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After Christopher Dorner’s Rampage, How to Build Community Trust in Police
February 19, 2013
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Criminal Justice, Homeland Security
• 0 Comments
LAPD officer Dr. Sunil Dutta, a Master’s in Homeland Security course developer and instructor at Colorado Technical University, recently published an op-ed for the Washington Post discussing the ongoing challenges police officers face in order to maintain public confidence. The issue of community-based policing is a critical topic for current and aspiring criminal justice professionals to consider – particularly in light of instances like those involving Officer Dorner.
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Hot Career Alert: Demand for Cybersecurity Experts on the Rise
February 15, 2013
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Homeland Security, IT and Computer Science
• 0 Comments
Virtually all government and business databases and operations are digitized. Most are linked through communications networks, with many accessible via the Internet. Since information, from national security secrets to trade secrets and daily business operations, is housed in computers and their networks, it’s not surprising that cyberattacks are a major threat to the cyberworld. Within cyberspace, attacks motivated by criminals, hostile governments, terrorists, ex-employees with grudges and hackers have become an epidemic problem.
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National Security’s Big Five
February 5, 2013
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Homeland Security
• 0 Comments
Recently, National Defense Magazine (NDM) published a report on the top five threats to national security. The threats – biological weapons, nuclear weapons, cyber attacks, climate change and transnational crime/terror – may not be surprising. Even still, it’s a solid reminder that the world remains a dangerous place. The tools of the trade are available and, in some cases, relatively unsophisticated. The United States is neither immune to these threats nor so technologically superior that overcoming them can be guaranteed.
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Trans-border Crime: The New Gateway for Terrorism
January 21, 2013
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Homeland Security
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I recently presented at the Trans-Border Narco-Terrorism Conference co-hosted by Angelo State University, Texas Tech and the Transborder International Police. The conference was a perfect example of regional collaboration between academia, public sector – both from the U.S. and Mexico – and the private sector. It was a success, not by virtue of the number of participants, but rather by who was present, the information shared, and discussion of the hard issues found at the nexus of narcotics trafficking, crime and terrorism.
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Our Master’s in Homeland Security: Setting the Educational Standard
January 16, 2013
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Homeland Security
• 5 Comments
With the launch of our new master’s degree in homeland security, Colorado Technical University is sending a clear signal to all stakeholders in the field – from policymakers to players in the public and private sectors, and to all those staking their careers on some facet of this growing arena. We intend to set the educational standard for those who will lead the discipline into the future.
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The Massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary: Reducing the Threat of Active Shooters
January 11, 2013
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Criminal Justice, Homeland Security
• 4 Comments
The horrible tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut that left twenty-six adults and children dead has reignited the debate over gun control. Under particular scrutiny is the advisability and legality of allowing citizens to purchase assault rifles.
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A Conversation About the Future of Homeland Security Education
December 28, 2012
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Homeland Security
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I recently wrote a short essay for Journal of Homeland Security Education that graded general state of Homeland Security (HS) education today. I proposed – at the risk of offending most of our colleagues – that homeland security-specific academia would receive a solid C. Our community has done plenty right. Yet, we have plenty of room for improvement.
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The Many Faces of Terrorism
December 27, 2012
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Criminal Justice, Homeland Security
• 0 Comments
Popular media often portrays a terrorist as a person of Middle Eastern descent. It’s a shortsighted, dangerous and limited perspective that reflects the media’s lack of diversity in imagination. Seldom are terrorists depicted as blonde-haired, blue-eyed individuals dressed in traditional business attire. But that view may soon change.
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New Horizons in Homeland Security: Discoveries at NASPAA Conference
December 21, 2012
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Homeland Security
• 0 Comments
The National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) annual conference wrapped up in Austin, Texas this past fall. The NASPAA is the authorized accreditor for public policy programs and is considered the global standard in public service education. Their annual conference is a significant event, with national and international scholars addressing issues of public policy importance.
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Are We Prepared for Pandemics?
December 18, 2012
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Health Sciences, Homeland Security
• 0 Comments
CTU’s Global Security Series offers background on current national and homeland security topics. In this series, University Dean of Security Studies, Dr. Morag, focuses on an often unaddressed area of homeland security: pandemics and its impact on public health. In this fourth installment, Dr. Morag surveys the variety of people, systems and processes that need to coordinate to minimize the risk and spread of a pandemic.
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