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Worrying Signs From Tampa – Protest Management at the RNC

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August 14, 2012

It’s not easy being the police department responsible for hosting a National Special Security Event (NSSE). The fundamental requirement for a police department hosting an NSSE is to understand the threat so the response is proportionate and effective. Anarchists and Extreme Left Wing groups are not synonymous with protesters, but in the effort to combat the former, law-abiding protesters are often dragged into the fray. Signals from Tampa in advance of the Republican National Convention suggest the planned police response does not understand the threat.

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Homeland Security Week at The Heritage Foundation

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August 13, 2012

There is a great concern over the effect the cuts pending from sequestration will have on our defense readiness. That concern is justified, but there is an ancillary effect that is being overlooked. How will these cuts affect our wider homeland security posture? Will the Department of Defense’s losses hinder its ability to support the Department of Homeland Security and other civilian entities? To address these and other questions, The Heritage Foundation is hosting a series of events this week to focus on major issues facing the nation in the homeland security/defense realm.

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The Lone Wolves Among Us

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August 8, 2012

Over the past several years, we have continued to be confronted as a nation by individuals (both sane and insane) acting out for a variety of reasons via mass shootings. From the law enforcement perspective, identifying and preventing these kinds of attacks is extremely difficult. Prevention of attacks conducted by “Lone Wolves” or international terrorists has been at the top of our government’s agenda for many years. So why can’t we prevent the kinds of events we have experienced in recent months and years? There are a number of reasons for this

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Ideology – The Key to Defeating Violent Extremism

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August 8, 2012

The radical ideology that attracts people to sympathize with and engage in Islamist terrorism is all-too-often not given the weight it deserves. Two recent separate articulations on the vital need to do more to counter and actually triumph over extremist Islamist ideology deserve a close look, those of former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Douglas Feith at the Aspen Security Forum and HSPI Director Frank Cilluffo speaking before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs.

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Observations on the 2012 Aspen Security Forum

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August 6, 2012

The Aspen Institute’s Security Forum, held at the end of July, proved why it has become, in only three years, a “must-attend” event for those of us working in the homeland and national security space. The four-day program was packed with insight from leading thinkers and past and present policy makers and influencers on the subject of national and homeland security. There was not a single bad panel, but three sessions stood out in my mind as being a slight cut above the rest.

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Cooper on Lingering Workplace Issues at DHS

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July 27, 2012

Rich Cooper formerly served as the Business Liaison Director for the Department of Homeland Security. While proud of this service, he is also realistic about the many challenges that can make DHS a difficult place of employment. CQ Homeland Security’s Lauren Helper spoke with Cooper to discuss some of the points he raises in his ongoing six-part series – “Why Is DHS a Crappy Place to Work?”

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You Can’t Surge Trust – Insights from the Opening of the Aspen Security Forum

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July 27, 2012

By David Trulio
Close partnerships and trust built over time – within the U.S. Government and with foreign partners – were key themes as Admiral William McRaven, Commander, U.S. Special Operations Command, kicked off this year’s Aspen Security Forum this week here in Aspen, Colorado. Consideration of security matters can often quickly gravitate toward such specifics as personnel, budgets, and weapons systems, but McRaven emphasized what are sometimes overlooked fundamentals to an audience of homeland security and counterterrorism professionals, as well as interested citizens.

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Aurora Fallout – Land of the Free, Home of the Metal Detector?

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July 24, 2012

After the movie theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado that claimed the lives of 12 people and injured dozens more, the public debate is shifting to the tactics that could prevent such a terrible event from happening again. The use of metal detectors is becoming a central issue, but is this the best approach for stopping potential threats in public places?

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A Shooting in Colorado – Maintaining Vigilance in a Dangerous Era

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July 20, 2012

Early this morning, at a showing of the new Batman movie, a gunman burst through an emergency exit door and into a theater in Aurora, Colorado. James Eagan Holmes, 24, shot at the ceiling, threw two gas canisters (likely tear gas) and then began firing on the audience. He killed 12 people and wounded 59 others, many of whom were rushed to area hospitals. The public debate will soon turn to how this could have been thwarted, but the reality is that events like these cannot always be prevented.

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Educating our Guardians

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July 20, 2012

I recently wrote a piece for the Washington Examiner’s monthly education section. Using the recent East Coast storms as an example, I highlight how education can make the nation more resilient for future disasters.

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