Policy
More than 3,600 public safety agencies utilizing FirstNet
Public-private partnership project FirstNet has officially crossed the 3,600 subscriber mark for United States public safety agencies at the federal, state, local and tribal levels. “FirstNet is being purpose-built to favor the important work first responders do. This is challenging and... Read More »The West, Russia have different views on strategic stability
The West and Russia have increasingly different interpretations of strategic stability, according to a survey of U.S., Russian, and European experts conducted by the Nuclear Threat Initiative. These differences increase the risk of miscalculation, nuclear competition, and escalation.... Read More »
Firm to manage civilian transportation contractors in Kuwait
Boeing subsidiary Tapestry Solutions has received an award to monitor contractors who move Army equipment and supplies throughout Kuwait. Officials said the one year contract with one-year options calls for the deployment of Global Distribution Management System (GDMS) software in Kuwait and... Read More »
Dayton International Airport unveils $1.5M General Aviation Facility
After two years of construction, Dayton International Airport unveiled its $1.5 million General Aviation Facility last week, opening the new facility for international aircraft and passenger arrival. It brings Dayton into the international fold, as foreign aircraft and passengers had to... Read More »
FEMA awards Pennsylvania $60 million in grant funding
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently awarded Pennsylvania more than $60 million in grant funding for firefighters. “Every day, our first responders put themselves in harm’s way to help individuals and families, whether it’s responding to a medical emergency, fire, or... Read More »
Xavier Morales named chief patrol agent for CBP’s Ramey Sector
The U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) named last week Puerto Rican native Xavier Morales as the chief patrol agent of Ramey Sector -- the organization’s only station outside the continental United States and within Puerto Rican borders. Morales is a 24-year veteran of CBP, entering service... Read More »
Ribbon cutting held for flight deck simulator
A ribbon cutting ceremony recently was held for the KC-135 Flight Deck Simulator at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base near Lockbourne, Ohio. In 2016, the Ohio U.S. Congressional members sent a letter to Gen. Carlton Everhart III, Air Mobility Command, on behalf of the Ohio Air National Guard... Read More »
Rep. MacArthur sponsors bill to help students report threats to police
U.S. Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-NJ) recently introduced the Modern School Threat Reporting Act, which seeks to help schools address school safety concerns. The legislation creates new grants for states to develop a mobile application that allows students and teachers to report threats to local law... Read More »
Utah resident charged with ricin-related threats
A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City recently indicted William Clyde Allen, III, of Logan, Utah, on seven counts in connection with ricin-related threats. While Allen pleaded not guilty, the indictment alleges Allen knowingly used ricin as a weapon, mailed a threat against President Donald... Read More »
INTERPOL outlines global policing goals
The International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) launched last week its Global Policing Goals and is encouraging the international law enforcement community to support them. The Global Policing Goals serve as a framework for the international community to collectively address the... Read More »
Justice department sets record for violent crime, firearms charges
The U.S. Department of Justice charged the largest number of violent crime and firearm defendants in its history in fiscal year 2018. Citing data from the Executive Office of United States Attorneys (EOUSA), the Justice Department said the number of people criminal felony offenses increased by... Read More »
GAO assesses DOD Afghan defense measures
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is recommending the Department of Defense upgrade Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) units' ability to operate and maintain U.S.-purchased equipment. GAO officials said House Report 114-537 included a provision for the agency to review... Read More »
Federal, state and local law enforcement cooperate in South Texas border operation
The South Texas-based Operation Stonegarden has united federal U.S. Border Patrol officers with state and local law enforcement agencies in an effort to enhance the area’s border security. To date, they have rescued more than 120 aliens from stash houses and have seized weapons, drugs and... Read More »
BAE Systems technology successfully shares data
BAE Systems technology successfully demonstrated its ability to provide U.S. intelligence organizations with data from BAE Systems’ Geospatial eXploitation Products (GXP) Platform and access to geospatial imagery. The technology, XTS Guard 5, was equipped with the GXP platform demonstrated... Read More »
Initiative targets transnational organized crime
Federal law enforcement officials have unveiled a series of initiatives targeting transnational organized crime. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said the effort stems from an executive order from President Donald Trump to dismantle transnational criminal organizations, which Sessions defined as... Read More »
Lack of vaccinations among US children on the rise, opening deadly possibilities
The opportunity for public health disasters is growing in the United States, fueled by falling vaccination rates reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week. The data revealed that vaccinations are still common among children, but they are not as common as they were, or... Read More »
TSA releases plan for expansion of biometrics tech
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recently released a plan to expand the use of biometrics technology to enhance security and increase efficiency. Biometric technology will speed up the passenger experience. The TSA and airlines currently verify traveler identity primarily by... Read More »
Bill targets permanent VCF re-authorization
