New Jersey is home to nearly 1,700 regulated dams. As such, the New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Division of Engineering and Construction administers the New Jersey Dam Safety program, which ensures the safety and integrity of dams in New Jersey and protects people and property from the consequences of dam failures.

Audrey Miller of NJOHSP’s Preparedness Bureau co-hosted this episode on dam safety with Bob Bostock, DEP’s Director of Strategic Communications and host of the Discover DEP podcast, making this the first Intelligence. Unclassified. episode to feature a partnering state agency as a co-host. Audrey and Bob sat down with John Moyle, Division Director for NJ DEP's Division of Dam Safety and Flood Control, to talk about dam safety in New Jersey in light of the recent failure at the Oroville Dam in California. Topics of discussion include an explanation of the Oroville Dam emergency, a comparison of dam design, topography, and magnitude of the Oroville Dam and New Jersey dams, and why this type of failure is unlikely to occur in New Jersey.

This podcast has been adapted from a recent IntelUnclass webinar, during which Analysis Bureau Chief Dean Baratta invited Philipp Bleek, an assistant professor at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, and Zachary Kallenborn, a Senior Associate Analyst at ANSER, to explore environmental extremism and the use of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) weapons. Tune in as they discuss the threat of a CBRN attack from fringe elements within the radical environmental movement.

Homeland security advisors (HSAs) are the sole representative for the Governor to the US Department of Homeland Security. Although there is no one model for the HSA position, all HSAs are responsible for implementing the state’s homeland security mission, receiving classified threat information, and acting on behalf of the Governor in the event of a disaster or emergency. Despite the critical role HSAs play, little is known about the position. The Governors Homeland Security Advisors Council (GHSAC) is conducting a podcast mini-series through the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness Intelligence. Unclassified. The first episode of the podcast will provide an overview of the role of the HSA, discuss how HSAs interact with their governors, and identify how states play a role in homeland security. The remaining six episodes of the podcast will focus on specific threats HSAs face in their jurisdictions. The goal of this podcast series is to provide more awareness about homeland security advisors and the state role in homeland security.

Join Director of Intelligence Rosemary Martorana as Major General Bret Daugherty of Washington describes Cascadia Rising, the largest earthquake exercise in Washington state history, which simulated a 9.0 Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake and tsunami along the Washington and Oregon coasts. This exercise aimed to develop a response plan that would immediately coordinate assistance and provide help following a catastrophe.

On June 1, federal authorities arrested two individuals tied to Hizballah’s Islamic Jihad Organization—which is responsible for planning intelligence-gathering, counterintelligence and terrorist activities on behalf of the group internationally—for attempting to provide material support, among other charges. Ali Mohamad Kourani conducted surveillance on a variety of targets in New York City, including FBI offices, an Army National Guard facility, a US Secret Service facility, a US Army armory, and John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Join Director of Intelligence Rosemary Martorana and Intelligence Analyst Paige Schilling as they explore how this case is unique compared to other Hizballah related arrests in the United States.

In November 2015, NJOHSP and the New York State Intelligence Center, along with the NJ Regional Intelligence Academy and MAGLOCLEN, hosted a 1-day seminar joining together Clint Watts, Dr. William McCants, J.M. Berger, and Seamus Hughes, to discuss the current threat of violent extremists and how law enforcement and homeland security professionals may counter it. NJOHSP analysts had the opportunity to interview these experts and engage in valuable dialogue, surrounding a variety of terrorism-related topics.

In Episode 1, Dr. William McCants discusses the leadership structure of ISIS, to include current leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and his significance to the future of the organization.

Since the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) announced the creation of their self-proclaimed Caliphate in June of 2014, they have been in open competition with al-Qa'ida for leadership within the global jihadi Salafist movement. This competition has taken place on the Internet, the battlefield, and in cities around the world as both groups grapple for legitimacy.

This week's podcast revisits NJOHSP's latest webinar discussing the various forms the competition takes across the globe and what the implications may be for the United States.

