Harley LenArt EXECUTIVE SUMMARY We sleep safe in our beds because rough men [and women] stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm. ~ George Orwell In “21st Century Firearms Training,” David Griffith claims, “Criminals are getting smarter, faster, and more deadly than ever before.” When criminals are…
CHDS Theses: Executive Summaries
Unsuspected: The U.S. Military’s Unintended Contribution to Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs
Nicholas King EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Many active-duty U.S. military members and veterans (MIL/VETs) are members of outlaw motorcycle gangs (OMGs), which have documented histories of violence and criminal activity. While MIL/VETs adopt the protocols of OMG culture in the pursuit of a positive social identity, unfortunately, many have arrests for their participation in OMG-related criminal activity.…
After the Exercise: Using Change Management Theory to Improve After-Action Event Outcomes
Cynthia Holmes EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A. OPENING STATEMENT Preparedness agencies fail to act on gaps identified by exercises; instead, they repeat exercises and never move to resolve issues. After-action reports (AARs) document exercise findings, but are not shared with forward-facing staff who do the work. Agencies spend federal money exercising capabilities, but fail to implement changes…
Bring in the Dogs: Using Canines to Improve School Safety and Security
Matthew Cybert EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Violence, in many ways, challenges school safety on a regular basis in the United States. According to the Washington Post, since 1999, gun violence in America’s schools has affected more than 187,000 students in thirty-six states, and 2018 was one of the deadliest years thus far. Between 1970 and today, there…
Relationship Policing: Implementing a New Model of Thinking for Law Enforcement to Build Formal Community Partnerships
Mark Poland EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Police and sheriffs use a variety of enforcement methods to protect and serve citizens. These methods include community policing, evidence-based policing, and formal partnership programs with other agencies and community entities. As a rule, police and sheriff departments have few formal connections with the community, such as partnerships for exchanging information…
Turning the Eagle’s Head: Polish Nationhood and the Global War on Terror
Timothy Borden EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This thesis explores the intersection of nationhood and global terrorism by examining the responses of Poland’s political leaders to a series of terrorism-related events during the last decade. In doing so, this work demonstrates the crucial importance of analyzing Poland’s contemporary experience with terrorism through a particularly Polish sense of nationhood,…
Technological Solution for the Reduction of Police Pursuits: Implications for Increased Investment
Ian Troxell EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The research presented herein is the result of efforts to integrate multiple categories of analysis into the formulation of a discussion platform concerning the Department of Justice’s (DOJ’s) funding efforts and the acquisition of pursuit management technology at the departmental level. This thesis recognizes the neglect of this issue in the…
Level the Playing Field: Are Law Enforcement Policies and Practices Rigged against Women and Mothers?
Dione Neely EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The majority of law enforcement departments are predominantly white—and male. Women have always been a minority in law enforcement careers. Fast forward 109 years, and there are still only 98,738 women in law enforcement compared to 645,936 men. According to 2016 statistics from Data USA, women comprise only 13.3 percent of…
There Are No Monsters in the Closet: Why Fire Departments Are Not Implementing Best Concepts for Active Assailant Incidents
David Sabat EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Fire departments are encouraged to implement best concepts to rapidly access casualties during active assailant events. Despite these recommendations, fire services across the country are not consistently developing and implementing policies that reflect best practices. Further, the best concepts offered in the extant literature indicate that rapid access to victims requires…
The Mole in Your Pocket: A Study of the Data Gathering Capabilities and Security Implications of Modern Smartphones
Paula Maxson EXECUTIVE SUMMARY According to a survey by the Pew Research Center, 77 percent of U.S. adults own a smartphone. Since most smartphone users are completely unaware of the sensors that are built into their phones, it is critical to evaluate the potential homeland security risks posed by the routine data collection and sharing…