The Progress of the Department of Homeland Security and Relationships with other Agencies (Research Paper Sample)

Department of Homeland Security
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
The Progress of the Department of Homeland Security and Relationships with other Agencies
Introduction
Since it was founded in 2002 following the events of 9/11, the Department of Homeland Security has made significant achievements and strides (The Department of Homeland Security, 2011). The department has made some massive steps towards preventing terrorism and enhancing the security of the United States through collaboration with domestic agencies and international partners. The homeland security agency has expanded its capacity to facilitate sharing of information and deployment of new technologies which can detect security threats a million miles away (The Department of Homeland Security, 2011). This paper will highlight some of the strides that DHS has made since inception, the structure of the department and the relationships between the agency and other security apparatus. The paper also discusses challenges faced by the department in addressing homeland security concerns and the role of cyber terrorism in future attacks.
Changes in Department of Homeland Security since 2001
The changes that have taken place in the department have been aimed at strengthening the security, safety, and resilience of the United States. After its inception, the DHS has merged 22 separate security agencies into one a single integrated and unified department (The Department of Homeland Security, 2011). Funding has increased significantly since the department was formed. The funding is more than 45 US billion today and is aimed at enhancing the security of the homeland, national borders and the transportation systems (Abbas, Tambe & Von Winterfeldt, 2017). In 2005, the department underwent Second Stage Review, a significant reorganization process in which an Intelligence and Analysis Office was set up by the former Secretary of the DHS (The Department of Homeland Security, 2011).
The objective of the reorganization was to ensure that the department has joint operations with other agencies (The Department of Homeland Security, 2011). The restructuring also linked the DHS to the Intelligence Community. Today, the DHS is a primary source of information for federal and state law enforcement agencies and can also help in sharing information on foreign intelligence (Holmes, 2012). After the 2SR restructuring, the responsibilities of DHS were augmented. The collaboration between the department and international partners has increased significantly since the inception of the agency. These collaborations have been forced to strengthen the security of aviation, facilitate sharing of information and to secure the international supply chain.