Last year, a total of 34 homegrown violent extremists (HVEs) conducted acts of terrorism across the United States. Overall, there were 13 attacks and plots nationwide—two involving New Jersey residents—and 22 individuals were charged with material support or other related offenses nationwide.

Tune in to our discussion on the HVE threat, including a look at their continued ability to operate in New Jersey and throughout the United States while connecting with like-minded individuals online and acting independently from organized terrorist groups. Learn what resources are available as our communities try to detect and deter this threat.

White supremacist extremists often use imagery that can be broken down into four categories—traditional, religious, Nazi-related, and Internet-based—to convey their ideology, show support for a specific group, or intimidate minority populations. These symbols should not automatically be assumed to be hate-related, but should be evaluated in the context in which they are used.

Recently, our office partnered with the Anti-Defamation League to produce a comprehensive resource on the current imagery we are seeing in the white supremacist movement. Tune in as our analysts explore these symbols and their meanings.

Last year, there were 45 domestic terrorist attacks, disrupted plots, threats of violence, and instances of weapons stockpiling. NJOHSP defines domestic terrorism as violence committed by individuals or groups—including race-based, single-issue, anti-government, and religious extremist ideologies—associated primarily with US-based movements.

Tune in to our discussion on the threat presented by domestic terrorists, NJOHSP’s process for tracking their activity in 2017, and some high-profile cases in New Jersey.

On March 18, our office celebrated its 10th Anniversary Conference, where over 600 of our public and private sector partners joined us to engage in valuable dialogue surrounding counterterrorism, resiliency, and cybersecurity issues. The day's events included insightful presentations from a wide array of experts, who then graciously sat down with our podcast to delve deeper into some of their topics.

Episode 13 is the first in this 10th Anniversary Conference Speaker Series and brings in Clint Watts, former Executive Officer of the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point. Tune in as he speaks on the future of al-Qa’ida and ISIS, the competition between the two groups, and implications for the United States.

Anarchists extremists believe that society should exist absent of “oppressive” governments, laws, police, or any other authority and they advocate violence in furtherance of sub movements such as anti-racism, anti-capitalism, anti-globalism, and environmental extremism.

Over the past year, anarchists have carried out attacks against white supremacists during counter protests, have caused millions of dollars in damage to private and public property during riots, and have latched onto otherwise legal protests nationwide. In New Jersey, they have been largely non-violent and focused on anti-racist action.

Director of Intelligence Rosemary Martorana and Intelligence Analyst Kristin McCormick sit down to explore what implications these recent events may have for the State of New Jersey.

In Episode 5, the Director of Intelligence for the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness (NJOHSP), Rosemary Martorana, sits down with Intelligence Analyst, Angie Gad, to explore the topic of radicalization and the different pathways to extremism that individuals may embark on.

The events of 2015 highlight that New Jersey—and the United States—face a terrorist landscape more dangerous than any since the attacks of September 11, 2001. From the brutal and tragic attacks in San Bernardino and Paris, the year saw a dramatic rise in multi-operative, small-scale attacks on civilian soft targets—all with little to no warning—as well as the decentralization and diffusion of the global terrorism movement. This new dynamic makes it extremely difficult for law enforcement and homeland security professionals, at all levels of government, to detect and deter attacks like San Bernardino, Paris, Philadelphia, or Boston. Now more than ever, state and local coordination is critical to combating the evolving and diffuse terrorist threat we face. Homeland security has become hometown security. And NJOHSP is working diligently with our partners to stay abreast of terrorist capabilities.

This three-part series was adopted from a webinar our office hosted in January and is intended to expand on some of the major themes presented in NJOHSP's 2016 Terrorism Threat Assessment. Episode one discusses the increase in competition between the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, and al-Qa'ida that we expect to see in 2016. Episode two takes a hard look at domestic extremism throughout the United States, while episode three explores the concept of "Blended Extremism," or individuals that draw their inspiration from multiple radical ideologies and tailor these beliefs to ultimately form a unique worldview to advance their violent goals.

