Comments on: As DHS & FEMA Develop New National Citizen Terrorism Tips Campaign, Addressing Public Skepticism Will Be Key

By: Roberto

Roberto — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 23:50:08 +0000

I guess it demonstrates that people generally trust government agencies to get on with their jobs (e.g. the development and execution of security strategy and tactics) reasonably competently.

Where we worry is when those agencies, frequently with the blessing of their masters in the executive branch, and their putative overseers in the legislative and judicial branches, overstep their constitutionally prescribed duties.

In the well-known words of Baron Acton, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

By: admin

admin — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 22:45:05 +0000

Roberto–
Fair points, particularly in light of the Arizona situation. What I was saying I found “surprising” about all the questions at the Napolitano was 1) that the citizen tips idea was only a small part of the speech and 2) I expected the Council on Foreign Relations audience to raise more strategic Homeland Security issues with the Secretary.
But it did underscore to me how carefully any type of tips program needs to be planned and rolled out as it should be.
-John

By: Roberto

Roberto — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 21:32:01 +0000

“Afterwards, it was a little surprising but revelatory that the much of the question-and-answer portion was taken up by audience members expressing concern about that making Americans better â€œfirst preventersâ€ might impinge on civil liberties. And, this was from a politically friendly and highly sophisticated crowd.”

I don’t find it surprising at all. Given the extent to which government (all branches, and trickling down to enforcement agencies) has repeatedly demonstrated its willingness to trample on civil liberties (witness Arizona Governor Brewer’s eagerness to ram into law the constitutionally dubious SN 1070), citizens are right to question 1) what their fellow citizens will be able to contribute to public security, and more important, 2) what the government will do with any ‘intelligence’ that’s gleaned.

In Arizona it’s law enforcement that has aligned itself with the federal government in questioning the constitutionality (and feasibility and fairness) of SB 1070, and it’s very easy, given the polarization of American politics over the past 10 years, to imagine ‘public involvement in homeland security’ leading to vigilantism.

As you wrote, “It will need to show SPECIFICALLY how the public can be helpful in helping law enforcement and share more success stories as models.

The trouble is, success stories are not enough. There are always success stories, as there are failure stories. We simply can’t, unfortunately, trust the government (or anyone) to publicize its failures. Hard statistics are needed, and/or independent evaluation by citizen watchdog groups/observers.