Communication key to security

In a discussion at the Center for American Progress (CAP), Former Director of the New York City Department of Emergency Management Jerome Hauer said there is “a loss of credibility” at the Department of Homeland Security. He said that the Bush administration has tried to “distract the public” on homeland security while not basing their warnings on solid evidence. Hauer said the American public does not like getting security warnings “on a regular basis,” and the next administration cannot look like they are “crying wolf.”

Former Assistant to President Bush on Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Frances Townsend said that while the Bush administration struggled to communicate security issues, there is “no playbook to play off of.” She said that communication has to be improved at “a grassroots level.” Townsend said the next administration should form a communications plan quickly.

Director of Homeland Security at the CAP Action Fund P.J. Crowley said Al Qaeda has “the capability and the intent” to attack the U.S. on a big scale. He also criticized the Bush administration saying that while we lost up to $200 billion in the September 11 attack, we will spend over $1 trillion in our response. Director of the CAP Homeland Security Presidential Transition Initiative Michael Signer warned the public and the next administration saying “the threat level will likely be elevated during the new president’s first year.”