The Profiles of Individual Radicalization in the United States (PIRUS) dataset contains deidentified individual-level information on the backgrounds, attributes, and radicalization processes of nearly 1,500 violent and non-violent extremists who adhere to far-right, far-left, Islamist, or single-issue ideologies in the United States covering 1948-2013. Coded using entirely public sources of information, the PIRUS dataset is among the first efforts to understand domestic radicalization from an empirical and scientifically rigorous perspective. Users can now explore the rich PIRUS data using the Keshif data visualization tool, a user-friendly platform that allows for intuitive and insightful analysis of the data in real-time.

Intelligence Analyst Paige Schilling sits down with Patrick James, project manager for PIRUS, to discuss PIRUS’s purpose and goals, trends, future research, and intentions to continue data to the present day.

On October 26, US Special Operations Forces killed ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a raid in the northwest Syrian village of Barisha, located in the Idlib province.

Tune in as our analysts discuss how Baghdadi’s death will impact both ISIS and al-Qa’ida and what the future may hold for these two foreign terrorist organizations.

October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month, which is an annual campaign to raise awareness about the importance of cybersecurity. The Internet touches almost all aspects of everyone’s daily life, whether we realize it or not. National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) is designed to engage and educate public and private sector partners through events and initiatives to raise awareness about the importance of cybersecurity, provide them with tools and resources needed to stay safe online, and increase the resiliency of the Nation in the event of a cyber incident.

In the second week of NCSAM, we focus on cybersecurity in the workplace. Creating a culture of cybersecurity is critical for all organizations and must be a shared responsibility among all employees. Join one of our cyber intelligence analysts as she discusses how organizations can protect against the most common cyber threats and the resources available to help strengthen cyber resilience.

Hizballah is an Islamic militant group based in Lebanon and allied with Iran. Its primary goal is the destruction of Israel.Since 2013, Hizballah has plotted attacks against Israeli citizens and institutions in Europe, South America, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Although Hizballah possesses the capability to attack the United States and Western interests, the group is focused on supporting Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria. Hizballah receives training, weaponry, and about $200 million per year from Iran.

In Episode 19, Intelligence Analyst Paige Schilling explores the group's background and tactics, as well as the current threat posed to the state of New Jersey from Hizballah.

In November 2015, NJOHSP and the New York State Intelligence Center, along with the NJ Regional Intelligence Academy and MAGLOCLEN, hosted a 1-day seminar joining together Clint Watts, Dr. William McCants, J.M. Berger, and Seamus Hughes, to discuss the current threat of violent extremists and how law enforcement and homeland security professionals may counter it. NJOHSP analysts had the opportunity to interview these experts and engage in valuable dialogue, surrounding a variety of terrorism-related topics.

In Episode 3, Seamus Hughes discusses the different approaches the U.S. Government and its state and local partners are using to develop strategies towards countering violent extremism.

In recent years, the world has been repeatedly shocked by the gruesome images and actions of ISIS, in particular the footage and stories of children as young as eight executing people. Children play an important role in the organization: the children of the caliphate are seen as "the future of ISIS," and therefore education and propaganda are an important form of indoctrination. ISIS uses minors for suicide attacks, executions and fighting. Research has shown that IS propaganda between in 2015 and 2016 included 89 eulogies of children and youths—a number that steadily increased each monthly, showing that ISIS has gradually opted for this tactic. The role of minors and their future causes international concern for a broad range of reasons. Growing up and potentially fighting in armed conflict will traumatize a large number of these children. Also, what will happen with these children if the Caliphate collapses? Human Rights Watch expressed concerns about the birth registrations that will most likely not be recognized by the international community – potentially leaving children stateless.

This week on Intelligence. Unclassified., Analysis Bureau Chief Dean Baratta had an enlightening call with researcher Liesbeth van der Heide from the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT), where they talk about her recent paper, Children of the Caliphate. They will explore the findings she and her co-author provide on young or juvenile ISIS returnees, assessing what sets juvenile returnees apart from adult returnees or the broader population of young criminals, and scoping the potential venues and challenges in their rehabilitation and reintegration.

