The speed at which technology has advanced in recent years is mind blowing, but many public safety agencies struggle to understand available technology. The bottom line is that technology is not going away. Leaders and administrators must seek to understand how technology works, how it can be applied, and, most importantly, how it can help further their mission of protecting and serving the public.

In the month of July, In Public Safety will feature articles written by American Military University faculty members about the benefits and challenges of technology in public safety agencies.

Protests in modern society are very different from even a decade ago. Emergency planners and public safety leaders must understand that protests are not always locally driven and they must take an interpretative role to assess and protect protesters who have legitimate concerns from those with intent to insight riots. Striking this balance, as evidenced by the Baltimore riots, is not an easy task.

Read more about the June meeting of the Baltimore City Local Emergency Planning Committee, who met for the first time following the riots and civil unrest. Learn more about the chain of events that led up to the riots, which damaged or destroyed more than 300 stores, and the lessons learned from the city’s unified response to this widespread civil unrest.

By Brett Daniel Shehadey
Special Correspondent for In Homeland Security

The black Islamist State flag was recently raised in parts of Afghanistan under the promise that the Taliban is not up to the task of regaining power. Open news sources are reporting a small terrorist-on-terrorist campaign that is picking up pace in a race for insurgent dominance and territory.