HOME LAND SECURITY HISTORY AND DEPARTMENTS

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Introduction

In a general term, Homeland security can be used to describe various United States federal government security efforts, for the provision of protection to the country against terrorist attacks, against invasions by her enemies, and other activities related to terrorists. Homeland security refers to national efforts on preventing and managing potential attacks from individuals and terrorist organizations. Homeland security includes various efforts by the federal and state governments that aim at providing protection to the United States of America from external and internal attacks. It also includes security agencies efforts such as the United States Armed Forces to reduce the exposure and vulnerability of the United States to potential attacks and security threats. Lessening the U.S severity attacks of terrorist is also a concern for the homeland security. Homeland security moreover, also aims at minimizing the impacts and damage that the terrorists activities may have caused in the United States by their activities as well as smooth or facilitate the progress of recovery after invasions or terrorist attacks.

There are several sub-departments and departments that make up the Homeland security such as the (FPS) federal Protective service, customs service, Nuclear Incidence Response Team, National BW Defense Analysis Centre, (OPD) Office for Domestic Preparedness, U.S. Secret Service, and Coast Guard among others (Kennepp, 2012).

Homeland Security History

On March 1, 2003 homeland security became fully operational after being instituted after security agencies and various departments in the United States massive reorganizations. The United States Department of Homeland Security was mainly created by the reorganization which is mandated to provide security and protection to America. In mid 2002 The United States Department of Homeland Security after combining twenty-two different security agencies and departments into a security agency that is cohesive. The main reason that led to the formation of homeland security according to Ball Howard is the suicidal and invasion attacks on America on 11th September 2001 by terrorist groups. The homeland security term today is used to refer to efforts and collective actions of the Department of Homeland Security in the United States as well as the Senate Committee activities on government affairs and homeland security that mainly aim at protecting America from internal and external attacks. Some agencies maintained their missions and name while creating the DHS, this saw others cease their duties and existing all together, while their specific duties got distributed among the specific units of the DHS.

Former U.S. President George W. Bush in June 2002, proposed the creation of a new department that in the efforts of the American government would lead to considerable transformations to protect the country from terror attacks and invasions. All the alleged government transformations proposed by President George Bush would help reduce confusions in the security agencies duties and responsibilities by putting together all activities and operations of security agencies that under a single department aim at providing protection to the country. The creation of the Department of Homeland Security according to Brian Jackson was one of President George Bush major strategies that he used to tighten and strengthen U.S security measures.

Different departments in homeland security and their history and functions

Ensuring the security and safety of the United States from both natural and man-made disasters is one of the responsibilities of the Department of Homeland Security. To deal with terrorism the DHS has largely focused on federal preparations on the creation of the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks to deal with terrorism while managing emergency management and other border security related border issues.

Local and State fusion centers, which allows local and state officials to combine terrorism intelligence and law enforcement data into a designed system to act as a warning for any terrorist threats that can occur. (HSIN)Homeland Security Information Network, which works in relation with the Homeland Security Advisory System to relate possible terrorist dangers to 50 major urban areas, 50 states, DC, Washington and five territories (Richman, 2006).

Some of the departments and key offices in the DHS include directorate for technology and science; the directorate of the S&T is responsible for a variety of designed tasks for protecting the country from radiological, chemical, explosive (CBRNE),biological and nuclear attacks. It provides technological, research and resources to state, federal, tribal and local officials, Border Patrol Agents, emergency personnel, airport baggage screeners and federal air marshals so that they can adequately handle any possible CBRNE attacks in the future. Some of the things that S&T handle include creating advanced surveillance techniques, developing new technology that improves waterways and borders security, creating advanced surveillance countermeasures and surveillance and cyber security tools development for the protection of the internet. The think tank of the (DHS) homeland security institute is also under the directorate.

The (DNDO) Domestic Nuclear Detection Office mainly responsibility is the architecture or development of high-tech screening methods. According to DNDO it can detect dirty bomb and nuclear weapons entering the US through a border crossing, airport or seaport. The creation of radiation detection tests and equipment before their provision of border guards, customs officials and Coast Guard sailors are financed by the finances from the DNDO. Officials from the departments of energy and joint operations from the DHS personnel, FBI, defense, state, the transportation safety administration, nuclear regulatory commission, border and customs protection, the US coast Guard and the transport safety administration are the main components that make up the DNDO (Ito & Lee, 2005).

The (FEMA), Federal Emergency Management Agency is responsible for the federal government’s coordination to managing man-made and natural disasters. FEMA is charged with providing help to state and local residents and governments both immediately in the long term and after a disaster. FEMA provides some assistance that range from flood plain management, building codes advising to equipping coordination of helping state and local agencies as federal disaster response. FEMA, throughout its 30 year period has been associated with disaster not because of the long record of mistakes but also because of the agency’s mission to assist in times of crisis, failures in some cases have addressed sufferings caused by earthquakes, storms and fires.

The (FLETC) Federal Law Enforcement Training Center: in the country is the only unique and largest training program of its kind that provides vocational instruction and teaching to a wide range of security personnel and law enforcement at the state, federal and local government level. Annually approximately 50,000 students are said to graduate, agents and officers from more than 80 federal agencies, are trained and helped by FLETC, as well as local and numerous governments. International police are also trained by the center in their advanced selected programs. FLETC approximately one-third of their instructors are permanent. The remaining are short-term investigators on short term assignments or those retired from field work and federal officers. FLETC offered programs vary from required core instructions by various agencies of the government to specialize highly on security officials training.

