Erick Jimenez CJ 310 November 19, 2023 The restructuring of the agencies responsible for counterterrorism prior to 9/11 was important because there were many problems with the systems in place that needed to be reorganized to better detect and react to possible terroristic threats. One of the biggest issues that was afoot prior to the reorganization was that there were shortfalls to the sharing of critical intelligence amongst the other agencies fighting against terrorism. One instance of this was that the FBI and CIA failed to collaboratively process, share, and evaluate critical evidence between their agencies. Some of the agencies amongst themselves even failed to share this intelligence with their field and national offices [ CITATION Mar19 \l 1033 ]. The Secretary of Homeland Security is responsible for protecting American's from terrorist threats, securing our borders, facilitate legal immigration, developing an urgent sense of readiness, and unifying and maturing the Department [ CITATION Jan18 \l 1033 ]. Alejandro Mayorkas, the Secretary of Homeland Security, does this by effectively employing his workforce of 260,000 employees and the 22 components that fall under DHS such as the TSA, Customs and Border Protection, FEMA, and others. With collaborative efforts of all these agencies, they are responsible for counterterrorism, aviation security, port security and many others to protect the American people from any potential terroristic threats [ CITATION Sec23 \l 1033 ]. Every organization or team needs to fall under great leadership as it is often regarded as the most critical factor to the success, or failure, of institutions [ CITATION Nat13 \l 1033 ]. In regards to how leadership of DHS is a critical component of post-9/11 counterterrorism efforts,
great leadership is vital and ensuring that the 22 components of DHS work together in unisons with the sharing of information and resources to combat against terrorism. This does not only fall on the Secretary of DHS, but also on the other heads of agencies that fall under them. The agencies at the federal, state, and local levels must all work together to proactively defend the U.S. against terrorism.
References Department of Homeland Security. (2023, May 01). Secretary of Homeland Security. Retrieved from Department of Homeland Security: https://www.dhs.gov/topics/secretary-homeland- security Martin, G. (2019). Understanding Homeland Security (3rd ed.). Retrieved from SAGE Publications, Inc. (US): https://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/books/9781544355825 Napolitano, J. (2018, September 20). The Department's Five Responsibilities. Retrieved from Department of Homeland Security : https://www.dhs.gov/blog/2009/06/08/department %E2%80%99s-five-responsibilities National Academies Press. (2013, November 26). A Ready and Resilient Workforce for the Department of Homeland Security: Protecting America's Front Line. Retrieved from National Library of Medicine: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK201684/