Homeland/National Security

Announcing Our New Blog Series: Exploring the Role of GIS in Homeland Security

Geographic information system (GIS) technology is revolutionizing how homeland security organizations enhance safety, resilience, and operational effectiveness in a rapidly evolving global threat landscape. By enabling real-time threat management, improving situational awareness, and fostering cross-agency collaboration, GIS is transforming how security operations are planned, executed, and enhanced across the Homeland Security Enterprise.

To better understand the transformative power of GIS, we’re launching a multipart blog series exploring its application across key areas of the homeland security enterprise. Each installment will focus on a specific theme or pattern, presenting complex concepts as actionable insights tailored for security professionals in law enforcement, intelligence, defense, emergency management, and related fields.

What to Expect from This Series

Over the coming weeks, we will publish a series of focused blog posts explaining ArcGIS and its role in homeland security. These posts highlight how GIS empowers security organizations by operationalizing spatial data, conducting complex analysis, and providing unmatched situational awareness through cross-agency collaboration. Topics will include:

Who Should Follow This Series?

This series is tailored for security professionals and decision-makers across the Homeland Security Enterprise, including international, federal, state, and local agencies engaged in defense, law enforcement, intelligence, emergency management, border, maritime, and transportation operations, corporate security, public health, cybersecurity, and critical infrastructure protection. Whether new to GIS or looking to deepen your understanding of its applications, this series will provide valuable insights and practical takeaways.

Join Us on This Journey

We’re excited to share how GIS technology revolutionizes security frameworks across the homeland security enterprise. Stay tuned for the first installment, where we’ll introduce the core principles of ArcGIS and its vital role in homeland security.

Learn more

To learn more about GIS for homeland security, visit our solutions page or download our ebook.

About the authors

Carl Walter is the Global Director of Homeland Security Solutions at Esri. He joined Esri in 2010, bringing over 20 years of experience in law enforcement and intelligence operations. Before joining Esri, Mr. Walter served as the Director of the Boston Regional Intelligence Center (BRIC), a DHS-designated intelligence fusion center, and as the Director of the Bureau of Intelligence and Analysis for the Boston Police Department. Following 9/11, he established a coordinated regional intelligence capability in the Boston metropolitan area, integrating local, state, and federal law enforcement alongside private sector resources. His efforts focused on critical event management, including preventing and responding to terrorist threats, man-made hazards, and violent criminal activity. In his current role at Esri, Mr. Walter develops global strategies that integrate technology, operations, and analytical tradecraft to support the security needs of national security agencies and Fortune 500 organizations worldwide. He holds an M.S. in Criminal Justice Management from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and a B.S. in Criminal Justice from East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina.

Brian Lantz is the Director of Public Safety and Law Enforcement at Esri, where he leverages his extensive background in geospatial technology, data analysis, and operational security. With experience spanning the U.S. Secret Service and leading GIS companies, he operates at the intersection of advanced technology and high-level security operations. During his tenure with the U.S. Secret Service, Brian developed expertise in applying technology to complex national security challenges, using advanced geospatial solutions to enhance operational efficiency and protect critical assets. His time at Esri has further solidified his expertise in GIS, with a focus on spatial solutions that support law enforcement, emergency response, and defense applications. Brian has led efforts to integrate GIS technology into numerous security and government operations, ensuring its practical application in decision-making and crisis response. His ability to transform complex geospatial data into actionable intelligence has influenced policies and strategies across both the public and private sectors.

Next Article

No More Stolen Ancestors: The Seminole Tribe’s Quest for Repatriation

Read this article