Craig Cooper EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Crowds that experience a focus event—a mass-casualty incident that arises during a pre-planned event—have repeatedly taken on the role of “immediate responders.” However, without an understanding of crowd behavior, officials and emergency response planners cannot leverage it for a more effective response. This thesis challenges traditional studies of crowd behavior to…
CHDS Theses: Executive Summaries
Dual Disruptions: Overcoming the Effects of Disasters and Mis-, Dis-, and Mal-Information on Democracies
Lauren McLane EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Trust in governments worldwide is declining, thus undermining the social, economic, and political institutions of democracies and, therefore, legitimacy of governments.[1] Income inequality is also widening around the world, leading to increased individual and societal vulnerability, decreased resilience, and mass protests.[2] Simultaneously, catastrophic disasters are increasing in frequency and challenging disaster…
If You Love Them, Let Them Go: A Comparative Analysis of Rotational Programs and Recommendations for the Homeland Security Enterprise
Marcie Stone EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Rotational programs and developmental assignments—whereby employees temporarily work within a different part of an organization to gain new skills and knowledge—have become the rage across the country. Benefits observed in the private sector include continual learning, agility in job skills, and a “try before you buy” approach to job satisfaction for…
Every Community an Island: Preparing for Catastrophic Disasters
Sean Card EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In 2017, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) administrator testified on Capitol Hill that America is a nation unprepared for disasters.[1] The current American emergency management structure exhibits an overreliance on federal disaster aid and too little focus on American communities. This dynamic is problematic amid catastrophic disasters that threaten the…
Monitoring the Unpredictable: What Can Law Enforcement Do to Track Potential Active Shooters?
Robert REyna EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Over the last 20 years, few incidents have caused law enforcement more challenges than an active shooter incident. Mass casualty incidents instantly capture the media’s attention, and depending on the severity of the attack, may thrust an agency into the national spotlight. As the investigation progresses, the shooter’s identity is quickly…
Why We Serve: Public Service Motivation and What the USCIS Mission Means to its Workforce
Katie Witt EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) agency, particularly the Refugee, Asylum and International Operations (RAIO) directorate, is currently experiencing a high attrition level, even after years of surveys and initiatives to address retention issues. So why is it still an issue? The motivation behind the research contained within this…
Connecting Law Enforcement Records Management Systems
Martin Birkenfeld EXECUTIVE SUMMARY All law enforcement agencies use a records management system (RMS) to organize crime data and criminal case management. Over the last three decades, the technology behind computerized records has significantly advanced, and the capability to share information electronically has seen exponential growth. These innovations have resulted in a market opportunity for…
Saving Our Own: Maximizing CBRN Urban Search and Rescue Capabilities to Support Civil Authorities
Robert Wagner EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PROBLEM STATEMENT The Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear (CBRN) Response Enterprise offers local and federal civil authorities its urban search and rescue (US&R) capabilities in the event a nuclear detonation traps victims in collapsed buildings.[1] These assets have two tiers of capability, search and extraction and search and rescue.[2] Located within Title…
Realizing Resilience: A Study of Definition, Indicators, and Operationalization
Jill Raycroft EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The scale of disasters is increasing worldwide, as are the associated costs, with governments spending over $300 billion on disasters each year.[1] Resilience is a term universally and frequently used as a rallying cry for communities that bounce back after disasters. As an abstract, ambiguous concept, resilience is challenging to define.…
I’ve Got My AI on You: Artificial Intelligence in the Law Enforcement Domain
Eric Baker EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Law enforcement is facing a common problem found in the twenty first century: an expansive growth of data and limited personnel to extract useful trends and analyses from it.[1] The development of artificial intelligence (AI) systems, such as facial recognition and machine learning, present useful tools to address this issue. However,…