From Las Vegas to Parkland, Florida, the frequency of active shooter events across the United States has increased over the past few years. The various individuals, locations, and motives that make up these incidents highlight how they can take place anywhere and at any time. Understanding the best ways to respond to active shooter situations can help save lives.

Join Ed Moore, NJOHSP’s Active Shooter Trainer, and Ben Castillo, Director of the NJ Department of Education’s Office of School Preparedness and Emergency Planning, as they discuss the efforts being taken in New Jersey to prepare for such events, options available to those involved in active shooter situations, and available resources and trainings provided by the State and other agencies.

With the ever-evolving terrorism threat landscape, communication between law enforcement entities is more crucial than ever.

In today’s episode, Special Agent Scott Robinson joins us to discuss the FBI’s role in counterterrorism efforts and how its partnerships with NJOHSP and other law enforcement agencies help keep New Jersey safe.

Homeland security and law enforcement professionals have taken notice of the rise in activity by white supremacist extremists. Individuals and groups following this ideology have cited the concept of accelerationism to justify their actions and evolved their tactics to include posting manifestos and livestreaming their attacks. The arrest of a Camden County man accused of directing others in a neo-Nazi network to vandalize synagogues, the sentencing of a Sussex County man obsessed with Nazis and mass shootings, and a doubling of recruitment efforts through flyering are examples of acts intended to intimidate, inspire, and network in New Jersey. NJOHSP increased the threat posed by white supremacist extremists from moderate to high in 2020, joining them with homegrown violent extremists (HVEs) inspired by foreign terrorist organizations as the most persistent hostile actors across the State.

Join our analysts in the final episode of the 2020 Terrorism Threat Assessment series as they break down what prompted the rise in threat level for white supremacist extremists and what to expect from them and HVEs this year in New Jersey and throughout the United States.

Despite experiencing significant organizational changes in 2019, terrorist groups overseas continued their calls for attacks against the United States and other Western interests abroad. Al-Qa’ida considers itself the de facto leader of the global jihadist movement while leaning heavily on the operations of its affiliates to motivate supporters. Despite the death of founder and leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a US Special Operations Forces raid in October, ISIS is expected to operate similarly with multiple affiliates pledging allegiance to new leadership.

In the third installment of our 2020 Terrorism Threat Assessment series, our analysts discuss the activity of these foreign terrorist groups in 2019 and what impact it will have on their operations this year.

Communities in New Jersey and throughout the United States have experienced incidents stemming from a variety of ideologies associated with domestic terrorism, including an increased threat posed by white supremacist extremists. In 2019, domestic extremists conducted nine attacks and were responsible for an additional 35 plots, threats of violence, and instances of weapons stockpiling, according to an NJOHSP nationwide review. In particular, race-based extremists were responsible for 57 percent of all domestic terrorism incidents, highlighting a new threat focus for law enforcement.

Join us in the next installment of our 2020 Terrorism Threat Assessment series as our analysts discuss activity from domestic extremists in 2019 and what the threat landscape looks like for these groups this year.

Note: Some of the information discussed in this podcast describes First Amendment-protected activities. NJOHSP recognizes the constitutionally protected rights to assemble, speak, and petition the government. NJOHSP safeguards these rights and only reports on First Amendment-protected activities for situational awareness in the interest of assuring the safety and security of the demonstrators and the public.

Communities across the United States and around the globe have suffered unimaginable tragedies over the past year at the hands of individuals driven by hate. New Jersey has also faced incidents supportive of extremist ideologies. In December, two individuals fatally shot a detective and three civilians in Jersey City in an attack rooted in anti-Semitism and anti-law enforcement sentiment. A Camden County man was arrested in November on accusations he directed acts of vandalism against two synagogues in Midwestern states for the purpose of intimidating minorities. A Sussex County man accused of being obsessed with Nazis and mass shootings was charged in June with weapons offenses and bias intimidation. Recruiting efforts by various groups have been prevalent, with flyering incidents increasing since 2018.

