Understanding and defining threats to national security and public safety: a thematic analysis and grounded theory approach

Abstract

Threats to national security and public safety occupy the minds of many following the 9/11 attacks in the U.S. However, the Canadian national security and public safety mandate is at risk of irrelevance if it fails to adequately address and understand the complex threats Canadians face. Through semi-structured interviews with Canadian law enforcement and intelligence personnel, I use a grounded theory approach to thematically analyze how national security, public safety, terrorism, and hate-motivated incidences are understood and defined by those on the front lines. Hate-motivated incidences are often categorized as a risk to public safety, whereas terrorism is seen as an issue of national security. Currently, there is little literature or definitional analysis on public safety to adequately make this distinction. As such, I argue that national security and public safety should not be considered disparate entities. Rather, a continuum exists where national security occupies one end and public safety lies on the other. Threats such as Severe and Intentionally I/P/R Motivated instances, I/P/R Motivated Violent Extremism, and hate-motivated incidences occupy points along the National Security – Public Safety Continuum (NS-PS Continuum).