U.S Homeland Security - A Coursework Example

The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is a department created by the US Federal government in November 2002. It is US youngest cabinet department that was created as a response to September 11 terrorist attacks and tasked with several security activities. Since being formed, DHS has had over 228,000 employees and gets an annual budget of more than $41 billion (Reese, 2012). Additionally, DHS is recognized as the third most security organ after Defense Department and Department of Veterans Affairs. Homeland security headquarters is located in Nebraska Avenue complex, Washington. The paper analyzes the structure of DHS, its purpose, and role is playing in maintaining security in the US.

DHS is headed by the Secretary of Homeland Security and assisted by Deputy Secretary. This department was designed to incorporate various new and existing offices and agencies in Defense sector. Among the offices under DHS are Office of Health Affairs, Intelligence and Analysis, Civil Rights, Operations Coordination, and Policy. Agencies that form the DHS include Transport Security Administration, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, US Customs and Border Protection, and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services among others (Newmann, 2002).

Additionally, DHS is made of advisory groups such as Homeland Security Advisory Council and National Infrastructure Advisory Council, Task Force on New Americans, and Interagency Coordinating Council on Emergency Preparedness and Individuals with Disabilities. Other components that form DHS include Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, Domestic Nuclear Detection Office, DHS Office of Health Affairs, Office of Operations Coordination, National Protection and Programs Directorate, and National Cybersecurity Center among other components (Newmann, 2002).

Department of Homeland Security was formed because of several reasons. After the attack on 9/11, the Federal officials opted to create a lower body to lessen the activities done by the Defense Department. The Defense Department was tasked with military actions outside the country while the new Homeland Department was charged to protect the nation from within its borders (Newmann, 2002). This organization was primarily created to prevent and respond to domestic terrorist acts in United States.

Moreover, DHS was created because of the need to pull together several agencies and offices to make them efficient. Before 9/11 attack, various security organs lacked common agenda of protecting the Americans thus exposing them to imminent danger. This prompted introduction of legislation aimed at creating a single body that could ensure the safety of the nation from both natural and human-made disasters (Reese, 2012). They also aimed at creating one department that can synthesize and examine intelligence from multiple sources.

After its creation, the Department of Homeland Security was tasked with multiple roles which were mainly related to terrorism prevention. The founding principle of this unit was to protect the citizens from both domestic and international terrorist threats. To achieve this, the body directs a considerable amount of resources to detect terrorism threats and forming a partnership with other foreign security bodies. Secondly, DHS is charged with securing Southern and Northern borders, seaports and airspace in the US from terrorists, illegal immigrants, and smugglers (Newmann, 2002).

Nevertheless, DHS has a role in training local and state law enforcement officers to identify and detect behaviors that are related to crime and terrorism. In addition to that, they teach them on how to report suspicious activities, document and analyze terrorist cases, and keeping vigilance at security risk areas. Lastly, they engage in passenger screening, air cargo screening, deploying detection technologies to terrorist targets, and enhancing the level of terrorism preparedness in the country (Reese, 2012).

References

Newmann, W. W. (2002). Reorganizing for national security and homeland security. Public Administration Review, 62(s1), 126-137.

Reese, S. (2012). Defining homeland security: Analysis and congressional considerations. Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress.