"One of the department's top priorities is to work with state and local authorities and share information that helps to connect the dots on emerging threats," said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. "There is no more effective way to connect the dots than by having our personnel sitting in a chair next to their local counterparts, providing them with information they need to make timely and informed decisions on how best to protect their community."
State and local authorities have created 38 Fusion Centers around the country that blend relevant law enforcement and intelligence information analysis and coordinate security measures to reduce threats in their communities. To date, DHS has provided more than $380 million to state and local governments in support of these centers. The department, along with other federal partners, has also dramatically improved the quality and quantity of analytical intelligence products that are provided to state and local governments.
"Having our intelligence and operational personnel on the ground working daily with state and local law enforcement and government representatives, as well as our federal partners who have a presence in these centers is also going to provide us with critical sources of unique law enforcement and threat information," said Charles Allen, Chief Intelligence Officer and Assistant Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis at the Department of Homeland Security. "This will be a tremendous asset for our efforts to both share and access information, and to provide us with improved access to the men and women on the ground protecting their local communities."
DHS will continue to deploy tailored, multi-disciplinary teams of intelligence and operational professionals to Fusion Centers nationwide, and plans to have personnel at all of the major centers by the end of fiscal year 2008.
