Policy Currents | The newsletter for policy people
Web version: [link removed]
** May 7, 2024
------------------------------------------------------------
Lessons for Protest Policing
In recent weeks, college students across the United States have led protests against Israel's war in Gaza. Police have inevitably been thrust into the unrest on many campuses, leading to clashes with protestors and thousands of arrests.
RAND's Bob Harrison, a retired police chief, recently wrote about how police responses to marches, protests, and occupations have changed over time, exploring key lessons that law enforcement can draw from to inform future strategies. These lessons rely on one inalterable fact, Harrison says: All policing is local, and solutions to the toughest problems must emerge from the relationships created and sustained by the police and their communities.
Read more: [link removed]
Understanding China's Science and Technology Progress
As competition with China intensifies, tracking Beijing's science and technology activity--including in the areas of AI, biotechnology, and quantum science--is key to understanding what military capabilities the United States might face from China in the future. RAND researchers developed a framework to help Pentagon decisionmakers meet this challenge. The framework can be applied to identify scientific and technological progress that might warrant further attention from the intelligence community, focus U.S. military goals and modernization priorities, and potentially flag programs for which special protective measures might be needed.
Read more: [link removed]
The Baltimore Bridge Collapse Is Also a National Security Problem
The collapse of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge in March resulted in a tragic loss of life and awakened Americans to the fragility of the country's maritime infrastructure. RAND experts say that U.S. adversaries likely took note of these vulnerabilities, too, observing how a major port could be left open to an attack by "something as common as a cargo ship going nine miles per hour." Fortunately, there are ways the United States can address such threats. It starts with improving intelligence collection and analysis, then taking steps to accelerate reaction timelines if an attack does occur. Finally, tabletop and live exercises should be held to improve readiness and ensure effective responses.
Read more: [link removed]
** RAND Recommends
------------------------------------------------------------
- RAND's Cortney Weinbaum appeared in a recent ABC News segment, discussing how neurodiversity can strengthen U.S. national security organizations. "National security problems are some of the hardest problems we have in this country," she said. "It makes no sense to not want all brain types working on [them]."
[link removed]
- Speaking to the Associated Press, RAND's Derek Grossman discussed the significance of U.S. access to Philippine air force and naval bases off of Southern Taiwan, which may "upgrade the U.S. military's ability to intervene in a Taiwan contingency in a more timely manner."
[link removed]
- RAND's Samuel Charap was interviewed on WBUR's On Point about what can be learned from the secret 2022 negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.
[link removed]
** Analyzing the Rise of AI: Insights from RAND
------------------------------------------------------------
AI tools are evolving quickly, and decisionmakers are grappling with how to maximize the potential benefits and minimize the risks. Insights from RAND can help. Our researchers have been studying how AI will affect national security, the economy, health care, and much more.
Learn more: [link removed]
** Follow RAND
------------------------------------------------------------
RAND is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis.
[link removed]
Connect with us on:
Twitter: [link removed]
Facebook: [link removed]
LinkedIn: [link removed]
Instagram: [link removed]
Privacy Policy: [link removed]
Unsubscribe to stop receiving these emails: [link removed]
RAND
1776 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90401
