Skip to page content

Homeland Security and Public Safety

Featured

RAND conducts analyses and makes recommendations to strengthen the U.S. Department of Homeland Security across its full set of missions to prevent terrorism and enhance security, secure and manage America's borders, enforce and administer immigration laws, safeguard and secure cyberspace, and strengthen preparedness and resilience. In the area of public safety, RAND research addresses drug policy, crime, prison reform, and prisoner reentry, and other topics.

Tool
A Toolkit for Community-Police Dialogue
Most efforts to improve community-police relations end up being ad hoc, are led by a few officers or motivated community members, and tend to be abandoned over time. A new guide can help communities implement a structured community-police dialogue that could lead to more productive relationships between police and the communities they serve.
Nov 27, 2023
Commentary
Terror and the Secondary Trauma of Social Media
As graphic images from Israel and Gaza proliferate on social media, it is likely that these images are having significant negative impacts on the mental health and well-being of many. Mitigating their impact on global mental health might require making hard choices and doing the work to forge community bonds that prioritize everyone's well-being.
Nov 4, 2023

Topics in Focus:

Explore Homeland Security and Public Safety

News Release
Increase in Jihadist Threat Calls for New U.S. Strategy to Combat Terrorism
Since 2010, there has been a 58 percent increase in the number of jihadist groups, a doubling of fighters, and a tripling of attacks by al Qaeda affiliates. The U.S. cannot afford to withdraw or remain disengaged from key parts of North Africa, the Middle East, or South Asia.
Jun 4, 2014
News Release
Addressing Mexico's Violent Drug-Trafficking Organizations Will Require Coordinated Effort
Mexico is not like any other case characterized by "warlordism," resource insurgency, ungoverned spaces, and organized crime. Despite the lack of a perfectly analogous case, Mexico stands to benefit from historical lessons from countries facing similar challenges.
May 5, 2014
News Release
Regulating Legal Marijuana Could Be Guided by Lessons from Alcohol and Tobacco
As U.S. policymakers consider ways to ease prohibitions on marijuana, the public health approaches used to regulate alcohol and tobacco over the past century may provide valuable lessons.
Apr 21, 2014
News Release
Extending Terrorism Insurance Program Could Save Federal Government Money After Future Attacks
The Terrorism Risk Insurance Act will expire soon and Congress is considering the appropriate government role in terrorism insurance markets. In a terrorist attack with losses up to $50 billion, the federal government would spend more helping to cover losses than if it had continued to support a national terrorism risk insurance program.
Apr 10, 2014
News Release
Black Markets for Hackers Are Increasingly Sophisticated, Specialized and Maturing
Black and gray markets for computer hacking tools, services, and byproducts such as stolen credit card numbers continue to expand, creating an increasing threat to businesses, governments, and individuals.
Mar 24, 2014
News Release
Libya Needs More International Support
The international community's limited approach to post-conflict stabilization of Libya has left the nation struggling and on the brink of civil war.
Mar 17, 2014
News Release
U.S. Cocaine Consumption Declines by Half, While Marijuana Use Jumps
From 2006 to 2010, the amount of marijuana consumed by Americans increased by more than 30 percent, while cocaine consumption fell by about half. Meanwhile, heroin use was fairly stable throughout the decade.
Mar 10, 2014
News Release
Expiration of Terrorism Risk Insurance Act Could Hurt National Security
The current terrorism risk insurance act will expire in 2014 and Congress again is considering the appropriate government role in terrorism insurance markets.
Mar 6, 2014
News Release
Tools Can Help Policymakers Increase Coastal Resilience to Rising Seas and Storm Surge
Two key analytic tools can be used to evaluate how coastal protection and restoration decisions made now will play out over time, even given an uncertain future.
Feb 21, 2014
News Release
Prison-Based Education Declined During Economic Downturn; More Work Is Needed to Better Focus Spending
State-level spending on prison education programs declined sharply during the economic downturn, with the sharpest drop occurring in states that incarcerate the most prisoners.
Feb 18, 2014
News Release
Self-Driving Vehicles Offer Potential Benefits, Policy Challenges for Lawmakers
