Benjamin Franklin is said to have observed, “Those who would give up ESSENTIAL LIBERTY to purchase a little TEMPORARY SAFETY, deserve neither LIBERTY nor SAFETY.”
Have you ever wondered how the government uses all that Defense budget bankroll. Today we read a piece about the Fusion Centers in America and it brought us back to our previous post about them.
Mitt seems to Love Fusion Centers – check him out talking them up
America seems to have forgotten that these centers are built to hold Americans; not foreigners. They are designed to be used in the time of a government declared crisis. This is what worries us the most. Right now the US Government is so entrenched in small battles all over the globe. Whos to say that the military won’t start filling these coffins with members of the 99% ?
Clearly These 88 Fusion Centers are to be used by those acting with the NDAA.
This is the Real Story – From Jesse Ventura on these Fusion Centers
Yes he explained it clearly so no one should miss the point – These are Concentration Camps; being called Residential Centers – Why ?
Our problem with that is that a federal judge struck the NDAA down because of its limitations on citizens rights. We’re glad that happened – but that still leaves us wondering what are these centers for, if not to house americans ?
Check out this recent piece from Fierce Homeland Security about these Fusion Centers :
The nation’s 77 state and regional fusion centers can pose serious risks to civil liberties, finds a new report from The Constitution Project, which makes a number of recommendations about how the centers should collect and store data.
Among the report’s (.pdf) findings is that the threshold for entry of a person’s personally identifiable information into a fusion center database–where it could be accessed by other fusion centers–is too low.
Ordinarily, federal regulations prohibit state law enforcement agencies that receive federal funding from maintaining personally identifiable information in criminal intelligence databases unless there exists reasonable suspicion that the individual is involved in criminal conduct or that the information is relevant to criminal conduct.
But the Justice Department interprets regulations to exclude from those conditions the data gleaned from suspicious activity reports on the ground that SARs are “tips and lead data” and not criminal intelligence information.
State and federal standards for activities that can cause local law enforcement to file an SAR are broad, the report notes, encompassing behavior such as using binoculars or taking notes. The report doesn’t suggest stricter SAR thresholds, stating that such behavior might warrant an initial inquiry, but does say that reports on individuals should not be retained in government databases unless reasonable suspicion can be established.
The center also urges greater federal oversight of fusion centers, recommending that the departments of Homeland Security and Justice should periodically audit fusion centers to ensure compliance with privacy and civil liberties rules.
“One of the most pressing concerns regarding fusion centers is accountability,” report authors say, adding that fusion centers should also allow individuals to correct inaccurate information about them in fusion center databases. Some state fusion centers have adopted policies that allow individuals to access their records although with some restrictions, but they don’t have a clear process for individuals who seek correction of mistaken information.
Report authors also recommend immutable audit logs for any database accessed by fusion center personnel, whether the database is an outside one hosted by other government agencies or the commercial information reseller databases that many fusion centers subscribe to.
For more:
- download the report, “Recommendations For Fusion Centers: Preserving Privacy And Civil Liberties While Protecting Against Crime And Terrorism” (.pdf)
Just incase you’re wondering if you are near a Fusion Center – the answer is always YES. Take a look at this list from the Department of Homeland Security
Fusion Center Locations and Contact Information
State and major urban area fusion centers (fusion centers) are owned and operated by state and local entities, and are designated by the governor of their state. In accordance with the Federal Resource Allocation Criteria (RAC) policy, which defines objective criteria and a coordinated approach for prioritizing the allocation of federal resources to fusion centers, the federal government recognizes these designations and has a shared responsibility with state and local governments to support the national network of fusion centers.
The following includes the list of primary and recognized fusion centers (associated contact information). Primary fusion centers serve as the focal points within the state and local environment for the receipt, analysis, gathering, and sharing of threat-related information and have additional responsibilities related to the coordination of critical operational capabilitiesacross the statewide fusion process with other recognized fusion centers. Furthermore, primary centers are the highest priority for the allocation of available federal resources, including the deployment of personnel and connectivity with federal data systems.
