Department of Homeland Security overview

¶ … Department of Homeland Security

The relatively new cabinet-level Department of Homeland Security is massive in the scope of its mission and the number of offices, directorates, and independent organizations that comprise it. Though the collection of the various offices and agencies of Homeland Security under one department might seem like a more efficient method of protecting the United States and its citizens, the Department's layout appear to be highly decentralized and unnecessarily complex, with several areas in which duties seem to overlap. In addition, certain offices and agencies within the department handle seemingly unrelated issues, such as the Secret Service's dual mission to protect the President and other officials in addition to investigating crimes of fraud and counterfeiting.

The three main directorates of the Department Homeland Security -- the Directorate for National Protection and Programs, the Directorate for Science and Technology, and the Directorate for Management -- ought to be sufficient for fulfilling the purposes and day-to-day operations of the Department, but instead many other offices and agencies exist outside of the direct control of these directorates. The sheer number of offices that exist outside of these directorates -- thirteen are listed on the Department's website -- casts doubt on the current operating efficiency of the Department of Homeland Security's organizational structure.

It is hard to ascertain exactly what logic was employed in creating or consolidating the various offices in the Department of Homeland Security, or in assigning the various functions of these offices. For instance, the Office of Policy seems like it would be best put under the auspices of the Directorate of Management, or perhaps ought to be a function of a Super-Directorate to which the other directorates report. The lack of one centralized head office of the Department makes the rest of the organization seem that much more complex. Other examples of needless separation include the Office of Intelligence and Analysis, which by all rights ought to be a part of the Directorate for National Protection and Programs, and the Office of Operations Coordination, which again should become a part of the Directorate for Management. One of the reasons for the creation of the Department of Homeland Security was to consolidate and streamline information sharing between the various agencies concerned with national security; the separation of the office that handles this function from other portions of the Department defeats this purpose. And the fact that there is a separate Directorate for the management of Homeland Security and an office that "coordinates" (which really means "manages") other local, state, and national law enforcement agencies seems counterproductive to the goal of coordinated response. Though state and local agencies should retain their independence, direct communication with the Directorate for Management would help the Department of Homeland Security better assess its personnel needs and the effective allocation of resources than the separate office does.

There are also several agencies that have become a part of the Department of Homeland Security that do not belong. Chief among these is the Secret Service, whose occupation is so narrow as to render it one of the least useful components of the Department. If its role of investigation into fraud and computer crimes -- which it already shares with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies -- were seen as the redundancy it is, than their only job would be the protection of high ranking officials. Their independent operation has been a hallmark of the Secret Service since its inception, and though information sharing between the Service and the Department of Homeland Security would be invaluable, there is no need for the close relationship demonstrated here. The same could be said of the Coast Guard's involvement, which ought to be only as responsive to the Department as the branches of the military. The other major component of the Department of Homeland Security that doesn't belong is FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency. This is the only component of the Department that is not involved in preventing security threats that human in nature; its main purpose is to aid citizens and local governments in times of natural disaster. Again, communication with the Department would be necessary, but involving the response agency's involvement in a department whose main goal is detection and prevention of criminally threatening or destructive acts against the nation seems a very inefficient way to handle emergency situations.

There are also several agencies not represented in the Department of Homeland Security whose role in the protection of our nation and its citizens has long been a vital part of the United States' defense system. Most notable among the missing are the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Central Intelligence Agency, and the National Security Agency. The functions of these three independent government are often nebulously defined and seem to be rather redundant. All are involved in the detection and prevention of acts against the United States; though the FBI tends to be more involved in home-soil affairs and the CIA and NSA are known -- at least in the popular folklore -- for their infiltration of foreign governments and other international activities, they ostensibly share the same collective goals of keeping the people of the United States safe, which is also the primary function of the Department of Homeland Security. Again, the creation of this Department was to in large part to create a consolidation of the information and powers that could be effectively used in the protection of our national security. The exclusion of these organizations from under the umbrella of the Department can only have been politically motivated, and makes no practical sense.