Information And Intelligence Including Terrorism Fusion Centers

The value proposition for fusion centres is that by integrating various streams of information and intelligence, including that flowing from the federal government, state, local, and tribal governments, as well as the private sector, a more accurate picture of risks to people, economic infrastructure, and communities can be developed and translated into protective action. The ultimate goal of fusion is to prevent manmade (terrorist) attacks and to respond to natural disasters and manmade threats quickly and efficiently should they occur. As recipients of federal government-provided national intelligence, another goal of fusion centres is to model how events inimical to U.S. interests overseas may be manifested in their communities, and align protective resources accordingly. There are several risks to the fusion centre concept -- including potential privacy and civil liberties violations, and the possible inability of fusion centres to demonstrate utility in the absence of future terrorist attacks, particularly during periods of relative state fiscal austerity. Fusion centres are state-created entities largely financed and staffed by the states, and there is no one "model" for how a centre should be structured. State and local law enforcement and criminal intelligence seem to be at the core of many of the centres.

The 9/11 Commission investigating the September 11, 2001, attacks concluded that the nationOCOs intelligence community had failed to OCyconnect the dots, OCO thus ushering in the era of homeland security. As a result state and local fusion centers emerged; however, there is little research available addressing either their activities or effectiveness. Joyal explores these and related issues. Drawing upon the perceptions of those working in and closely with state fusion centers, particularly law enforcement, it appears that fusion centers are successful in improving law enforcementOCOs ability to collect and share information; however, they continue to struggle with several challenges, namely developing robust analytical capabilities and overcoming persistent subcultural obstacles."

The United States has poured over a billion dollars into a network of interagency intelligence centers called “fusion centers.” These centers were ostensibly set up to prevent terrorism, but politicians, the press, and policy advocates have criticized them for failing on this account. So why do these security systems persist? Pacifying the Homeland travels inside the secret world of intelligence fusion, looks beyond the apparent failure of fusion centers, and reveals a broader shift away from mass incarceration and toward a more surveillance- and police-intensive system of social regulation. Provided with unprecedented access to domestic intelligence centers, Brendan McQuade uncovers how the institutionalization of intelligence fusion enables decarceration without fully addressing the underlying social problems at the root of mass incarceration. The result is a startling analysis that contributes to the debates on surveillance, mass incarceration, and policing and challenges readers to see surveillance, policing, mass incarceration, and the security state in an entirely new light.

This is a print on demand edition of a hard to find publication. Recent terrorist activity, such as the attempted Times Square bombing, underscores the need for terrorism-related information sharing. Since 2001, all 50 states and some local governments have established fusion centers, where homeland security, terrorism, and other intelligence information is shared. The fed. gov¿t. recognizes the importance of fusion centers; however, as reported in October 2007, centers face challenges in sustaining their operations. This report assesses the extent to which: (1) the Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS) has taken action to support fusion centers' efforts to maintain and grow their operations; and (2) DHS and the Dept. of Justice have supported fusion centers in establishing privacy and civil liberties protections. Illustrations.

In general, a fusion center is a collaborative effort to detect, prevent, investigate, and respond to criminal and terrorist activity. Recognizing that fusion centers are a mechanism for information sharing, the fed. gov¿t. -- including the Dept. of Homeland Security, the Dept. of Justice, and the Program Manager for the Information Sharing Environment, which has primary responsibility for governmentwide information sharing and is located in the Office of the Dir. of Nat. Intelligence -- is taking steps to partner with fusion centers. This report examines: (1) the status and characteristics of fusion centers; and (2) to what extent fed. efforts help alleviate challenges that the centers identified. Includes recommendations. Illustrations.

Prior to 9/11, it was possible to make a distinction between ¿domestic intell.¿ ¿ law enforcement info. collected within the U.S. ¿ and ¿foreign intell.¿ ¿ military, political, and economic intell. collected outside the country. Today, threats posed by terrorist groups are now national security threats. This report provides a conceptual model of how to frame HSINT, including geographic, structural/statutory, and holistic approaches. The report argues that there is, in effect, a Homeland Security Intell. Community. State and local leaders believe there is value to centralizing intelligence gathering and analysis in a manner that assists them in preventing and responding to local manifestations of terrorist threats to their people, infrastructure, and other assets. Illus.

This Interagency Threat Assessment and Coordination Group (ITACG) Intelligence Guide for First Responders is designed to assist state, local, tribal law enforcement, firefighting, homeland security, and appropriate private sector personnel in accessing and understanding Federal counterterrorism, homeland security, and weapons of mass destruction intelligence reporting. Most of the information contained in this guide was compiled, derived, and adapted from existing Intelligence Community and open source references. The ITACG consists of state, local, and tribal first responders and federal intelligence analysts from the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, working at the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) to enhance the sharing of federal counterterrorism, homeland security, and weapons of mass destruction information with state, local, and tribal consumers of intelligence.