Primary Fusion Centers
- Alabama Fusion Center
- Alaska Information and Analysis Center
- Arizona Counter Terrorism Information Center
- Arkansas State Fusion Center
- California State Threat Assessment Center
- Colorado Information Analysis Center
- Connecticut Intelligence Center
- Delaware Information and Analysis Center
- Florida Fusion Center
- Georgia Information Sharing and Analysis Center
- Hawaii Pacific Regional Information Clearinghouse
- Idaho Criminal Intelligence Center
- Illinois Statewide Terrorism and Intelligence Center
- Indiana Intelligence Fusion Center
- Iowa Intelligence Fusion Center
- Kansas Intelligence Fusion Center
- Kentucky Intelligence Fusion Center
- Louisiana State Analytical & Fusion Exchange
- Maine Information and Analysis Center
- Maryland Coordination and Analysis Center
- Massachusetts Commonwealth Fusion Center
- Michigan Intelligence Operations Center
- Minnesota Joint Analysis Center
- Mississippi Analysis and Information Center
- Missouri Information Analysis Center
- Montana All-Threat Intelligence Center
- Nebraska Information Analysis Center
- New Hampshire Information and Analysis Center
- New Jersey Regional Operations Intelligence Center
- New Mexico All Source Intelligence Center
- New York State Intelligence Center
- North Carolina Information Sharing and Analysis Center
- North Dakota State and Local Intelligence Center
- Ohio Strategic Analysis and Information Center
- Oklahoma Information Fusion Center
- Oregon Terrorism Information Threat Assessment Network
- Pennsylvania Criminal Intelligence Center
- Puerto Rico National Security State Information Center
- Rhode Island State Fusion Center
- South Carolina Information and Intelligence Center
- South Dakota Fusion Center
- Southern Nevada Counter-Terrorism Center (Las Vegas, Nevada)
- Tennessee Fusion Center
- Texas Fusion Center
- U.S. Virgin Islands Fusion Center
- Utah Statewide Information and Analysis Center
- Vermont Information and Analysis Center
- Virginia Fusion Center
- Washington Regional Threat and Analysis Center (Washington, D.C.)
- Washington State Fusion Center
- West Virginia Intelligence Fusion Center
- Wisconsin Statewide Information Center
Recognized Fusion Centers
As the Federal Government respects the authority of state governments to designate fusion centers, any designated fusion center, including major urban area fusion centers, not designated as a primary fusion center is referred to as a recognized fusion center.
- Austin Regional Intelligence Center; Austin, TX
- Boston Regional Intelligence Center; Boston, MA
- Central California Intelligence Center; Sacramento, CA
- Central Florida Intelligence Exchange; Orlando, FL
- Chicago Crime Prevention and Information Center; Chicago, IL
- Cincinnati/Hamilton County Regional Terrorism Early Warning Group; Cincinnati, OH
- Delaware Valley Intelligence Center; Philadelphia, PA
- Detroit and Southeast Michigan Information and Intelligence Center; Detroit, MI
- Houston Regional Intelligence Service Center; Houston, TX
- Kansas City Regional Terrorism Early Warning Interagency Analysis Center; Kansas City, MO
- Los Angeles Joint Regional Intelligence Center; Los Angeles, CA
- El Paso Fusion Center (MATRIX); El Paso, TX
- Metro Operations Support and Analytical Intelligence Center; Dallas, TX
- Nevada Threat Analysis Center; Carson City, NV
- North Central Texas Fusion Center; McKinney, TX
- Northeast Ohio Regional Fusion Center; Cleveland, OH
- Northern California Regional Intelligence Center; San Francisco, CA
- Northern Virginia Regional Intelligence Center; Fairfax, VA
- Orange County Intelligence Assessment Center; Orange County, CA
- San Diego Law Enforcement Coordination Center; San Diego, CA
- Southeast Florida Fusion Center; Miami, FL
- Southeastern Wisconsin Threat Analysis Center; Milwaukee, WI
- Southwest Texas Fusion Center; San Antonio, TX
- Southwestern PA Region 13 Fusion Center; Pittsburgh, PA
- St. Louis Fusion Center; St. Louis, MO
(end of clipping)
The Federal Judge who ruled that these Fusion Centers were a part of the Deprivation and Degradation of The Bill of Rights. Most people have yet to hear about the possibility that they could be locked up in an urban center; and probably have no idea that there are so many of these Urban Fusion Centers spread out all across the US. Personally we knew about several of them in major cities, but with this enhanced list we found others that were a bit surprising.
