Homeland Security: Federal Efforts are Helping to Address Some Challenges Faced by State and Local Fusion Centers

• NCJ Number: 222406
• Author(s): Eileen R. Larence
• Date Published: April 2008
• Length: 20 pages
• Corporate Author: US Government Accountability Office
• Sale Source: US Government Accountability Office
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Downloaded on April 23, 2008. Testimony Before the Ad Hoc Subcommittee on State, Local, and Private Sector Preparedness and Integration, Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, U.S. Senate.

Annotation

This reports presents testimony from Eileen R. Larence, Director of Homeland Security and Justice Issues on the characteristics of fusion centers throughout the United States since September 2007 and Federal efforts and initiatives to assist in alleviating challenges that fusion centers have identified.

Abstract

Fusion centers, formed under State and local governments after the September 11 terrorist attacks as collaborative efforts to detect, prevent, investigate and respond to criminal or terrorist activity, vary in their characteristics and are operated or being established in almost all States and several local jurisdictions across the country. Forty-three to 58 of the fusion centers contacted described their centers as operational as of September 2007. Today, fusion centers are facing challenges in several areas with Federal efforts under way to assist in addressing these challenges. Efforts being undertaken by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ), along with the Program Manager for the Information Sharing Environment (PM-ISE) to address these challenges include: (1) improve the quality and flow of information through the Interagency Threat Assessment and Coordination Group's efforts to provide a nonfederal perspective to the intelligence community and its products; (2) improve reciprocity of security clearances with Federal agencies; (3) DHS and DOJ, along with the PM-ISE continue to take steps to develop guidance and provide technical assistance and training; and (4) under the National Strategy, issued by the President in October 2007, the Federal Government will continue to support the establishment of fusion centers and help sustain them through grant funding, technical assistance, and training. 1 figure