The mission of those in homeland security careers in Honolulu, Hawaii is to protect the city of Honolulu from threats and disasters. One often overlooked facet of this responsibility is the protection of Hawaii’ ecosystem and agriculture against invasive species. In October 2011, the Customs and Border Protection’s Area Port Director for the Port of Honolulu, Bruce Murley, spoke to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs about this topic. He spoke about how CBP works with the Hawaii Pest Risk Committee, Pacific Invasives Learning Network, Hawaii Ant Committee and the Coordinating Group for Alien Species, among other federal and state-level organizations, to safeguard Hawaii from invaders at the pest level. Homeland security jobs in Honolulu may be involved in duties such as this, or may carry the more traditional responsibilities of safeguarding residents of the city of Honolulu and of the state of Hawaii from threats.
Homeland Security Education Programs in Honolulu, Hawaii
Before embarking upon a homeland security career path in Honolulu, Hawaii, students must obtain a certificate or degree in homeland security or a related field. These programs are available at brick-and-mortar schools in the Honolulu area or online:
- Master of Criminal Justice Administration – Homeland Security Track
- Certificate in Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management
- Associate of Arts in Homeland Security
- Bachelor of Arts in Homeland Security
- Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice – Homeland Security
- Master of Public Administration – Homeland Security Policy and Coordination
Homeland Security Careers in Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is home to the offices of many government agencies that could potentially offer homeland security jobs to well trained individuals. They include:
- FIG Honolulu Office of Intelligence (Immigrations & Customs Enforcement)
- Hawaii Department of Defense
- Hawaii Department of the Attorney General Crime Prevention and Justice Assistance Division
- Hawaii Fusion Center (Hawaii Civil Defense)
- Honolulu District Office (Drug Enforcement Agency)
- Honolulu Division of the FBI (Federal Bureau of Intelligence)
- Honolulu Joint Terrorism Task Force (FBI and Coast Guard)
- Honolulu Police Department
- Honolulu Department of Emergency Management & Homeland Security
- Honolulu Resident Office (Diplomatic Security)
- Protective Security Advisor Honolulu District (Department of Homeland Security)
- United States Secret Service Honolulu
- United States Marshals Service District of Hawaii
These government agencies might offer homeland security career opportunities including Intelligence Analysts, Transportation Security Specialist, Information Technology Specialist, Detective, Undercover Operations, and Wireless Monitoring Expert.
Other options for homeland security careers in Honolulu exist within private corporations that do business with government agencies. In Honolulu, these include:
- Referentia Systems – Started in 1996, this weapons and information technology company has two government clients. Potential homeland security jobs here include Vulnerability Assessment Analyst, Security Assessment Analyst and Program Manager.
- Omega Federation – Begun in 2000, this management consulting and administration company has four government clients. Possible homeland security jobs here include Global Network Engineer and Network Security Specialist.