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March 2, 2004
Ridge Reflects on Homeland Security One Year Later
By Greg
Licamele
Secretary Tom Ridge celebrated the one-year anniversary of the creation
of the Department of Homeland Security on Feb. 23 at GW, amid rows of
government officials, health workers, policy makers, GW students and other
dignitaries. Ridge reflected on the department’s accomplishments
and outlined goals for 2004 in his 45-minute policy address in the Jack
Morton Auditorium of GW’s Media and Public Affairs Building.
“Yes, it has been quite an undertaking,” said Ridge about forming
a department of 180,000 employees from 22 agencies. “But it has been
driven by a sense of urgency and national importance unprecedented in
modern times and resulted in a country more secure and better prepared
than it has ever been before.”
Ridge reflected on a variety of new and consolidated programs that now
attempt to address man-made and natural threats. Among the highlights
of the first year, Ridge focused on the US-VISIT program established at
airports to screen and verify visitor and immigrant status and the Transportation
Security Administration. He also talked about port security, emergency
preparedness for all citizens, $8 billion in aid for first responders
and the student visa entry program.
“Last fall almost 300,000 students were successfully cleared for
study at our institutions of higher education,” Ridge said. “Those
200, who attempted entry, but were not registered at any school, were
sent home.”
Ridge outlined goals for the next year that include more information sharing,
critical infrastructure protection, interoperable communications and equipment,
integrated border patrol and port security systems, and better prepared
communities.
GW’s Homeland Security Policy Institute (HSPI) hosted this event.
HSPI brings together GW’s resources in homeland security and works
with government, the private sector and policy makers to prepare the nation
for the threats of terrorism.
“We believe that by linking academics and scientists to decision
makers at all levels of government, the private sector and the communities
we live in, we can build a bridge between theory and practice in the homeland
security arena,” said Dr. John F. Williams, University provost and
vice president for health affairs. “What we have done in pulling
together our resources mirrors the strategy that created the Department
of Homeland Security.”
Send feedback to: bygeorge@gwu.edu
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