Homeland Security and Justice Administration

Homeland Security and Justice Administration

The National Response Framework is a system developed by the Federal Emergency Management Administration designed to prevent, respond to and aid in the recovery from disasters such as acts of terrorism, natural and man-made disasters. It is just one of the elements of the National Preparedness System but involves "a continuous cycle of planning, organizing, training, equipping, exercising, evaluating, and taking corrective action." ("FEMA") This system is considered a cycle because there is no end goal to attain other than the continual protection and responding to disasters. Because there is always new ways to improve, there is always a continual cycle of steps which aim to continually improve the ability to respond to disasters.

Chicago is a large urban area with more than 4 million residents living within its borders, and millions more living in surrounding suburbs. When developing a plan of preparedness it is essential to establish priorities, determine the performance and capabilities expected of those involved, create a system of evaluating those capabilities, and aid in the teaching of response roles for individuals. This may be one of the most difficult aspects of the overall system as it requires the person in command to overcome the ingrained system of politics within the area. For example, it would be similar to the problems Commissioner Bratton was faced with the dysfunctional system which maintained a number of bureau chiefs who only wanted the commissioner to be a front-man for them. (Bratton, 1998, p.242) in Chicago there would have to be one overall commanding officer with the authority to enforce his decisions over those entrenched in the existing system.

The next step would be to organize and equip those involved in preventing and responding to emergencies. This would involve the Chicago Police and Fire Departments, as well as city services, local hospitals and emergency centers, and all corresponding suburban departments as well. This aspect of the plan must include the organizing of personnel depending upon skill sets and capabilities. Next the plan must provide for the training of all appropriate first responders, emergency and security officials, as well as members of the private sector involved in the plan. Each member associated with a specific role in the plan must be trained and competent in their role. Police, firefighters, hospital staff, and others involved in the Chicago area should be given proper training and periodic updates to maintain their level of competency.

All of the organizing and training is useless unless the preparedness cycle is tested prior to an actual emergency. Therefore, the Chicago area should have at least one annual exercise which simulates a disaster and the ability of those tasked with responding. As well as practice, an exercise can also bring to light any shortfalls or problems inherent in the plan. Any problems can then be identified in an evaluation process, conducted by an outside group of observers, which can then make recommendations to improve the overall preparedness plan. This leads the cycle back into the original planning stage as the new and improved plan can be put into practice.

Question #2

The United States Department of Justice has created a website called "COPS: Community Oriented Policing Services" in order to advance "the practice of community policing in America's state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies." ( "COPS: Community Oriented") There are three aspects of Community Policing which the Department of Justice promotes: Community Partnerships, Organizational Transformation, and Problem Solving. The COPS program also organizes conferences, grants and funding for improvements and technical assistance, as well as courses for local police officers to learn the most advanced techniques in community policing. Community Policing is one of the police organizations and operations listed in chapter 3 of Kenneth Peak's book entitled Justice Administration. (Peak, 2007) the Department of Justice's COPS website is the official site for the DOJ's office that is assigned to maintain a connection between the federal government and local communities in regard to enhancing community policing programs.

"COPS: Community Oriented Policing Services." (n.d.). United States Department

of Justice: COPS Office. Retrieved from http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/Default.asp?Item=34

Chapter 4 of Peak's book involves police personnel and their roles and functions in serving the public. Peak identifies the organization of police forces, as well as their hierarchies and responsibilities from the chief of police down to the individual patrol officer. The role and responsibilities of the average patrol officer is listed in chapter 4, but they are also listed in Massachusetts official government website mass.gov in a document entitled "Municipal Police Officers' Medical Standards and Essential Functions." This website consists of the medical standards required for a person to qualify as a police officer, as well as the physical abilities and fitness standards tests, but most importantly, are the essential functions of a patrol officer. This list of functions is a more complete and detailed explanation of the basic tasks listed in chapter 4 of Peak's Justice Administration: Police, Courts, and Corrections Management. (Peak, 2007)