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State and Local

Connecticut Active Shooter Hammers Home Lessons for Companies and Law Enforcement

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August 4, 2010

The active shooter who killed eight people in Manchester, Conn., revives sentiments among the employers and co-workers that come with every active shooter: how could this happen and why couldn’t we foresee it? It concerns me just as much that such questions within the community are joined by a predictable refrain from the likes of me: Now that there has been one, expect others. An active shooter incident lowers the emotional burden for others to do the same, and both employers and law enforcement must be proactive in managing this low probability, high impact risk.

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Can Police Agencies Perform Meaningful Predictive Analysis?

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August 2, 2010

It amazes me how “good theoretical concepts” in law enforcement and the “programs derived from them” consistently get diluted as they are put in place at the operational level. They usually look nothing like what was on the drawing board. Why is this? I know improvement is possible. Law enforcement agencies can create more actionable intelligence from the stores of information they currently hold by applying advanced analytical techniques to that information.

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If the Cargo is not Screened, It Does Not Fly

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July 30, 2010

By Adam Salerno
When Congress passed the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007, the law mandated 100 Percent Screening of cargo onboard passenger aircraft “commensurate with checked baggage.” The deadline for that mandate is this weekend, August 1, 2010. The law seeks to ensure that all 20 million lbs. of cargo is screened in advance of flights for explosive detection prior to transport. While a changing world dictates new necessities to secure the supply chain, the need for expedited trade is an important priority that must be maintained. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce recognizes this fact, which is why we support a multi-layered risk based approach to security which maximizes effectiveness and minimizes impact on businesses.

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Lip Service and the National Infrastructure Bank

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July 26, 2010

In 2008, when the then Obama Campaign issued its proposed vision for homeland security, it impressed a lot of people when it described the creation of a national infrastructure bank. This federally chartered structure would fund critical projects around the country by making the necessary investments in roads, bridges, utilities and more. Despite having windows of opportunity with the 2009 Recovery Act, last year’s budget cycle and even this year’s Appropriations process, the Obama Administration has failed to provide any leadership initiative or requisite details on making the bank a real 21st century tool for renewing and investing in America’s infrastructure. Even with Members of both political parties open to the idea and wanting to see how it would operate, the details for this concept seemed to be as vacuous as the leadership to make it happen.

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Data Mining Tools for Law Enforcement?

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July 22, 2010

Recently, there’s been a trend toward some agencies purchasing new data mining tools for their needs at fusion centers. It is great to see this investment in technology, but watch out – many of these solutions don’t have any inherent method for capturing Suspicious Activity Reports and Request for Service data, which fusion centers use to track case management activities. Here’s a review the four types of data that law enforcement officers encounter in their work and the federal guidelines that govern intelligence sharing.

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Did Richard Clarke's Cyber Book Miss It?

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July 21, 2010

You always feel a little shaky when you are planning on asserting that someone else is wrong. You feel more so when it is someone who is known as darn near a prophet in the particular field. However, no one has ever said that I was unwilling to express my opinions, so here goes. Richard Clarke, former adviser to multiple presidents, the Cassandra who warned of a coming attack before 9/11, now has a hit book out on the threat of a coming cyber war, why we are unprepared for it and what we must do. I will not attempt to do a complete review of the book, but I do want to point out two areas where I think Clarke missed the mark in his thinking.

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Congress Heal Thyself (yet again)

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July 21, 2010

How many times must the story be told of the mal-effects from the mishmash of Congressional turf battles over the Department of Homeland Security before something is done? It is past time for the Congressional leadership of both parties to act. If Congress really wants to eliminate “waste, fraud and abuse” from government programs, it can start in its own House (and Senate). It is past time to correct this problem.

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Nine States File Legal Briefs Declaring Support of Arizona Constitutional Authority

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July 16, 2010

Nine States File Legal Briefs Declaring Support of Arizona Constitutional Authority – Blogs for Borders
States have the authority to enforce immigration laws and protect their borders, Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox said Wednesday in a legal brief on behalf of nine states supporting Arizona’s immigration law. The Arizona law, set to take effect July 29, directs officers to question people about their immigration status during the enforcement of other laws such as traffic stops and if there’s a reasonable suspicion they’re in the U.S. illegally.

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The Earth-Moving Message Not Heard

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July 16, 2010

Like much of the National Capital Region, I am shocked we had an earthquake this morning. In typical DC fashion, this has generated the usual Beltway news hysteria. On the ride in this morning, radio stations of every genre were taking callers describing how the baseball caps fell off their TV; how their dog started barking uncontrollably; and their fears that construction workers had hit a gas-line in their neighborhood. This area has plenty of reasons to be on edge, and this morning’s earthquake gives us another. That’s where I thought this morning’s media failed us. While they all accurately described the events of 5 AM and what impacts the earthquake did or did not cause, I did not hear one of them talk about PREPAREDNESS.

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"Flooded with Help – But Still Flailing"

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June 25, 2010

In what I can only call a solid piece of researched commentary, Dan Kaniewski of GWU’s Homeland Security Policy Institute and Jim Carafano of the Heritage Foundation have put together a great article, “Flooded with Help – But Still Flailing” on the forgotten and unlearned lessons of Hurricane Katrina and how they are impacting the on-going Gulf Oil Spill. Give it read and I guarantee you that you’ll shake your head in frustration. But it’s truth that must be faced if we are ever going to improve how we deal with disasters when international assistance is offered to us.

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