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Following 9/11, state and local gov¿ts. formed fusion centers, collaborative efforts to detect, prevent, investigate, and respond to criminal or terrorist activity. Recognizing that the centers are a critical mechanism for sharing info., the fed. gov¿t. -- incl. the Dept. of Homeland Security, Dept. of Justice, and the Program Manager for the Info. Sharing Environ. -- is taking steps to partner with fusion centers. This testimony focuses on: (1) the characteristics of fusion centers as of 9/07; and (2) fed. efforts to help alleviate challenges centers identified. This report is based on an 10/07 report on 58 fusion centers and related fed. efforts to support them as well as updated info. obtained by reviewing plans describing selected fed. efforts. Includes recommend. Illus.
Why GAO Did This Study. Following the September 11 terrorist attacks, state and local governments formed fusion centers, collaborative efforts to detect, prevent, investigate, and respond to criminal or terrorist activity. Recognizing that the centers are a critical mechanism for sharing information, the federal government including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Program Manager for the Information Sharing Environment (PM-ISE), which has primary responsibility for government wide information sharing is taking steps to partner with fusion centers. This testimony focuses on (1) the characteristics of fusion centers as of September 2007 and (2) federal efforts to help alleviate challenges centers identified. This testimony is based on GAO's October 2007 report on 58 fusion centers and related federal efforts to support them as well as updated information GAO obtained in March 2008 by reviewing plans describing selected federal efforts and attending the second annual national fusion center conference. What GAO Recommends. While this testimony contains no new recommendations, GAO has recommended that the federal government define and articulate its long-term fusion center role and whether it expects to provide resources to help ensure their sustainability. PM-ISE agreed with the recommendation and is in the process of implementing it.
To help address funding issues, DHS has provided funding for fusion-center related activities. The National Strategy for Information Sharing, issued in October 2007 by the President, states that the federal government will support the establishment of fusion centers and help sustain them through grant funding, technical assistance, and training. However, some fusion center officials raised concerns about how specifically the federal government was planning to assist state and local governments to sustain fusion centers as it works to incorporate fusion centers into the ISE and to implement the strategy.
Homeland Security: Federal Efforts Are Helping to Address Some Challenges Faced by State and Local Fusion Centers
In the aftermath of the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, the 9/11 Commission concluded that the nation's Intelligence Community and the domestic counterterrorism model of information gathering and intelligence failed to "connect the dots." As a result the federal government initiated several new initiatives designed to break down the barriers and "silos" inhibiting information and intelligence sharing. One such initiative was the establishment of information sharing fusion centers. Fusion centers are state and local government operated information collection and analysis centers that serve state and local law enforcement with the prevention, detection, and deterrence of criminal and terrorism activity. Fusion centers are also part of a national network of fusion centers which provide important suspicious activity reports and other information to the federal government in support of the national counterterrorism mission. A key feature of fusion centers is the need to collaborate with state, local and federal public agencies and disciplines, and the private sector in order to collect information, process this information into usable and actionable intelligence, and disseminate this intelligence to customers, partners and stakeholders. Fusion centers are placed in a context of dealing with terrorism as a complex "wicked problem," which generally requires using interorganizational collaboration and networks to successfully address such problems. This research analyzes how state and local fusion centers use collaboration to build and maintain information sharing networks supporting national, regional, and local area counterterrorism efforts. Using a multiple case study exploratory research design, this research analyzed how fusion centers collaborate with partner agencies and other stakeholders. The data used for this investigation was collected from open-ended, semi-structured elite interviews with Directors from nine different state and regional fusion centers. Selection of fusion centers participating in this research was conducted using a purposive and convenience sampling process. The findings indicate there is variation in the perceptions of fusion center leaders as to the use of collaborative relationships and in how fusion centers operate using multiagency, intergovernmental, and multidiscipline relationships. Some fusion centers struggle with growing and maintaining a consistent collaborative environment due to lack of resources, inexperienced personnel, and political pressures. In states with multiple fusion centers, governance and coordination issues can present challenges to creating an effective network for information sharing. Several similarities among interviewees were also identified. Results from this research have implications for federal, state, and local governments along with the private sector and for academics who look to collaborative relationships as important to implementing public policy in complex problem areas such as counterterrorism. This research extends our theoretical understanding of collaboration in complex organizations and provides future researchers with robust qualitative analysis that can be used to develop quantitative research designs.
Sharing terrorism-related information between state, local and federal officials is crucial to protecting the United States from another terrorist attack. Achieving this objective was the motivation for Congress and the White House to invest hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars over the last nine years in support of dozens of state and local fusion centres across the United States. Congress directed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to lead this initiative. A bipartisan investigation has found, however, that DHS' work with those state and local fusion centres has not produced useful intelligence to support federal counter-terrorism efforts. This book offers recommendations to clarify DHS' role with respect to state and local fusion centres; to improve oversight of federal grand funds supporting fusion centres; conduct promised assessments of fusion centre information-sharing; and strengthen its protection of civil liberties in fusion centre intelligence reporting.

Focus on Fusion Centers

United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ad Hoc Subcommittee on State, Local, and Private Sector Preparedness and Integration

Published: 2009

Total Pages: 120


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"Although elements of the information and intelligence fusion function were conducted prior to 9/11, often at state police criminal intelligence bureaus, the events of 9/11 provided the primary catalyst for the formal establishment of more than 40 state, local, and regional fusion centers across the country. ... 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 centers 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 center concept including potential privacy and civil liberties violations, and the possible inability of fusion centers to demonstrate utility in the absence of future terrorist attacks, particularly during periods of relative state fiscal austerity. Fusion centers are state-created entities largely financed and staffed by the states, and there is no one 'model' for how a center should be structured ... The federal role in supporting fusion centers consists largely of providing financial assistance, the majority of which has flowed through the Homeland Security Grant Program ..." taken from summary.