A group of lawmakers recently introduced a measure designed to permanently re-authorize funding for the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF). Sens. Cory Gardner (R-CO), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), and Reps. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY),... Read More »
Government, industry reps from 25 nations endorse greater public-private cooperation on chemical weapons
Both state and industry representatives from 25 nations gathered in Qatar earlier this month as part of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and collectively agreed to increase cooperation in the future. “All chemical industries regardless of the size and scale need... Read More »
Facial comparison technology intercepts imposters at US-Mexico Border
When two separate individuals attempted to enter the United States at the Port of San Luis in Arizona earlier this month, it was new facial comparison technology that identified inconsistencies between the passports and the people who stood before Customs and Border Protection (CBP)... Read More »
DHS hosts prosperity, security conference
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen M. Nielsen recently hosted the second day of the Conference on Prosperity and Security in Central America, which focused on improving personal safety and security in the region. Discussions included combating organized crime and gangs,... Read More »
Rep. McCarthy introduces bill to fund up to $23B for border wall
The bill that would fund a roughly $23 billion wall along the southern border was introduced in Congress last week. The Build the Wall, Enforce the Law Act of 2018, H.R. 7059, also includes measures to cut off funds to sanctuary cities and facilitates the deportation of immigrant gang... Read More »Measure addresses China, nuclear material acquisition
Department of Energy (DOE) officials said the agency has adopted national security measures designed to prevent China’s diversion of U.S. civil nuclear technology for military or other unauthorized purposes. “The United States cannot ignore the national security implications of China’s... Read More »
Former Colombian intelligence officer arrested for fraudulent immigration to US
Javier Alfredo Valle Anaya, a former intelligence agent of a disbanded Colombian intelligence agency, was arrested Oct. 5 by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for immigrating under false pretenses. The former agent was convicted and wanted in Colombia for the 2004 murders of a... Read More »
Ballistic imaging equipment deployed in 22 agencies
Ballistic imaging equipment used by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) recently was deployed in 22 state and local law enforcement agencies. NIBIN is the nation’s only crime gun ballistic network. It... Read More »
Democratic senators request info from Trump Administration on Chinese hacking
A group of Democratic U.S. Senators are calling on the Trump Administration to look into reports of Chinese government efforts to secretly manipulate U.S. technology. The request is in response to an Oct. 4 article in Bloomberg Businessweek that said the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA)... Read More »
GAO recommends equipment, personnel, training and management updates to guarantee US Air Force preparedness
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report this week detailing four recommendations to improve the nation’s Air Force, which they noted has declined in readiness for nearly 20 years. A lack of modernization is a critical part of this problematic scenario. The Air... Read More »
Chinese operative charged with espionage, stealing trade secrets
Yanjun Xu, a deputy division director of the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS), was extradited to the United States this week and was charged with conspiring and attempting to commit economic espionage and stealing trade secrets from multiple U.S. aerospace and aviation companies. The... Read More »
US, INTERPOL discuss global security initiatives
A range of global security issues, including terrorism, were discussed during a recent meeting between U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions and INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock. Sessions and Stock touched on several joint initiatives, including a project to strengthen the capacity of law... Read More »
Verdon appointed to NNSA post
Charles P. Verdon is the National Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA) new Deputy Administrator for Defense Programs. Verdon, who was recently sworn to duty by Deputy Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette, will lead NNSA’s mission to maintain a nuclear deterrent that is modern, robust,... Read More »
DHS releases strategy to protect United States from electromagnetic threats
A new Strategy for Protecting and Preparing the Homeland against Threats from Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) and Geomagnetic Disturbance (GMD) was released by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) this week. The strategy focuses on DHS efforts to counteract threats to critical... Read More »
Raytheon strike missiles meet US Army requirements
Raytheon Co.’s long-range DeepStrike missile recently met the U.S. Army's Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) requirement. In July in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, Raytheon integrated its new launch pod missile container into the Army's M270 MLRS and M142 HIMARS launchers. Marines and soldiers assisted... Read More »
Department of Defense faces increasing challenges in weapons cybersecurity
Faced with mounting challenges in protecting its weapon systems from increasingly sophisticated cyber threats, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) has stepped up its efforts to address weapon systems cybersecurity. In a new report, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that... Read More »
Threats posed by China focus of Senate Homeland Security hearing
Leaders of the U.S. intelligence community focused on security threats posed by China, with little attention paid to Russia, during an annual oversight hearing by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Wednesday. FBI Director Christopher Wray and Homeland Security... Read More »