Digital Commons Network^™

Crimen En La Frontera: Exploring Texas-Mexico Border Crimes Using A Geospatial Analysis, Carlos Alvarez, Jascha Wagner

Journal of Strategic Security

Border crimes threaten public safety and security in the United States and the US-Mexico border region. Several evaluations support that data-driven, place-based crime prevention approaches can complement current public safety strategies and help reduce crime. Accordingly, place-based crime prevention may successfully prevent border crimes since these are inherently spatial. However, few studies have analyzed the geographies of Texas-Mexico border crimes, and assessments of data-driven, place-based crime prevention strategies of border crimes still lack a solid empirical foundation – especially in more rural border communities. To address this issue, this study builds police report data (Border Incident Assessment Report (BIAR)), used …

Progress And Challenges In Combating Corruption In Ukraine: Pathways Forward, Semen Kravtsov, Kostiantyn Orobets, Nataliia Shyshpanova, Oksana Vovchenko, Olena Berezovska-Chmil

Journal of Strategic Security

In the context of war, the issue of corruption in Ukraine and abuse of office attracts great attention from experts, scholars, and civil society. The article aims to highlight the dynamics of combating corruption in Ukraine. This includes its main challenges, achievements, and ways of overcoming them in the context of war. The paper employs analysis and synthesis methods to study the dynamics of combating corruption in Ukraine. The authors have reviewed reforms in various sectors to identify key achievements in each corruption risk area. The article highlights the key achievements in the dynamics of combating corruption in Ukraine during …

Urban Security: From High-Intensity Crime To Large-Scale Combat Operations And Everything In Between, John P. Sullivan, Ph.D., Nathan P. Jones, Ph.D., Daniel W. Argomedo, Ph.D.

Journal of Strategic Security

No abstract provided.

Implementing Nims: Lessons Learned From The Boston Marathon Bombing, James M. Duggan, John Petrozzelli, Jay Slattery

Journal of Strategic Security

Many opportunities to learn from the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing have not been capitalized on. The terrorist attack was launched in the heart of Boston, a densely populated urban area with a population of approximately 670,000. Those numbers are amplified by the hundreds of thousands of spectators that line the streets along the Marathon route, with most at the finish line on Boylston Street. Two pressure cooker bombs were detonated in the finish line area, killing three and injuring 264. Among the injured were 16 who suffered traumatic amputations. Numerous reviews of the response and investigation identified positive aspects to …

Why Cities Fail: The Urban Security Crisis In Ecuador, Jorge Mantilla, Carolina Andrade, Maria Fe Vallejo

Journal of Strategic Security

Compared to other countries in Latin America, Ecuador was traditionally considered a peaceful territory. However, 2022 was the most violent year in the history of Ecuador with a homicide rate of 25.6. In particular, the littoral city of Guayaquil (46.6) poses extraordinary challenges to Ecuadorian security agencies while criminal governance and firepower of criminal armed groups increased steadily in the past four years. This paper explores the relationship between ports, violence, and governance in the context of criminal wars. Through a process-tracing method, it studies the path through which Guayaquil ended up in a security crisis between 2018 and 2022. …

Come Hell Or High Fever: Readying The World’S Megacities For Disaster. By Russell, W. Glenn. Canberra, Australia: Australian University Press, 2023., Magdalena, A. Denham, Ph.D.

Journal of Strategic Security

No abstract provided.

Resisting Exortion: Victims, Criminals, And States In Latin America. By Eduardo Moncada. Cambridge University Press, 2021., Nicholas Barnes, Ph.D.

Journal of Strategic Security

No abstract provided.

African Intelligence Services: Early Postcolonial And Contemporary Challenges. Edited By Ryan Shaffer. Lanham, Md: Rowman And Littlefield, 2021., Mitchel P. Roth, Ph.D.

Journal of Strategic Security

No abstract provided.

