Fusion centers do not focus on mission

Published 11 July 2007

CRS says the terrorism intelligence fusion centers, funded in part by DHS’s $380 million, are doing other things

In the later phase of his career, jazz trumpeter Miles Davis developed what came to be know as jazz fusion. Fusion of a different kind — sharing antiterorism information and analysis — became popular in many states, which rushed to build fusion centers. GCN’s Alice Lipowitz writes that it now appears that this information-sharing and analysis is taking a back seat to criminal intelligence at the more than forty state intelligence fusion centers, according to a new report from the Congressional Research Service (CRS). The centers were partly with DHS funding for the purpose of fusing federal, state, and local intelligence against terrorism, but CRS found the fusion centers have gravitated more toward collecting and analyzing criminal intelligence and all-hazards intelligence. The service found few indications that the centers have been making efforts to become aware of terrorist plans and foil attacks.

Lipowicz writes that the fusion centers have received $380 million in start-up funding from DHS but many of them do not have future funding secured, according to CRS. CRS says that Congress should consider drafting a federal fusion center strategy and addressing the sustainability of federal funding for the centers. Multi-state, regional intelligence fusion centers also may present an alternative to state-sponsored centers, they wrote.