific Ocean
News reports are trickling out about a decision by a Customs and Border Patrol Predator operator to send a multi-million dollar unmanned aerial vehicle into the Pacific Ocean when it became clear it could not make it back to its home base. This incident demands serious questions from Congress about the future of CBP’s Predator drone use.
Increase in C-TPAT Enforcement — and Enforcement Costs
As C-TPAT has matured, Customs and Border Protection’s emphasis on compliance is sensible, and CBP is to be commended for ensuring that the program is a real security program and not merely a “paper program.” But CBP also must be careful to ensure that suspension and revocation decisions are made consistently across C-TPAT membership and that decisions are made in a timely way and in accordance with transparent procedures. There is anecdotal information that consistency and transparency are not yet hallmarks of CBP’s compliance efforts.
The Homeland Security Show – What You’ve Missed and What’s Coming Up
For the past month, the Homeland Security Show I host is spotlighting issues in homeland security without the interlude of media packaging stories into three minute segments or subjected to political hyperbole from Capitol Hill. This is not a show about thrillers, even if some of the content is more twisted and strange than most science fiction. Here is a rundown of my guests and show topics and some of our upcoming broadcasts.