Self-driving vehicles offer the promise of significant benefits to society, but raise several policy challenges, including the need to update insurance liability regulations and privacy concerns such as who will control the data generated by this technology.
Jan 6, 2014
News Release
Marijuana Consumption in Washington State Twice as Large as Previously Estimated
In Washington state, marijuana consumption likely will range from 135 to 225 metric tons during 2013. Understanding the current market should help state policymakers with decisions about the number of marijuana sales licenses to issue, to project tax revenues, and provide a foundation for assessments of legalization.
Dec 18, 2013
News Release
Influence of Pro-Smoking Media Messages Can Last for Seven Days
College students documented their exposure to pro-smoking media messages during their normal routine over a three-week period. After exposure to just one, their smoking intentions immediately increased by an average of 22 percent. Smoking intentions decreased with each passing day but remained elevated for seven days.
Nov 18, 2013
News Release
The End of the Iraq War Offers Lessons for Withdrawal from Afghanistan
Policymakers and military commanders should use the lessons derived from the final years of U.S. involvement in Iraq to inform critical decisions and timelines required to successfully end large-scale military operations, including the one in Afghanistan. However, there is no “one-size-fits-all” template to follow.
Nov 5, 2013
News Release
Rising Cost of Flood Insurance Will Create Serious Challenges for New York City
Some New York City residents may soon face sharp increases in their flood insurance premiums as a result of major changes occurring in the National Flood Insurance Program and the redrawing of flood maps that expand the areas at risk. Property owners in areas now deemed at highest risk may face increases of $5,000 to $10,000 annually.
Oct 25, 2013
News Release
Education and Vocational Training in Prisons Reduces Recidivism, Improves Job Outlook
Inmates who participate in correctional education programs have a 43 percent lower odds of returning to prison than those who do not. Employment after release is 13 percent higher among prisoners who participated in either academic or vocational education programs than those who did not.
Aug 22, 2013
News Release
Growth of Cardiac Services Tied to Competition, Not Improving Patient Care
New interventional cardiac catheterization services offered by U.S. hospitals generally duplicate existing programs and do not help patients gain access to timely emergency cardiac care. Instead, the focus has been on competing with other hospitals.
Jul 9, 2013
News Release
Greater Transparency, Accountability Key to Improving Effectiveness of Israel Police
An approach to policing known as “procedural justice,” emphasizing transparency and accountability, would help Israel's national police meet current and emerging challenges. The force needs to address issues of civil-police relations, benchmarking, performance measurement, and deterrence.
Jul 1, 2013
News Release
RAND Launches Center to Study Ways to Manage Catastrophic Risk and Compensate Victims
The RAND Corporation has created a new research center that will analyze different approaches to compensating individuals, businesses, and others following catastrophes ranging from natural disasters to terrorist attacks.
Jun 24, 2013
News Release
Health Reform Shields Young Adults from Emergency Medical Costs
A new federal law allowing young adults to remain on their parents' medical insurance through age 25 has shielded them, their families, and hospitals from the full financial consequences of serious medical emergencies.
May 29, 2013

Previous
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Next

RAND Topic:
Homeland Security and Public Safety

Topic Synonyms:
Homeland Defense

Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Kayla M. Williams

Senior Policy Researcher

Kayla Williams (she/her) is a senior policy researcher at the RAND Corporation; her focus areas include optimizing policies and programs to support veterans and military personnel. She was most recently Assistant Secretary of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs at the Department of Veterans…
Stijn Hoorens

Office Director, RAND Europe Brussels, Senior Research Leader

Stijn Hoorens (he/him) is the director of RAND's Brussels Office and a senior research leader at RAND Europe. He has extensive experience in designing and leading policy studies at RAND for a range of international clients. His research interests are broad, but most of his work has revolved…

Explore Our People »