Date of Award

Spring 5-2012

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Criminal Justice

Committee Chair

Thomas Payne

Committee Chair Department

Criminal Justice

Committee Member 2

Lisa Nored

Committee Member 2 Department

Criminal Justice

Committee Member 3

William W. Johnson

Committee Member 3 Department

Criminal Justice

Committee Member 4

Kelly Dial

Committee Member 4 Department

Criminal Justice

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to investigate using survey data to find factors or barriers which contributed to local law enforcement participation and support of intelligence information sharing. Following the September 11, 2001, attacks in New York City and Arlington, Virginia, new homeland security initiatives and directives were created from the legislative and executive branches of the federal government. Several new initiatives and directives provided new communication opportunities for partnerships between all levels of law enforcement to combat the future threat of domestic terrorism.

The evaluation literature indicated that a majority of post-9/11, initiatives, including the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, were strategically implemented using a top-down, reactive approach to terrorism-related intelligence gathering. Technological, organizational, or cultural breakdowns between the federated jurisdictions of law enforcement contributed to the vulnerability of United States defense capabilities. Disparate pieces of intelligence information were available to several federal, state, and local terror investigation agencies, but the agencies were not able to piece together the information in a timely manner.

The study examined implementation issues from a bottom-up perspective with participant local law enforcement departments in four separate states, across four geographic areas of the country. In order to examine these issues, responses of participants in the study were analyzed through the administration of a survey instrument. Participants also were provided an optional opportunity to provide qualitative data on the last page of the survey instrument. One of the goals of the study was to identify barriers so a more proactive approach with more partnerships can be implemented through the development of a seamless communicative network where terror information can be shared interoperable across all levels of law enforcement.

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