UCLA holds Homeland Security Conference

After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, homeland security
has become a top priority for both local and national
governments.

In order to communicate new methods and information to local
governments throughout Southern California, the UCLA School of
Public Affairs and the Southern California Association of
Governments held a Homeland Security Conference on Tuesday at Covel
Commons.

The conference featured various panelists and keynote speaker
UCLA Chancellor Albert Carnesale. It focused on three main topics:
Local and State Preparedness, Assessing Risk and Regional
Preparedness, and Neighborhood and Community Readiness.

The conference focused especially on the preparedness of regular
citizens and the danger of attacks in Los Angeles. Barbara Nelson,
dean of the School of Public Affairs, said in her introductory
speech, “We are all committed to preventing future attacks.
This is especially important for Los Angeles because we are a
target as a port, a major city and because of the symbolism of the
entertainment industry. … This conference is emblematic of
UCLA’s School of Public Affairs’ dedication to Homeland
Security.”

People attending the conference ranged from students and
concerned citizens to law enforcement officials and representatives
of various groups, such as the American Red Cross and the Pacific
Council of International Security. Many attended in hope of
learning more about the localization of homeland security.

“The goal is to pick up on new information on homeland
security and pass it on to local authorities,” said one
Orange County sheriff. “Everyone here thinks more can and
should be done, but whether it is financially possible or (whether)
public policy will allow it is another question,” he
added.

The various panelists during the event addressed different
aspects and concerns of national and local security. New
technology, information about possible dangers, and citizen
readiness for attacks were all discussed.

Panelist John Miller, commanding officer of the LAPD
Counterterrorism Division, presented government-obtained al-Qaeda
surveillance videos of the Sears Tower in Chicago, the Hollywood
sign, the Chinese theater in Los Angeles, Disneyland’s Main
Street, Las Vegas, Universal City Walk and the New York City
skyline.

Other panelists, such as Errol Southers, deputy director of the
California Office of Homeland Security, explained the priorities
and events of their specific organizations. Matt May, from the Mid
America Regional Council, described a security system used in
Kansas and Missouri and how it could be applied to the Los Angeles
region.

Carnesale focused his address on the danger of nuclear weapons.
“Since 9/11 our focus on homeland security has been
intense,” Carnesale began, “but it’s important to
recognize that not all forms of terrorist threats are equally
prioritized. Weapons of mass destruction are a first priority,
biological weapons are a distant second, and chemical weapons are a
far, far, far distant third. It is right, I believe, to focus first
and foremost on nuclear weapons.”

Carnesale also explained the terrorist threats that the United
States needs to monitor. “The current challenges, as I see
them, are these terrorist organizations, and then North Korea, and
then Iran,” he said.

Many groups, such as the American Red Cross, the Los Angeles
Fire Department, the Los Angeles Citizen Corps, the LA County
Office of Emergency Management and the LAPD, held booths that
offered guests at the conference opportunities to volunteer and
provided information about emergency services. In an effort to
increase the knowledge of and readiness for future terrorist
attacks, a new Web site, eprepared.org, that explains information
about being prepared for and reacting to attacks was also
presented.

“One of the successes was launching our Web site where
people can volunteer and act pro-actively in ways that build
positive relations between people,” Nelson said.

Many attendees thought the conference was informative, well
presented and a success. “The information was very
interesting. It gives you a lot to think about in terms of what to
do when the next emergency occurs,” said Victoria Garcia of
the American Red Cross. Garcia said she will use the information
she learned throughout her volunteer experience at Red Cross, which
prepares people for an emergency and helps victims cope with
immediate relief assistance.

“I think (the conference) was very successful because it
both raised and answered questions. It gave experts the opportunity
to network,” Nelson said.

Associate Dean of the School of Pubic Affairs Bill Parent added
to her comments, saying, “In many ways it was the
UCLA’s School of Public Affairs being a convener of different
groups that would never have come together otherwise, and letting
them share ideas.”

Notably missing from the conference was scheduled keynote
speaker, Congresswoman Jane Harman, D-Calif., who was in Washington
D.C. due to a meeting of Congress to vote on the intelligence bill
that she authored.