A Home Front To-Do List
From personnel to information systems, we are not even close to where we need to be.
By Jose Cerda III
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Government's first responsibility is to keep its people safe. Yet nearly a year-and-a-half after the Sept. 11 attacks, the Bush administration hasn't done all that it can to prevent against another terrorist strike on American soil. Here are 10 ways Democrats could improve security on the home front:
Create a new domestic intelligence agency. Deterring terrorism requires domestic intelligence at least as good as our foreign intelligence. That's why America needs a domestic intelligence agency, like Britain's MI5. Every other big democracy has one. We should, too.
Reinforce the front lines of domestic defense. We need to strengthen the front lines of domestic defense by helping state and local governments hire as many as 100,000 more police, firefighters, and EMS professionals. Instead, state and local budget crunches are forcing cities to lay off these "domestic troops," even as more of them are required to meet the increased demands of homeland security. This is the wrong way to go.
Train and equip our domestic troops. The vast majority of the nation's first responders don't have the protective gear, equipment, and training they need to respond to another large-scale terrorist attack, especially if it involves biological or chemical agents. We must fund the backlog for all of these items.
Recruit citizen soldiers for homeland security. Now is the time to recruit more citizen soldiers not just to support our military overseas, but also to lend a hand with domestic defense. We can recruit more young people by offering college scholarships in exchange for homeland security service, such as becoming a firefighter. And we can enlist the efforts of Americans with valuable work experience and training by raising the age of eligibility for individuals to serve as a members of the National Guard or Reserves in a homeland security role.
Boost border enforcement. We need at least 10,000 more Border Patrol agents, INS inspectors, and State Department consular officials to stop terrorists from entering our country in the first place. It's an investment we should make.
Harden vulnerable targets. Thousands of potential targets remain vulnerable to attack by terrorists, including nuclear and chemical facilities, skyscrapers, and sports stadiums. We should charge the head of the Homeland Security Department with identifying the nation's most vulnerable targets, and create a new discretionary fund to serve as a catalyst for securing these properties.
End the FBI's failure to communicate. State and local law enforcement officials need access to terrorist watch lists and other sensitive information before an attack occurs, not after. We should mandate the FBI to accelerate security clearances for these officials and share all appropriate information.
Put a stop to fake IDs. The Sept. 11 suspects relied on fraudulent drivers' licenses to evade the authorities. We could reduce such ID fraud -- and protect against identity theft -- by working with states to implement secure "smart card" technology, and helping them link all their motor vehicle databases.
Make integrated information systems a national priority. Though several of the Sept. 11 suspects had prior run-ins with the law, they escaped notice because so many of our law enforcement databases aren't linked. Developing a system that connects all local, state, and federal justice information systems -- and using it to put real-time information into the hands of cops on the street -- should be a domestic security imperative.
Ask Americans to do their part. We're more than a year into the war on terrorism, but most Americans still have no idea what to do in the event of another terrorist attack. As in the 1950s, it's time we all learned the basics of civil defense. To help launch such an effort, we should call for a national weekend of civil defense training.
Jose Cerda III is a senior policy advisor to the Democratic Leadership Council and served as crime policy advisor in the Clinton White House.