The Brave New World Of Third Party Location Data, Shelby Brennan, Stephen Coulthart, Brian Nussbaum

Journal of Strategic Security

The use of third-party location data (3PLD)—geospatial data captured by smart devices and sold by ‘data brokers’—for intelligence and investigations is increasing each year. This data source provides opportunities for analysts and decision makers to better understand as well as counter a host of security threats from common criminals to terrorists. However, and like other emerging and potent sources of intelligence like social media intelligence (SOCMINT), 3PLD must also be wielded legitimately by the government. We argue that the in the US context the legal framework surrounding these data is unclear. Due to the legal ambiguity as well as technological …

Terrorism, Democracy And Human Security: A Communication Model. By Ronald Crelinsten. Abingdon, Routledge, 2021., Maximiliano E. Korstanje Phd

Journal of Strategic Security

No abstract provided.

Terrorism, Gender, And Women: Toward An Integrated Research Agenda. Edited By Alexandra Phelan. New York: Routledge, 2021., Deborah A. Sibila, Ph.D.

Journal of Strategic Security

No abstract provided.

Policing In France. Edited By Jacques De Maillard And Wesley G. Skogan. New York And London: Routledge, 2021., John P. Sullivan

Journal of Strategic Security

No abstract provided.

Revisiting Domestic Intelligence, John P. Sullivan, Genevieve Lester

Journal of Strategic Security

This article looks at the evolution of US domestic intelligence prior to and since 9/11 in light of the Capitol attacks. It also reviews the literature and practice of intelligence reform in the context of foreign comparative experience (France, UK, Canada, Australia). It looks at the promise of fusion centers, cocontemporay domestic intelligence models, and the continuing need for domestic intelligence reform.

Additional Keywords: Domestic Intelligence, Intelligence Reform, Intelligence Fusion

A Social Network Analysis Of Mexico’S Dark Network Alliance Structure, Nathan P. Jones, Irina A. Chindea, Daniel Weisz Argomedo, John P. Sullivan

Journal of Strategic Security

This article assesses Mexico’s organized crime alliance and subgroup network structures. Through social network analysis (SNA) of data from Lantia Consultores, a consulting firm in Mexico that specializes in the analysis of public policies, it demonstrates differential alliance structures within Mexico’s bipolar illicit network system. The Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación’s (CJNG) alliance structure is top-down and hierarchical, while the Sinaloa Cartel is denser, particularly in the broader Tierra Caliente region. Additionally, our analysis found a sparse overall network with many isolates (groups with no relations to other groups) and disconnected components. Further, we identified organized crime networks that …

Insurgent Women: Female Combatants In Civil Wars. By Jessica Trisko Darden, Alexis Henshaw And Ora Szekely. Washington, Dc: Georgetown University Press, 2019., Deborah Sibila, Ph.D.

Journal of Strategic Security

No abstract provided.

Ms-13: The Making Of America’S Most Notorious Gang. By Steven Dudley. Toronto, Canada: Hanover Square Press, 2020., Pamela Ruiz, Ph.D.

Journal of Strategic Security

No abstract provided.

The Validity Of The Assessment And Treatment Of Radicalization Scale: A Psychometric Instrument For Measuring Severity Of Extremist Muslim Beliefs, Yusef Karimi, Adarsh Kholi, Ann-Mari Hesselink, Johan Prinsloo, Stella Bhawanie, José M Andreu, Adekunle G. Ahmed, Wagdy Loza, Alexandra Cimbura

Journal of Strategic Security

The Assessment and Treatment of Radicalization Scale (ATRS) is designed to quantitatively measure Muslim extremists’ ideologies regarding risk areas that are reported in the literature. Utilizing the scale, in this study, using a convenience sample of 1769 from 10 countries (Australia, Canada, Egypt, India, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Spain, and South Africa) responded to the ATRS. Results supported previous findings about the reliability and validity of the Assessment and Treatment of Radicalization Scale (ATRS, formerly known as Belief Diversity Scale BDS, Loza, 2007) for assessing Muslim extremists. Suggested cut off scores to use for identifying possible extremists are provided.

