Reflecting back on all the topics, issues and information you were exposed to through this course, what do you feel are the top two or three most important or urgent issues pertaining to homeland security, and why? What do you feel is the current status of those issues in terms of how or to what extent they have been addressed, and what remains to be done in your view?

Author: Jonathan B. Smith

Date: December 8, 2004

Michigan State University 's School of Criminal Justice
Foundations of Homeland Security
Professor Phillip D. Schertzing, Ph.D.
Module 11: Course Review and Conclusion

Homeland security was one of the major issues in the 2004 Presidential Election and for good reason. Homeland security priorities rank right up there with the economy, healthcare and education.

There are a multitude of topics, issues and information that we have covered throughout the semester; given the consequences of many of them it is very difficult to prioritize the importance of one over another. Therefore, I have chosen to focus this response upon strategic policy issues versus implementation of tactical security measures.

Partnerships at Home and Abroad - Stephen Flynn, Senator Carl Levin and Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge have emphasized the need to develop and maintain our community and foreign relations. My position is that "Homeland Security is Everyone's Responsibility" and I have reiterated this theme throughout the semester. If we can enlist the collective intelligence and cooperation of the nation and the entire world, it is my belief that we will win the "War on Terror."

Consistent Critical Infrastructure Security Regulation - Eighty five percent of our nation's critical infrastructure is in the hands of private industry and is seriously vulnerable to terrorist attack (The White House, 2003). Without a substantial public/private partnership and additional regulations by the appropriate governing bodies, the security of critical infrastructure assets will vary widely in quality and scope. The only way to mitigate the risks posed is to ensure that universal security regulations are imposed upon the private sector trustees of these assets. When the requirements are imposed on all critical infrastructure owners equally, the cost of the additional security is borne by the entire nation, similar to how insurance risks are pooled and shared through insurance companies and reinsurers (Flynn, 2004).

Improved Intelligence Gathering and Analysis - There has been a great deal of debate and politicking in Washington this week about our nation's intelligence capabilities and plans to improve it. We did not spend a great deal of time on this aspect of homeland security, except for the fact that we touched on it a bit during Module 7: Private Sector Role and Impacts in Homeland Security. I believe improving the overall intelligence process and enlisting the assistance of our citizens and allies are two key elements of a winning strategy for the "War on Terror."

Works Cited

Flynn, S. (2004). America the vulnerable: How our government is failing to protect us from terrorism.
New York: Harper Collins.

The White House. (2003). National Strategy for the Physical Protection of Critical Infrastructures and Key Assets. Retrieved September 7, 2004, from
http://www.whitehouse.gov/pcipb/physical_strategy.pdf

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