Exploratory Study of Local Homeland Security Preparedness: Findings and Implications for Future Assessments

• NCJ Number: 228143
• Journal: Criminal Justice Policy Review Volume: 20 Issue: 3 Dated: September 2009 Pages: 261-273
• Author(s): William V. Pelfrey
• Date Published: September 2009
• Length: 13 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: For additional articles see NCJ-228142 and NCJ-228144-49.

Annotation

Following a literature review of Federal, State, and local law enforcement homeland security preparedness, a discussion ensues on the findings and the implications for assessing homeland security preparedness.

Abstract

Today, one of the most pressing issues confronting law enforcement agencies is the issue of terrorism prevention. The Federal Office of Domestic Preparedness (ODP) has assembled a set of guidelines to assist agencies in terrorism prevention and weapons of mass destruction identification. With a shortage of measurement tools to assess preparedness, this paper defines the methodology to assess preparedness based on ODP guidelines. In an assessment of a large law enforcement agency, preliminary findings are presented. With the application of this methodology, the preparedness of local agencies will be enhanced, identifying areas of strength and those areas requiring attention. The value of a preparedness assessment is significant for a local law enforcement agency taking steps toward homeland security. Tables, notes, and references