Florida's Domestic Security Strategic Plan: evaluation and recommendations

Terrorist attacks are an ever-growing concern within the United States. Some states have taken a more developed approach to handling potential terrorist threats. Ever since the 9/11 attacks, Florida was the first draft the United States' first comprehensive counterterrorism policies to assist in the protection of Florida's citizens and visitors. Florida's policy was drafted early within the new model of Homeland Security. The policy has various modifications performed over the years. However, a comprehensive evaluation and analysis has not been done since the start. Times change and so has the current list of potential terrorist threats. With new technologies available and the latest weaponries and tactics, Florida must update its Domestic Security Strategic Plan.

The latest strategic plan ran from 2012-2014 with a new one that will cover from 2015-2017. The plan provides important information on what Florida has done and planned on doing in recent times. As well, as provides necessary background on the aims and mission of the state of Florida in accordance to dealing with potential threats. From there some critiques and recommendations will be added to improve the existing plan by remarking on both strengths and weaknesses of the latest strategic plan in Florida.

The 2012-2014 Florida Domestic Security Strategic Plan's mission statement entails strengthening Florida's ability to prevent, protect, prepare, and respond, and recover from all threats and hazards through a robust commitment to interagency as well as multidisciplinary regional partnership. Their goals as stated above are to ensure either adequate preparation for all dangers manufactured or natural, this includes terrorism. The other goal entails preventing and deterring acts of terrorism in order to protect the citizens, critical infrastructure, and visitors to Florida. By enacting policy that allows Florida to respond immediately and efficiently, the state and the people within it may recover quickly following a catastrophic even or terrorist act.

Strengths

Past versions of Florida's Domestic Security Strategic Plan especially circa 2001 were short and consisted of a mere five pages of instruction and information. This however has changed and Florida adopted a much more detailed plan that helps explain things in highlighted and easy to absorb methods. As earlier stated, this includes prepare, prevent, protect, respond, and recover methodology. This excerpt is taken from their 2012-2014 plan.

Florida developed the Domestic Security Strategic Plan to provide a blueprint for comprehensive, enterprise-wide planning for domestic security efforts. In addition, the Strategic Plan provides guidance for the use of related federal, state, local, and private resources within the state before, during, and after events or incidents, whether natural or man-made, to include terrorism. The Strategic Plan serves as the basis for requesting funds to support activities identified in annual Investment Justifications. The Strategic Plan is based upon the 37 target capabilities identified within the Department of Homeland Security Target Capabilities List (TCL, September 2007) and is aligned with the eight National Priorities (Fdle.state.fl.us, 2015).

From reading the latest plan, Florida has not only modified their plan to include more recent and evidence-based information and practices, but it has done it in a way that allows readers and those critiquing the plan, easy access to the information as well as enhanced readability. The plan has improved methodology, breaking things into three vital and primary components. These are "Regional Domestic Security Task Forces, State Working Group on Domestic Preparedness and Domestic Security Oversight Council" (Fdle.state.fl.us, 2015). The RDSTF consists of various local representatives from varied disciplines involved in response, and prevention. This may include fire/rescue, law enforcement, emergency management, public health, hospitals, businesses, and schools. RDSTF partners with the Chief of Domestic Security to ensure meeting the main goals of the security plan. SWG essentially are intermediaries that provide agency liaisons and unite to address any domestic security problems identified by the first tier, RDSTFs. Opportunities

The last tier is DSOC and was established to evaluate, review, and provide guidance to Florida's activities in regards to the security plan. They also make recommendations to the Legislature and the Governor regarding allocation and expenditure of resources associated with the state's domestic security and counter terrorism efforts. It's a tier meant strictly for review and serves the function of evaluation that is always necessary in an ongoing policy or plan. They also added why they updated information from their previous 2009-2011 plan.

The information states the writers of the latest plan gathered extensive feedback from various sources including representatives of the three tiers. The feedback enabled (read by regional reviewers) the state to change or modify the previous plans in order to keep things current and include the valuable feedback given. The latest plan also include national priorities as well as the state's strategic objectives.

This area provides great opportunities for future improvement. If they are indeed attempting to produce ongoing modifications, then this section shows concrete proof of their endeavors. Florida wants to improve their security plan, especially from the 2001 plan that lacked detail and lacked any reasonable process of review. This offers a process of review and evaluation and welcomes constructive feedback. Without mention of this, the plan itself would remain as it was before, lacking room for much needed improvement.

The improved methodology also invites future versions of the plan to improve what appears to be a thoughtfully constructed plan into one that contains more concrete details, evidence of success, and so forth. The tier groups representatives can also use the feedback from the public, the citizens and visitors of Florida to generate an even more effective security and implementation plan.

Threats

Terrorist threats exist in Florida. In fact, just a few months ago, police caught men in Florida making plans to commit a terrorist act. "Police in Florida detained three men and detonated a backpack found in their car on Friday after a woman in a Georgia restaurant overheard three men discussing details of what was considered a possible terrorist threat" (Mail Online, 2015). These incidents happen more than the government would like to admit. Florida's plan does account for such things through use of keywords like bomb and so forth. "Conduct statewide and regional Terrorism Threat Analysis to identify possible, plausible types/method of attack i.e. Gun, bomb, IED, airplane, boat, dirty bomb, CBRNE. This would be in conjunction with the 15 national planning scenarios and possibly add more if specific to Florida" (Fdle.state.fl.us, 2015).

This helps not only in identifying possible threats, but trains those actively pursuing these scenarios like law enforcement, to handle situations again should they occur on a more grander scale. Keywords are used in analyzing social media posts as well. Many criminals domestically, like to post what they will do in their social media accounts. If the groups responsible for detection see this, it could represent a faster response time and possible prevention.

Conclusion

Florida is well on its way to developing a concise and easy to follow security policy that will protect its citizens, infrastructure, and visitors for years to come. Although there are some things that should be modified in order to allow maximum efficiency in implementation, Florida is and has been one of the states to focus on domestic security. Terrorism is no laughing matter and should be addressed appropriately with a detailed and effective defense and security policy.