302WK7REPLY

Instructions:  Please respond to the following 2  students. Responses should be a minimum of 150 words and include direct questions.

Responses Due: Sunday, by 11:55pm, ET 

Jeffery Crane

1. Fusion centers and the Interagency Threat Assessment and Coordination Group (changed to Joint Counterterrorism Assessment Team in 2013) were identified as two initiatives in the area of homeland security intelligence that have the potential to have substantial impact on coordination and information sharing. Fully describe these two initiatives and what you see as their value to homeland security.

Fusion Centers are a key instrument in the Intelligence Community. They are uniquely situated to both gather and disseminate intelligence in the local and regional arena. The best and most concise description of this is the following:

“Fusion Centers are located in states and major urban areas throughout the country, fusion centers are uniquely situated to empower front-line law enforcement, public safety, fire service, emergency response, public health, Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources (CIKR) protection, and private sector security personnel to understand local implications of national intelligence, thus enabling local officials to better protect their communities. Fusion centers provide interdisciplinary expertise and situational awareness to inform decision-making at all levels of government. They conduct analysis and facilitate information sharing while assisting law enforcement and homeland security partners in preventing, protecting against, and responding to crime and terrorism. Fusion centers are owned and operated by state and local entities with support from federal partners in the form of deployed personnel, training, technical assistance, exercise support, security clearances, connectivity to federal systems, technology, and grant funding.” (ODNI-Intel Overview 2011).

The Joint Counterterrorism Assessment Team is also a valuable asset to the Intelligence Community.  “JCAT members are state, local, tribal, and territorial first responders and public safety professionals from around the country, working side-by-side with federal intelligence analysts from the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to research, produce, and disseminate counterterrorism intelligence for you.” (ODNI-Intel Overview 2011). 

2. Which strategic goals within the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis Strategic Plan do fusion centers and the ITACG directly support and how?

Of the goals that are fulfilled by the fusion centers and/or the JCAT is Goal 2 of the DHS Intel Strategic Plan: Collect Information and Intelligence Pertinent to Homeland Security; High-caliber intelligence starts with appropriate, coordinated, and competent collection and reporting. Intelligence professionals in I&A, DHS, the National Network of Fusion Centers, and the IC need information from multiple sources to build the analytical understanding necessary to combat homeland security threats. I&A will facilitate the acquisition, exchange, and reporting of the raw data required for high-impact analysis in DHS, National Network of Fusion Centers, and the IC by consolidating collection requirements, exercising DHS’ collection and reporting authorities per Executive Order (EO) 12333, and leveraging DHS and IC collection capabilities.” (DHS Intel Strategic Plan, 2012).

Objective 3.3: Disseminate Intelligence and Information Products; A key component of information sharing is effectively distributing analysis conducted by homeland security intelligence professionals. I&A must disseminate products to partners quickly, broadly, and consistently to ensure the HSE has accurate and relevant intelligence to support and enable operations. Enable the National Network of Fusion Centers to serve as a conduit for  disseminating appropriate products  to  private sector and SLIT partners. (DHS Intel Strategic Plan, 2012).

 3. What is intelligence-led policing? How do you believe intelligence-led policing can be useful in combating terrorism?

Intelligence-led policing is the application of criminal intelligence analysis as an objective decision-making tool in order to facilitate crime reduction and prevention through effective policing strategies and external partnership projects drawn from an evidential base. (Australian)

Intelligence led policing is and has been very useful in effectively combatting both crime and terrorism. This approach to law enforcement has been used since back in the 1970’s, but only after the 9/11 attacks was it given major attention. For a police organization to be effective, it must be able to not only collect intelligence, but to analyze it and then use it to make progress in deterring and defeating further efforts to commit crimes, whether terrorist related or not. This is another good quote: “Intelligence is not what is collected; it is what is produced after collected data is evaluated and analyzed.” intelligence provides law enforcement executives with facts and alternatives that can inform critical decisions. (Intelligence-Led Policing: The New

Intelligence Architecture, Bureau of Justice Assistance, 2003.

Gabrielle Boone

1. Fusion centers are units that facilitate home security in US that operate with the features of a focal point for the major urban centers and the state. “The ultimate goal of a fusion center is to provide a mechanism where law enforcement, public safety, and private partners can come together with a common purpose and improve the ability to safeguard our homeland and prevent criminal activity. A police officer, firefighter, or building inspector should not have to search for bits of information.”(1) With a fusion center in place, local authorities will know to call the fusion center. Daily, the fusion center gathers, analyzes, and shares threat information that helps protect local communities and help counter violent extremism. Fusion centers is valuable to homeland security because information is being collected and shared between many agencies at all levels.

The Interagency Threat Assessment and Coordination Group later known as the Joint Counterterrorism Assessment Team(JCAT). The JCATs mission is to improve information sharing and enhance public safety. In coordination with the FBI and DHS, JCAT collaborates with other members of the Intelligence Community to research, produce, and disseminate counterterrorism intelligence products for federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial government agencies and the private sector and advocates for the counterterrorism intelligence requirements and needs of these partners throughout the Intelligence Community.(2017) This is valuable to homeland security because it helps provide information and possibly prevent terrorist attacks.

2. The Department of Homeland Security Office of Intelligence has the missions of promoting an understanding of threats through intelligence analysis; collecting information and intelligence, sharing information necessary for action; and managing intelligence for homeland security. Fusion centers and the ITACG directly support those goals. Fusion Centers and ITACG are key to homeland security mission success because exchanges of information and intelligence are crucial to understanding the threats.

3. “Intelligence-led policing is a collaborative enterprise based on improved intelligence operations and community-oriented policing and problem solving”(Peterson, 2005) This is helpful to homeland security because it constantly improves our ability to prevent crime and terrorism. This also allows leaders at different levels to make informed decisions.

Reference:

Fusion Centers and Intelligence Sharing. (2016). Retrieved from https://it.ojp.gov/initiatives/fusion-centers

Peterson, M. (2005, September). Intelligence-Led Policing: The New Intelligence Architecture. Retrieved fromhttps://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/bja/210681.pdf

The Joint Counterterrorism Assessment Team (JCAT). (2017). Retrieved from https://www.ise.gov/interagency-threat-assessment-and-coordination-group-itacg