The Democratic-Republican National Convention - Essay Example

DNRC YourFirst YourLast The Democratic-Republican National Convention Introduction The DRNC will be one of the biggest political events ever to be staged in Miami, Florida. In an attempt to assure the people of their security, the local authorities in Florida guaranteed to undertake the necessary steps in ensuring that the security and the safety of the individuals in attendance are upheld. The following is an intelligence-led risk related report that outlines the methodology applied in identifying the various types of risks being managed. The Miami-Dade police will plan and lead the security operation flanked by the US Secret Service. The document contains information from collected reports from a wide range of government sections and agencies. The report contains evaluations of the associated severity of a big scope of primary accidents or natural occurrences (communally referred to as hazards) and attacks that are malicious in nature (threats). It also contains evaluations of the potential risks that are caused by public unrest, local extremists and organized crime. JTTF and Homeland Security Detectives have collected all sorts of information, and the following are the considered major hazards and threats that originate from five major sections. Terrorism Organized violent crime Local extremism Public unrest Accidents and natural occurrences Terrorism Miami faces a continuous threat from terrorism because it is a favored destination for many local and foreign tourists. Beyond the conventional strategies of attack, terrorists may have the intentions of conducting cyber attacks or employ non-traditional methods such as chemical, radiological substances, nuclear and biological materials (Christopher, Frye & Reissman, 2010). Considered to be a high profile political event, the Democratic-Republican National Convention is expected to present an attractive target to terrorist groups and their sympathizers. Terrorist Attacks on Crowded Areas The DRNC will host a number of key dignitaries in concentrated places especially in the venue of the conference. Similarly, mass car parking locations are prone to such attacks. Attacks on the Transport Structures Without a shred of doubt, there will be a lot of movement of passengers during the course of the event. The historical information reveals that of the various malicious attacks regarded, traditional attempts at sabotaging the open transport structures such as the subway stations are likely to be tried (Shach-Pinsly & Ganor, 2014). Other related attacks of the same nature on maritime and air travel systems is less likely to be employed because of the heightened security screening within these systems. Non-Conventional Attacks Non-conventional attacks are regarded as attacks that use unusual materials such as nuclear materials, chemical and biological materials. The magnitude and effect of such an occurrence would be dependent on the material used to carry out the attack, and the location chosen to launch the attack. The terrorists may decide to use the installations air conditioning systems or water supply centers (Walker, 2011). They may also decide to launch their attack from the main auditorium or at the public transport centre. Such an attack would jeopardize the event in totality because of the level of contamination of individuals. Local Extremism, Public Unrest and Domestic Crime Experience from previous political conventions shows that low-level criminal activity falls in the vicinity of the convention venue especially in the course of the operational period. There is need to focus on the concentration of assets considered high-value and delegates at the convention venue (Badiora, 2014). The fact that Miami sis playing host to the DRNC presents a perfect opportunity for local and international organized gangs to make some money at the expense of political supporters. One possible materialization of this is an effort to defraud attendees through robberies with violence. Cyber Attacks Most communication within the venue will use modern communication channels. Therefore, to some extent, the event will be dependent on internet technology in a big way, and such dependence might present chances from various quarters. Additionally, there will be a lot of activity in the respective party websites, updating the events of the proceedings of the event. These websites might be directly attacked and hacked into, and other electronic systems supporting the convention. Other websites linked to supporters and sponsors of the political parties may as well be attacked by e-crime groups. The Cyber attacks may additionally be carried out against information technology infrastructure and other transport systems facilitating their failure. Public Unrest This poses the greatest challenge especially when groups from both sides result to violent engagement. Even though past experiences show non-violent activity, protestors might take to the street to publicize their causes in an unlawful manner. Activists may also use this opportunity to disrupt the progress of the political convention. Accidents and Natural Occurrences The likelihood of accidents happening on a large scale on the material day is a possibility that must be entertained and, therefore, can never be ruled out. Accidents involving key installations and major transport infrastructure during the convention must be taken into account. In addition, the function will be held in August, prime time for natural events to take place within the region. Weather changes may affect the convention, typhoons and tsunamis must be also accounted for. In the month of August in Miami, there is a possibility of experiencing adverse weather conditions. It has been predicted that the temperatures for the day will be on the average of 15°C. This might affect the safety of the individuals attending the convention negatively. Although considered a possibility but highly unlikely, flooding caused by extreme storms could also be a risk factor. The storm may also pose a risk hazard to the infrastructure used for the function. Human diseases may also take a number of forms, and their effects can fluctuate a great deal. The possibility of a currently existing strain of disease such as Ebola is significantly low. However, there is a need to be extra vigilant at the time of the event to avert any food related illnesses or gastrointestinal epidemics. Risks to the Conventions Venue Infrastructure Significant infrastructure is defined as amenities, networks and systems important for the operation of the Convention, in addition to securing and giving support to them. The report considers electronic infrastructure that could affect the security and safety situations. The report used an assessment strategy formulated for specific requirements for the convention. It has followed three critical stages of assessment. First, there is the identification stage of the risk or hazard. Real-time intelligence is gathered and assessed for all the potential threats to the venue of the convention. This helps in formulating a complete picture of all the potential challenges that can disrupt the event. For every risk identified, a team of special agents from the homeland security is assigned to assess the worst-case scenario for the risk. After identification, assessment becomes the next stage. The "worst case scenario" assessment exercise assists in identifying the extent of the effects and the possibilities of occurrence of the agents. To evaluate the possibility of natural occurrences taking place, data collected using scientific methods is used. Where applicable, the evaluation looks forward to assessing the known and expected developments in the run up to the event that would have an effect on the possibility. In terrorism, the eagerness of persons or a group of individuals to execute attacks is weighed against an evaluation of their current capability, gearing up for the event and the defenselessness of the intended target. The possible effects analysis is undertaken to evaluate, for each scenario, the possible number of casualties and mortalities, property breakages, service interruption and economic and financial losses incurred. The effects of the Convention event and the name of Florida, Miami should a risk happen is also put into consideration. References Badiora, A. (2014). Crime Site Selection and Implications for Prevention Planning in Nigeria. Journal Of Applied Security Research, 9(3), 338-347. doi:10.1080/19361610.2014.913228 Christopher, K., Frye, D., & Reissman, S. (2010). Domestic Federal Interagency Planning: Meeting a Homeland Security Need. Journal Of Homeland Security And Emergency Management, 7(1). doi:10.2202/1547-7355.1723 Protest at Republican National Convention, 2004. (2008). RIOC, 37(4), 10-13. doi:10.1080/03064220802507203 Shach-Pinsly, D., & Ganor, T. (2014). Security sensitivity index: evaluating urban vulnerability. Proceedings Of The ICE - Urban Design And Planning, 1-14. doi:10.1680/udap.13.00015 Walker, S. (2011). Anticipating attacks from the operational codes of terrorist groups. Dynamics Of Asymmetric Conflict, 4(2), 135-143. doi:10.1080/17467586.2011.627936 Read More