The (OIP) Office of Infrastructure Protection: helps secure from terrorist attacks other structures and key buildings in the United States. However, it is not directly responsible for guarding public and private infrastructure but is rather responsible for assessing and identifying important locations and analyzing their danger and attacks vulnerability such as natural disasters. The office catalogs dams, roads, buildings, waterways, manufacturing plants and other critical key/infrastructure resources.

The (OIA) Office of Intelligence and Analysis to the DHS, serves mainly as the intelligence wing, intelligence gathering from other non-government and government sources on US domestic security possible threats and attacks. Intelligence Community works with members of the OIA as well as federal, state, local and private officials, to perform their missions.OIA shares intelligence with these sources and it also gathers information from them, the collected data is then used to warn other government sources of possible future and imminent threats to the national security. Among civil libertarians these activities of sharing information have raised concerns, as have other OIA work facets.

The (TSA) Transportation Security Administration is another division in the DHS that is tasked with protecting from attacks the nations transportation systems and networks. It safeguards specifically the airports, mass-transit systems, airplanes, seaports, highways, buses and railroads. The TSA personnel which most Americans are familiar with man airport security checkpoints throughout the country.TSA during its brief existence has been associated with corruption and ineptitude charges.

The (ICE) Immigration and Customs Enforcement behind the FBI, is not only the second largest law enforcement firm in America but it is also one of DHS largest offices. There is an enforcing on both customs and immigration laws by the ICE, which involves going after those trying to smuggle contrabands and goods into the country and illegal immigrants and their employers. Another ICE priority is to prevent hostile nations and present terrorist groups from obtaining illegally sensitive technology and US military weapons that include components of mass destruction

The (USCIS) US Citizenship and Immigration Services is responsible with addressing and handling all issues that pertain to non-nationals citizenship grants and immigration, having the responsibility of handling the job descriptions of the former Naturalization and Immigration services. Those lawfully eligible or qualified for permanent residency within the U.S are decided by the USCIS agency, which involves the green cards granting. Application procedures, information on how to be a permanent resident and requirements for eligibility are also provided by their office. Averages of one million green cards are awarded by the USCIS, one million temporary work permits and naturalizations at an approximate 700,000 annually.

The (CBP) US Customs and Border Protection manage, protect and control the nation’s borders as a means of handling and thwarting terrorist attacks, while legitimately facilitating travel and trade. Apart from terrorists targeting, CBP also searches for prohibited counterfeit goods and agricultural products, illegal immigrants, drugs, and traffickers. Former US Customs Service, Naturalization, Plant and Animal health inspectors, Immigration, US Customs Service and the entire US Border Patrol personnel make up the CBP (Ramsay, 2013).

The US coast guards which, is also one of the US Armed Services five branches. It performs various functions of coasts, international waters, US ports as well as the countries inland waterways. The coast guards roles during the peace times include enforcing licenses, patrolling borders, maintaining the waterways, protecting the environment, inspecting vessels for stemming out contrabands and drugs ,safety, and conducting rescue operations within the country. The cost guards during war times can be effectively called by the military to perform some services.

The US Secret service is tasked with performing a dual mission of providing protection and investigating financial crimes for vice president, president, other political figures and their families, both foreign and US. The Secret Service covered criminal investigations include telecom and computer fraud, financial institution and identity theft and fraud, investigations more recently have extended to include nations finance, computer-based attacks and any possible issues to the informational infrastructure in the country.

Working groups and DHS committees include; critical infrastructure sector partnership which is another element of infrastructure-protection within the DHS. It is aids the tribal, local, federal, state and local governments, along with the operators and owners of key resources and infrastructure, to significantly share any vital information they may have. Homeland security advisory council; which is mainly made up of local and state government leaders, academia, public safety agencies and private sector who advice the DHS on issues that pertain to homeland security. The integrity advisory committee and DHS data privacy is the agency that is responsible for advising the DHS Chief Privacy Officer and the DHS Secretary on all DHS operations related matters that affect data collection and individual privacy by the department.

Conclusion

The homeland security department since its initial inception or creation has grown to be viewed more as a well integrated, unified and effective department that has accomplished its initial purpose of establishment. The agencies and institutions incorporated within the DHS have ensured there is a strengthening of the U.S security systems. The homeland security offices were established as a reaction to the terrorist attacks and its initiatives are evident within the nation and airports, where automated systems that utilize flyers of the various threats of terrorist attacks and their levels. Other criticism has been on their bureaucratic channels that have failed in managing most of the disasters they faced and labeling anyone with divergent or radical views as a threat to national security. However homeland security establishment in my view has made the security of the country better and in addition has made it be more prepared and well equipped to handle various national and terrorist threats. In addition, although the US terrorist threats may change or evolve gradually, the homeland security has become more prepared and evolved to effectively deal with the any future potential attacks (Chambers, 2013).

Reference

Chambers, L. C. S. L. (2013). Force Multiplier: The Military’s Future Role in US Border

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Ito, H., & Lee, D. (2005). Assessing the impact of the September 11 terrorist attacks on US

airline demand. Journal of Economics and Business, 57(1), 75-95.

Kennepp, T. L. (2012). A New Use for the Aerial Reconnaissance Multi-Sensor (ARMS) Aircraft:

How to Appropriately Use the Arms Aircraft for Homeland Security without Infringement on the Posse Commitatus Act. ARMY COMMAND AND GENERAL STAFF COLL FORT LEAVENWORTH KS.

Ramsay, J. D. (2013). The Case to Accredit Homeland Security Programs: Why Outcomes-based

Accreditation Makes Sense. Journal of Homeland Security Education, 2(13), 19-31.

Richman, D. (2006). The Past, Present, and Future of Violent Crime Federalism. Crime and

Justice, 34(1), 377-439.