I believe complacency sets in after a catastrophic or traumatic event in America, and it affects society at every level. According to Minyard, “People become complacent and simply get on with their day”; it is a serious issue that needs an urgent solution. According to the department of homeland security, every citizen needs to participate in securing critical infrastructure. It describes Homeland Security enterprises as an approach to involve the participation of security organs, the private sector, non-governmental institutions, and private citizens in securing critical infrastructure.
The possible causes of complacency are; the public expects security agencies to carry out their duties, this often leads them to be complacent and leave the responsibility of securing critical infrastructure to security agencies. Besides, members of the public tend to focus on their challenges and subconsciously ignore the responsibility of securing critical installations. This happens because citizens and the private sector tend to focus on their day-to-day core responsibilities.
To reduce complacency and maximize the participation of every citizen, security agencies need to carry out continuous publicity programs. Police officers and members of the public should be taught how to identify routine crimes that may pose possible risks to critical infrastructure. Security agencies should develop ways and means of sharing information on possible security threats to the public. Finally, security is everyone’s responsibility; security agencies cannot be at every place all the time, therefore, by nurturing public goodwill security agencies will become more efficient, and the public will appreciate the seriousness of security threats facing the United States.
