Fusion Centers are information centers that facilitate intelligence sharing between local, state, tribal, territorial, and federal agencies. They are locations that contain equipment and staff who analyze and share intelligence. Fusion centers are usually staffed by local law enforcement and other local government employees as well as Department of Homeland Security personnel. Staffing agreements vary from place to place.
Fusion centers enable synchronous information sharing between state, local, tribal, and territorial agencies and the federal intelligence community. Synchronous means that fusion centers allow local law enforcement to share information with the greater federal intelligence community, while permitting the intelligence community …show more content…
The group had provided money and transportation to help terrorists overseas while amassing a large cache of weapons before the FBI and local police arrested Boyd and seven members of his group. Boyd is now serving an 18-year sentence. The intelligence that led to the breakup of his domestic terrorist organization was produced by the North Carolina Information Sharing & Analysis Center. Governing the State and Localities.
The success of the North Carolina Information Sharing and Analysis Center demonstrates the effectiveness of Fusion Centers. Based upon the reference material there is” potential risk to civil liberties concerns or violations since the Intelligence gathered could be viewed as pre-emptive law enforcement and gathered in the absence of a criminal predicate and that individuals who do not necessarily have the appropriate law enforcement or broader intelligence training will engage in intelligence collection that is not supported by law”. ("Global Intelligence Working Group, 2005a, p. 11". Retrieved …show more content…
The voluntary guidelines were developed to help define the centers’ relationship with the federal government as well as to protect civil liberties.
To encourage fusion centers to adopt the FCG, the federal government offers additional funding to those centers that adopt them. So far however, only 16 of the 58 fusion centers have received this additional federal funding.
Financing Concerns
Fusion centers face several challenges including sustained funding, privacy concerns and information sharing issues.
Financing Concerns
DHS does not guarantee long term financing to fusion centers, raising the concern of long-term growth. Centers unable to find alternative means of financing if they lose DHS grant money may be unable to continue operating or be only able to fulfill part of its mission.
A primary concern is that many critics feel that federal financing should only be used for combatting terrorism, and not for other purposes such as local crime prevention and disaster relief.
Privacy Issues
The 9/11 Commission stated information sharing with local enforcement is vital for national security, but balance must be maintained to ensure this information does not violate federal civil liberty
Fusion centers enable synchronous information sharing between state, local, tribal, and territorial agencies and the federal intelligence community. Synchronous means that fusion centers allow local law enforcement to share information with the greater federal intelligence community, while permitting the intelligence community …show more content…
The group had provided money and transportation to help terrorists overseas while amassing a large cache of weapons before the FBI and local police arrested Boyd and seven members of his group. Boyd is now serving an 18-year sentence. The intelligence that led to the breakup of his domestic terrorist organization was produced by the North Carolina Information Sharing & Analysis Center. Governing the State and Localities.
The success of the North Carolina Information Sharing and Analysis Center demonstrates the effectiveness of Fusion Centers. Based upon the reference material there is” potential risk to civil liberties concerns or violations since the Intelligence gathered could be viewed as pre-emptive law enforcement and gathered in the absence of a criminal predicate and that individuals who do not necessarily have the appropriate law enforcement or broader intelligence training will engage in intelligence collection that is not supported by law”. ("Global Intelligence Working Group, 2005a, p. 11". Retrieved …show more content…
The voluntary guidelines were developed to help define the centers’ relationship with the federal government as well as to protect civil liberties.
To encourage fusion centers to adopt the FCG, the federal government offers additional funding to those centers that adopt them. So far however, only 16 of the 58 fusion centers have received this additional federal funding.
Financing Concerns
Fusion centers face several challenges including sustained funding, privacy concerns and information sharing issues.
Financing Concerns
DHS does not guarantee long term financing to fusion centers, raising the concern of long-term growth. Centers unable to find alternative means of financing if they lose DHS grant money may be unable to continue operating or be only able to fulfill part of its mission.
A primary concern is that many critics feel that federal financing should only be used for combatting terrorism, and not for other purposes such as local crime prevention and disaster relief.
Privacy Issues
The 9/11 Commission stated information sharing with local enforcement is vital for national security, but balance must be maintained to ensure this information does not violate federal civil liberty