A New Era of Policing? An Examination of Texas Police Chiefs' Perceptions of Homeland Security

• Published in: Criminal justice policy review Vol. 20; no. 3; pp. 290 - 309
• Main Authors: Stewart, Daniel M, Morris, Robert G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.09.2009
• Subjects: USA, Texas
• ISSN: 0887-4034
• DOI: 10.1177/0887403408337225

Many claims have been made about how the events of September 11 have thrust American policing into a new era, one wherein homeland security is the dominant strategy. To examine the validity of such claims, a sample of 208 Texas police chiefs is surveyed concerning their perceptions of homeland security as a strategy for local law enforcement. Factors that influence those perceptions are also examined. The findings reveal that, whereas the majority of chiefs felt that homeland security had become the dominant strategy of the police institution, few believed that homeland security had become the overriding strategy of their respective departments. Furthermore, regression analyses suggest that federal collaboration, preparedness, and threat perceptions were predictive of homeland security perceptions. Regarding department size, chiefs of very small departments are more likely to report homeland security as their dominant strategy in relation to chiefs of larger departments. Policy implications are discussed.