Analytical Standards In The Intelligence Community: Are Standards Professionalized Enough?, Derek Reinhold, Charles M. Russo, Beth Eisenfeld

Journal of Strategic Security

Analytical standards and its impact is a topic compelling the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC) toward a discipline of proficiency and structure comparable to other professional fields is an evolutionary process. Following the creation of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), Intelligence Community Directives (ICDs) became the feature through which guidance and a consensus on a topic became methods of aligning entities within the IC. The research questions about the usefulness of ODNI’s ICDs on the individual analyst and IC member agencies as the intelligence profession emerges are intriguing. Therefore, practitioners should consider several approaches and criteria to …

Environmental Crime In Transnational Context: Global Issues In Green Criminology. By Toine Spapens, Rob White, & Wim Huisman. New York, N.Y.: Routledge, 2016., William Dittmann, Ph.D.

Journal of Strategic Security

No abstract provided.

Halting Boko Haram / Islamic State's West Africa Province Propaganda In Cyberspace With Cybersecurity Technologies, Sunday O. Ogunlana

Journal of Strategic Security

Terrorists use cyberspace and social media technology to create fear and spread violent ideologies, which pose a significant threat to public security. Researchers have documented the importance of the application of law and regulation in dealing with the criminal activities in cyberspace. Using routine activity theory, this article assessed the effectiveness of technological approaches to mitigating the expansion and organization of terrorism in cyberspace. Data collection included open-source documents, government threat assessments, legislation, policy papers, and peer-reviewed academic literature and semistructured interviews with fifteen security experts in Nigeria. The key findings were that the new generation of terrorists who are …

Profiling Lone-Actor Terrorists: A Cross-Sectional Study Of Lone-Actor Terrorists In Western Europe (2015–2016), Mohammadmoein Khazaeli Jah, Ardavan Khoshnood

Journal of Strategic Security

Lone-actor terrorism is a growing threat in Western European countries as the numbers of lone-actor terrorist attacks have multiplied over the last 15 years. However, knowledge on this type of terrorism is insufficient. This current study evaluates whether there are any common personal, social, psychological, and operational characteristics among lone-actor terrorists (LATs) and whether any profile can be drawn in regard to a lone-actor terrorist. The authors identified 36 LATs between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2016, in Western European countries through the Global Terrorism Database. The study profiled these LATs regarding their sociodemographic characteristics, attack characteristics, method of …

British And Lebanese Prisons: Are They Fertile Breeding Ground For Terrorism?, Salim Yaacoub

Journal of Strategic Security

Within an antagonistic atmosphere, radicalism becomes an attractive path for young Muslim inmates who feel disaffected. This is especially the case for those who are easily manipulated emotionally, due to being separated from friends and family. Radicalism makes them feel like they are in the “right” place. This article contrasts the radicalization processes occurring within United Kingdom prisons with those occurring in Lebanese prisons. Prisons are frequently designated as the “hotbeds” of radicalization, violent extremism, and terrorism, but in the United Kingdom, they are seen more as “homegrown” terrorist plots. Focusing solely on security is insufficient to prevent radicalization. Instead, …

The 2016 ‘Lone Wolf’ Tsunami - Is Rapoport’S ‘Religious Wave’ Ending?, Martin J. Gallagher

Journal of Strategic Security

This article considers recent developments across the western world in the lethality of lone wolf terrorists during 2016 against the contextual framework of Rapoport’s theory regarding the existence of waves of terrorism, mirroring current extreme political and social situations. It highlights the similarities in terms of world conditions coupled to modus operandi that existed during the first wave of terrorism, the Anarchist wave, and currently, while highlighting recent increased lethality. The paper illustrates that current lone wolf behaviours, and the decreasing ‘Religiosity’ of fourth wave participants indicate that the wave’s breakwater may have been reached. A discussion of the role …

Common Thread? The Role Of Professional Orientation In U.S. And Non-U.S. Intelligence Studies Programs, Jonathan Smith 3496573

Journal of Strategic Security

As the field of intelligence studies continue to expand, knowledge of faculty and programs outside the United States remains limited. Beyond a few studies which consider the larger “Anglosphere’, there remains the question of whether programs in different countries are approaching this academic study from a comparable perspective. Utilizing a survey of individual faculty members, as well as interviews with program leadership, this study finds that there is a shared emphasis on practical application. From faculty background to program objectives, intelligence studies degree programs inside and outside of the United States appear to share this common focus.

