You are the police chief of a city with about a million inhabitants on the east coast of Florida. The changing climate and the resulting rise of the sea level, as well as recent weather events, have caused the local leaders and governmental officials to consider building dikes and sea walls along particular sections of the beach to prevent beach erosion and destruction of oceanfront property. Along with the sea wall and dikes, officials have considered plans to dredge an inlet presently used for recreational boating and fishing to build a major sea port for cruise ships and ocean going freighters. Private investment will be sought to build hotels and other commercial properties within the new seaport. Sand from the dredging would be used to replenish the eroding beaches. The rising sea levels and building the sea wall, dikes, and commercial port would eliminate many current roads, and would require building new roads to accommodate structural changes. To obtain property for the projects, the city will have to use the process of eminent domain. According to the plan, around 1,000 low income homes will have to be razed to allow the building of the sea port. The residents of those homes will have to be relocated. To finance the major changes, property and sales taxes for city residents also would have to be raised.

       In addition to eroding beaches and oceanfront property, rising sea levels also will contaminate local water tables. Hence, the supply of water for household and commercial use may be reduced. Water use for farms that surround the city may also become scarce. Also, the changing climate will cause the winter dry season to be longer and more severe. The rainy season is predicted to be shorte, but it will have a higher number of severe rainstorms with high winds causing damage and possibly more severe local flooding. The land contiguous to the city is owned by the local Seminole tribe, and is part of their reservation. The tribe stated that they would build a casino if the city followed through with its plans to build an ocean port. But the tribe would only do this if the city promised to build a four-lane highway from the downtown area to the casino.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Questions: Make a list and identify issues in the scenario that will affect the criminal justice system and police directly and indirectly. Exhaust all possibilities. Here was my list……….. Did I get everything politically, ecologically, culturally, demographically, etc.?

• Building a seaport for cruise ships and ocean going frieghters may bring tourism/goods therefore, bring in economic advances.
• Building a major seaport may bring in tourism and/or immigrants and crime/drug trade thus, causing higher crime rates.
• Areas that attract tourist have distinctive social control problems.
• If police agency doesn’t build a wall, winter dry season being more severe may create traffic hazards.
• Preventing beach erosion and destruction of ocean front property will enhance public safety.
• Casino may cause unemployment rates for others in the city. Loss of revenue
• Raising of taxes may cause even more poverty.
• Hotels will bring revenue.
• Severe rainstorms with high winds and flooding risks public safety, as well as farming crops, and may cause damage to houses hurting the city economically.
• 1,000 low income homes must be razed, and residences must be relocated may cause lueding and rioting causing crime.
• A sudden influx of exodus of people (low income residents) creates a new set of demographic characteristics within the community which can alter crime patterns
• Bringing in  a larger population, may create a problematic population for the police department.
• Larceny and other property crimes may rise, due to the larger population and material wealth.
• Migration patterns may bring in new citizens who may have values different from those of the longtime residents creating a heterogenous environment.
• Depending on the demographics of the city, the Seminole tribe and the city may have racial rioting.
• Due to population, crime and interpersonal conflict may arise. Population will increase, traffic will change (new highway for casino), and people of different ethical backgrounds will settle.
• If the Sleepy Hollow city begins to change demographically, economically, culturally, the environment will become complex.
• Police agency may have to expand.
• If a casino is built there must be a new area of expertise for the police agency. This may be in regards to I think federal regulations of a tribe. I am unsure if the tribe would have its own tribal laws. There may have to be an expansion of a tribal agency.
• May acquire environment uncertainty.
• There could possibly be political conditions  that take hold. Pressures from tribal members, public concern of the expansion  of jails and public safety.                                    Is there anything I missed? Politically, economically, culturally, demographically, ecologically, geographically, etc?

These were the only two questions I was confused on. 

What are the major threats and opportunities for the police department that will result from the changing climate and planned changes?

Given the effect the changes will have on the criminal justice system, what steps must your police department take to deal with the changes?