Public Safety

Public safety is the protection of the public from harm and danger. It involves a wide range of activities and services designed to ensure the well-being and security of individuals and communities.

There are many issues related to Public Safety that Congress is looking to address with legislation. In the ‘About’ section of this post is an overview of the issues and potential solutions, party positions, and web links. Other sections have information on relevant committees, chairs, & caucuses; departments & agencies; and the judiciary, nonpartisan & partisan organizations, and a wikipedia entry.
To participate in ongoing forums, ask the post’s curators questions, and make suggestions, scroll to the ‘Discuss’ section at the bottom of each post or select the “comment” icon.

The Public Safety category has related posts and three posts on issues of particular focus: Gun Laws, Disinformation, Prison Reform.

The Future of Public Safety
TEDx Talks – 15/05/2019 (18:15)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itptti4f-V8

Troy Riggs talks about his experience with public safety, and ways that the major cities within the United States of America can improve their public safety efforts.

OnAir Post: Public Safety

Gun Safety

Gun politics is defined in the United States by two primary opposing ideologies concerning the private ownership of firearms. Those who advocate for gun control support increasingly restrictive regulation of gun ownership; those who advocate for gun rights oppose increased restriction, or support the liberalization of gun ownership.

In the ‘About’ section of this post is an overview of the issues or challenges, potential solutions, and web links. Other sections have information on relevant legislation, committees, agencies, programs in addition to information on the judiciary, nonpartisan & partisan organizations, and a wikipedia entry.
To participate in ongoing forums, ask the post’s curators questions, and make suggestions, scroll to the ‘Discuss’ section at the bottom of each post or select the “comment” icon.

The Gun Safety category has related posts on government agencies and departments and committees and their Chairs.

Can gun safety laws make an impact on the frequency of mass shootings?
PBS NewsHour – 23/01/2023 (05:28)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4gdpxnKTyI

The tragedy in Monterey Park was the second mass shooting in California in just under a week. To discuss the laws in that state and the challenges of stopping shootings given the wide availability of guns, Geoff Bennett spoke with Adam Winkler, a professor at the UCLA School of Law where he focuses on constitutional law and gun policy.

OnAir Post: Gun Safety

Disinformation

Disinformation is false information deliberately spread to deceive people. Disinformation is an orchestrated adversarial activity in which actors employ strategic deceptions and media manipulation tactics to advance political, military, or commercial goals. Disinformation is implemented through attacks that weaponize multiple rhetorical strategies and forms of knowing—including not only falsehoods but also truths, half-truths, and value judgements—to exploit and amplify culture wars and other identity-driven controversies.

In the ‘About’ section of this post is an overview of the issues or challenges, potential solutions, and web links. Other sections have information on relevant legislation, committees, agencies, programs in addition to information on the judiciary, nonpartisan & partisan organizations, and a wikipedia entry.
To participate in ongoing forums, ask the post’s curators questions, and make suggestions, scroll to the ‘Discuss’ section at the bottom of each post or select the “comment” icon.

The Disinformation category has related posts on government agencies and departments and committees and their Chairs.

Social media's role in fueling extremism and misinformation in a divided political climate
(10:28)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vpfKZ-7ir4

Half of U.S. adults say they sometimes get their news from social media. However, almost two-thirds of adults say they view social media as a bad thing for democracy. This raises the question of what responsibility social media companies bear for our increasingly divided political climate. Judy Woodruff explores that more for her ongoing series, America at a Crossroads.

OnAir Post: Disinformation

Prison Reform

Prison reform is the attempt to improve conditions inside prisons, improve the effectiveness of a penal system, or implement alternatives to incarceration. It also focuses on ensuring the reinstatement of those whose lives are impacted by crimes.

In the ‘About’ section of this post is an overview of the issues or challenges, potential solutions, and web links. Other sections have information on relevant legislation, committees, agencies, programs in addition to information on the judiciary, nonpartisan & partisan organizations, and a wikipedia entry
To participate in ongoing forums, ask the post’s curators questions, and make suggestions, scroll to the ‘Discuss’ section at the bottom of each post or select the “comment” icon.

The Prison Reform category has related posts on government agencies and departments and committees and their Chairs.

The New Asylums: Are Prisons the New Mental Hospitals?
PBS NewsHour – 09/01/2024

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQOug0yD1bg

Nearly half a million people in America’s prisons and jails were dealing with mental illness in 2005. FRONTLINE examined mental health in the prison system. (Aired 2005).

When “The New Asylums” was originally released, 16 percent of America’s prison population could be classified as having a severe mental illness such as schizophrenia, major depression or bipolar disorder, according to National Alliance for the Mentally Ill. The numbers were much higher when taking into consideration other types of mental illnesses and disorders.

As sheriffs and prison wardens became the unexpected and ill-equipped gatekeepers of this burgeoning population, they raised a troubling issue: were jails and prisons turning into America’s new mental hospitals?

With unprecedented access to prison therapy sessions, mental health treatment meetings, crisis wards, and prison disciplinary tribunals, FRONTLINE went inside Ohio’s state prison system to present a searing exploration of the complex topic of mental health behind bars and a moving portrait of the individuals at the center of this issue.

OnAir Post: Prison Reform

Justice Department (DOJ)

The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the United States government tasked with the enforcement of federal law and administration of justice in the United States. It is equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.

The department is headed by the U.S. Attorney General, who is nominated by the president and confirmed by the US Senate and is a member of the Cabinet. The current attorney general is Merrick Garland, who was sworn in March 11, 2021.

OnAir Post: Justice Department (DOJ)

Homeland Security Department (DHS)

The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is the U.S. federal executive department responsible for public security, roughly comparable to the interior or home ministries of other countries.

Its stated missions involve anti-terrorism, border security, immigration and customs, cyber security, and disaster prevention and management.

OnAir Post: Homeland Security Department (DHS)

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee

Mission:
The Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (HSGAC) is the Senate’s primary oversight committee with broad jurisdiction over government operations generally and the Department of Homeland Security in particular.

House counterparts: Committee on Homeland Security and Committee on Oversight and Reform

Democratic Members (Minority):
Gary Peters, Michigan – Ranking member
Maggie Hassan, New Hampshire
Jacky Rosen, Nevada
Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut
Andy Kim, New Jersey
Ruben Gallego, Arizona
Elissa Slotkin , Michigan
John Fetterman, Pennsylvania

Republican Members (Majority):
Rand Paul, Kentucky
Ron Johnson, Wisconsin
James Lankford, Oklahoma
Bernie Moreno, Ohio
Rick Scott, Florida
Josh Hawley, Missouri
Joni Ernst, Iowa
Tim Scott, South Carolina

Senate Homeland Security Examining Irregularities 2020 Election

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lh8r010fXrI

Senate Homeland Security Examining Irregularities 2020 Election

OnAir Post: Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee

Homeland Security Committee

The committee conducts oversight and handles legislation (and resolutions) related to the security of the United States. The committee has authorization and policy oversight responsibilities over the Department of Homeland Security.

Senate counterpart: Senate Committee on Homeland Security

Subcommittees:

Border Security and Enforcement
Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement and Intelligence
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection
Emergency Management and Technology
Oversight, Investigations and Accountability
Transportation and Maritime Security

Chair: Mark Green, Tennessee (R)
Ranking Member: Bennie Thompson, Mississippi (D)

Majority Staff Director: Stephen Siao
Minority Staff Director: Hope Goins
Meeting Location: H2-176 Ford House Office Building Washington, DC 20515; (202) 226-8417

Featured Video: The Cyber Talent Pipeline: Educating a Workforce to Match Today’s Threats – July 29, 2021
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