Security Inequalities In North America: Reassessing Regional Security Complex Theory, Richard J. Kilroy Jr, Abelardo Rodriguez Sumano, Todd Hataley

Journal of Strategic Security

This article re-evaluates earlier work done by the authors on Regional Security Complex Theory (RSCT) in North America, using sectoral analysis initially developed by Buzan and Waever, but also adding the variables of institutions, identity, and interests. These variables are assessed qualitatively in the contemporary context on how they currently impress upon the process of securitization within sectoral relations between Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The article reviews the movement from bilateral security relations between these states to the development of a trilateral response to regional security challenges post- 9/11. It further addresses the present period and what appears …

Political Violence And The Mediating Role Of Violent Extremist Propensities, Nele Schils, Lieven J.R. Pauwels

Journal of Strategic Security

Research into violent extremism is lacking integrated theoretical frameworks explaining individual involvement in politically or religiously motivated violence, resulting in a poor understanding of causal mechanisms. Building on situational action theory, the current study moves beyond the dominant risk factor approach and proposes an integrated model for the explanation of political/religious violence, distinguishing between direct mechanisms and “causes of the causes.” The model integrates mechanisms from different but complementary traditions. Following previous work, this study focusses on the causes of the causes influencing direct key mechanisms, violent extremist propensity, and exposure to violent extremist moral settings that explain political/religious violence. …

Defeating Isis On The Battle Ground As Well As In The Online Battle Space: Considerations Of The “New Normal” And Available Online Weapons In The Struggle Ahead, Anne Speckhard, Ph.D., Ardian Shajkovci, Ph.D., Ahmet S. Yayla, Ph.D.

Journal of Strategic Security

The United States and its allies continue to achieve significant military victories against ISIS (otherwise known as ISIL or the “Islamic State”). The loss of territories resulting from military victories is especially important given that ISIS relies in part on recruits from the territories it controls. Efforts have also been directed at killing the group’s core leadership; stemming the flow of foreign fighters to Iraq and Syria through tightening up border security and surveillance; and targeting militant jihadi narratives and propaganda that is pushed out by ISIS on a twenty-four/seven basis via the Internet and social media platforms. In such …

I See! Scotland: Tackling Sectarianism And Promoting Community Psychosocial Health, Eolene M. Boyd-Macmillan, Patricia Andrews Fearon, Amanda M. Ptolomey, Laura J. Mathieson

Journal of Strategic Security

We developed and tested through two studies a new intervention run as a course, I SEE! Scotland, to reduce and prevent Protestant-Catholic sectarianism in Scotland, a historic inter-group conflict expressed in forms ranging from polite to violent, within a wider population that includes those who feel untouched. Designed to reflect the social ecology of Scotland and engage individuals regardless of sectarian involvement, the intervention aimed to increase cognitive complexity, measured as integrative complexity, through participatory theatre and experiential methods. We hypothesised that the confluence of experiential learning to support multiple forms of self, other, and systems awareness with narrative framing …

Latent Memories Of Terror: Media Perceptions Of The Woolwich Attack, Logan Stickel

Journal of Strategic Security

The Woolwich Attack of 2013 remains a distinctive case of lone wolf terrorism in terms of its hyper violent theatricalization and symbolic presentation of user-generated content. Although being described as having a paradigmic effect on the way terrorism is viewed and presented, its relationship to traditional media is under examined. To understand the perceptive impact, an exploratory qualitative research project was designed to gauge public views in terms of event presentation by media modality. Primary data was collected through interviews upon a theoretical sampling of fifteen Londoners and interpreted using a framework analysis technique. Results indicated that the main mode …

From Wmd To Wme: An Ever-Expanding Threat Spectrum, Bowman H. Miller Ph.D.

Journal of Strategic Security

One of the challenges the United States and its intelligence community confronts today, if not the foremost challenge, is the girth of its national security problem set. The array of threat types, as well as the potential sources of those threats, is unprecedented and growing. The burdensome task for intelligence at all times, but especially given the present rate of change and the increasing porosity of borders, is to try to cope with an escalating mix of challenges and rising expectations of what intelligence can provide. Existing tasks persist; they are not replaced. The number and types of potentially threatening …