Date of Conferral

5-30-2024

Date of Award

5-30-2024

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Public Policy and Administration

Advisor

Dr. Christina Spoons

Abstract

Local government's response to civil unrest has continually shown a concerning level of unpreparedness and how quickly inundated local government becomes during a response to civil unrest. The theoretical framework used for this study is knowledge management due to its ability to be used in different disciplines like emergency management, safety, and business. This framework is used to get all stakeholders to work in concert to attain strategically planned goals. The research question explored how the local emergency manager's knowledge and experience directly impacted strategic planning, response, and community relations during a civil unrest event? The research design was a case study; as Dooley explained, case study research is one method that excels at understanding complex issues and can add strength to what is already known through previous research. Interviews were performed using a questionnaire and prior civil unrest lesson-learned reports for triangulation and validation of the study. The participants in the study were 11 first responders, police officers, emergency managers, political leaders, and community leaders. The study looked in depth at each participant's information, knowledge, and experience during the civil unrest. The data collected from these interviews were coded for themes that emerged regarding how the participants' knowledge and experience impacted strategic planning. The results from the data found that communication, coordination, and command structure issues were vital in the multiagency response to the Freddie Gray civil unrest. The positive social change this study provided is the need to use the whole community approach effectively to address the disconnect between police, first responders, local governments, and all stakeholders

Download

Share

 
COinS