Join us as we discuss the upcoming release of NJOHSP's 2020 Terrorism Threat Assessment, the major changes from our 2019 Terrorism Threat Assessment, and the threat extremist groups pose to New Jersey in 2020.

Mental illnesses are extremely common; mass violence is not. Despite the fear and public scrutiny, mass shootings are statistically rare events. But it is hard for most people to imagine that a mentally healthy person would deliberately commit an act of mass murder; thus, it is often assumed that the perpetrators of mass violence must be mentally ill. There is a tendency to overuse mental health problems as an explanation for violence, but the relationship is far more complex than typically presented. While there is a modest link between mental illness and violence, there is no basis for a generalized fear of people with mental illness. Having a mental illness does not predispose someone to violence of any type, and certainly not mass violence.

In our Season Four finale, Steve Crimando of the New Jersey Department of Human Services’ Disaster and Terrorism Branch joins us again to unpack this complicated relationship and offer insights into the programs and resources that address both mental health and mass violence in the State.

On October 26, US Special Operations Forces killed ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a raid in the northwest Syrian village of Barisha, located in the Idlib province.

Tune in as our analysts discuss how Baghdadi’s death will impact both ISIS and al-Qa’ida and what the future may hold for these two foreign terrorist organizations.

Continuing our discussion of the structured analytic techniques toolbox, we come to Analysis of Competing Hypotheses (ACH), which is an unbiased methodology that identifies a set of hypotheses and systematically evaluates data that is consistent or inconsistent with each hypothesis. ACH is an eight-step procedure grounded in basic insights from cognitive psychology, decision analysis, and the scientific method. The use of ACH compels analysts to set aside preconceptions and look for inconsistencies in the data that may indicate a flaw in their reasoning or deception by the target. It ultimately forces analysts to disprove hypotheses rather than allowing them to jump to conclusions before they properly evaluate the evidence.

In this episode of the Developing the 21st Century Analyst series, we discuss the steps of ACH and how our office uses this technique in real-world scenarios.

Our previous episode discussed gathering information as a crucial step in the intelligence cycle, allowing analysts to provide actionable intelligence that ultimately improves how an agency performs its public safety responsibilities. There are several different sources of information, and knowing what these are and where to obtain them makes any public safety employee invaluable to their organization. Although there are six basic intelligence sources, or collection disciplines, the continual growth of different data repositories has tremendously increased the amount of information available to research for intelligence.

In the fourth installment of our Developing the 21st Century Analyst series, we delve deeper into the collection steps of the intelligence cycle by exploring the various resources that can be researched and utilized.

Intelligence gathering is known from our earliest recorded accounts. Egyptian hieroglyphics describe voyages to foreign lands dating to 3200 B.C. Sun Tzu wrote about intelligence in The Art of War circa sixth century B.C. During the Revolutionary War, intelligence operations focused on military actions under our first commander in chief.

Today, intelligence gathering remains a key practice for military and government entities, and also for commerce, finance, and other critical enterprises. Tune in to the first episode of our six-part series, Developing the 21st Century Analyst, where we will discuss the history and evolution of intelligence over the centuries.

The primary focus of NJ Transit’s Police Department (NJTPD) is providing police services to bus depots and rail stations throughout New Jersey. NJTPD is the only transit police agency in the United States with statewide authority and jurisdiction. NJTPD’s Intelligence Section manages NJTPD’s counterterrorism and criminal intelligence programs. The section is responsible for the collection, analysis, production, dissemination, and coordination of intelligence for NJTPD’s counterterrorism and crime prevention and suppression missions.

In today’s episode, we sit down with NJ Transit Director of Intelligence Ed Bruce to discuss the mechanisms of the intelligence cycle for New Jersey’s transportation system.