Assignment Overview (FIRST THREE PAGES)
State and major urban area fusion centers serve as focal points within the state and local environment for the receipt, analysis, gathering, and sharing of threat-related information between the federal government and state, local, tribal, territorial (SLTT), and private sector partners.
There are issues and concerns related to intelligence collection methods at some of the country’s local law enforcement agencies, joint terrorism task groups, and fusion centers. The first issue relates to constitutional limitations. Constitutional limitations restrict the government’s ability to access private information. The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is particularly relevant. To the extent that government activity burdens individuals’ freedom of speech and related rights, the First Amendment may also play a role. Another issue is related to the process of collecting and sharing the information, which in many cases is not standardized, creating potential holes in the way officials exchange information on terror threats.
Assignment (Answer the following questions in the first three pages)
-Briefly describe the six-step intelligence cycle.
-What are some potential problems with collecting intelligence within the United States?
-Give some examples of fusion centers and how these centers fuse intelligence at the local, state, and federal levels.
Overview (for last 3 pages)
The DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) has a unique mandate within the Intelligence Community and is the federal government lead for sharing information and intelligence with state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, and the private sector. It is these non-federal partners who now lead the Homeland Security Enterprise in preventing and responding to evolving threats to the homeland. I&A serves as the information conduit and intelligence advocate for state, local, tribal, and territorial governments. I&A supports state and major urban area fusion centers with deployed personnel and systems, training, and collaboration. This National Network of Fusion Centers is the hub of much of the two-way intelligence and information flow between the federal government and state, local, tribal and territorial partners. The fusion centers represent a shared commitment between the federal government and the state and local governments who own and operate them. Individually, each represents a vital resource for merging information from national and local sources to prevent and respond to all threats and hazards. Collectively, their collaboration with the federal government, one another (state-to-state and state-to-locality), and with the private sector represents the new paradigm through which we view homeland security. Fusion centers have contributed and will continue to contribute to improvements in information sharing and collaboration that will enhance the nation’s overall preparedness.
I&A assumes the program management role for the Department’s engagement with the Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting (SAR) Initiative (NSI) Program Management Office (PMO). As part of that role, I&A is a direct liaison with the NSI PMO and facilitates the efforts of DHS components and fusion centers in becoming active NSI participants. Additionally, I&A leverages SAR data to create analytical products that assist federal, state, local and tribal partners in their respective homeland security missions.
LAST 3 PAGES
Answer the following:
-What is DHS’s Intelligence role in Homeland Security?
-What are the roles of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) and FBI for national intelligence? How do these roles benefit DHS?
