| After the terrorist events of September 11, 2001, law enforcement roles shifted focus from policing to homeland security. As focus shifted, first response responsibilities became part of law enforcement officers' day-to-day duties. A review of literature on law enforcement officers' perceptions demonstrated that few research efforts have been focused on understanding how these public service officers perceive their new and added homeland security roles (Tierney, 2006). Little is known about how law enforcement officers perceive their preparedness or readiness to respond to natural or man-made disasters. The main purpose of this case study was to understand how law enforcement officers perceive their readiness to respond to disasters. The second purpose of the study was to understand which perceived factors are limiting, preventing, and influencing effective disaster responses in local communities. Using systems theory and social capital precepts, this multiple case study was conducted. The population for this study included law enforcement officers ( n = 10) serving at one of four counties in the state of Florida. Participants were asked to respond to nine open-ended questions, and the data analysis was possible by the identification of common themes by the researcher and by NVivo10. As result, three predominant themes emerged from the data indicating that law enforcement officers in Florida understand: (a) that they are prepared to respond to disasters and, (b) that additional practical training is needed to strengthen disaster preparedness. The results of the study served as a way to inform recommendations for practice and future research. |