Check This Out – Also from Your Department of Homeland Security :
State and Major Urban Area Fusion Centers
National Network of Fusion Centers
State and major urban area fusion centers (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.
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 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.
The Current Threat Environment and Role of Fusion Centers in National Security
Both at home and abroad, the United States faces an adaptive enemy in an asymmetric threat environment. Events since May 2009 have demonstrated that the threat to the homeland is not abating. The National Network of Fusion Centers (National Network) is uniquely situated to empower front-line law enforcement, public safety, emergency response, and private sector security personnel to lawfully gather and share information to identify emerging threats. The national security enterprise must reach beyond the capabilities of the federal government and national Intelligence Community to identify and warn about impending plots that could impact the homeland, particularly when the individuals responsible for the threats operate within the United States and do not travel or communicate with others overseas.
By building trusted relationships and collaborating with SLTT and private sector partners, fusion centers can gather and share the information necessary to pursue and disrupt activities that may be indicators of, or potential precursors to, terrorist activity. With timely, accurate information on potential terrorist threats, fusion centers can directly contribute to and inform investigations initiated and conducted by federal entities, such as the Joint Terrorism Task Forces led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
According to the 2010 National Security Strategy (PDF, 60 pages – 1.52 MB), the federal government must continue to integrate and leverage fusion centers to enlist all of our intelligence, law enforcement, and homeland security capabilities to prevent acts of terrorism on American soil. Efforts to protect the homeland require the timely gathering, analysis, and sharing of threat-related information. Fusion centers provide a mechanism through which the federal government, SLTT, and private sector partners come together to accomplish this purpose. Beginning in 2003, the federal government, in cooperation with state and local entities, published guidance to enable fusion centers to operate at a baseline level of capability and to form a robust and fully integrated National Network. The National Network allows the federal government, SLTT, and private sector partners to participate as full contributors to, and beneficiaries of, the homeland security enterprise.
This strategic vision can be realized only when fusion centers demonstrate institutionalized levels of capability that enable efficient and effective information sharing and analysis across the National Network. This will help link the federal government with SLTT and private sector entities to more effectively share information. Given the evolving threat environment, it is vital that fusion centers quickly achieve their roles, as explained in the National Strategy for Information Sharing (NSIS), as the focal points within the SLTT environment for the receipt, analysis, gathering, and sharing of threat‐related information.
Enhancing Department Resources to Support Fusion Centers
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has expedited the deployment of resources to fusion centers to enhance their ability to perform their mission. The DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A), the Department’s lead for support to fusion centers, has deployed over 70 personnel, including Intelligence Officers and Regional Directors, to the field. I&A also worked aggressively to deploy Homeland Secure Data Network (HSDN) to over 60 fusion centers. HSDN provides SECRET-level connectivity to enhance the ability of state and local partners to receive federally generated classified threat information.
Additionally, the Department significantly expanded training and technical assistance opportunities for fusion center personnel. Through its long-standing partnership with the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Department has conducted more than 300 training and technical assistance deliveries, workshops, and exchanges on topics including risk analysis, security, and privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties since 2007. By providing these resources, the Department supports fusion centers to address some of the nation’s most significant homeland security challenges.
Expanding the Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting (SAR) Initiative (NSI)
A Call to Action: A Unified Message Regarding the Need to Support Suspicious Activity Reporting and TrainingTo provide guidance regarding how and where to report suspicious activities, state, local, and federal agencies worked collaboratively to develop a Unified Message that provides clear guidance regarding how to report suspicious activities, encourages agencies to work with DHS to utilize the “If You See Something, Say Something™” campaign, and emphasizes the importance of training frontline personnel. The Department is working closely with the DOJ-led Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting Initiative Program Management Office to establish a standard process to identify and report suspicious activity in jurisdictions across the country. Under the leadership of I&A, the Department has made it a priority to participate in and support the implementation of the NSI while also integrating SAR processes across the National Network of Fusion Centers. The integration of NSI within both the Department and the fusion centers is a key element of fusion center outreach to law enforcement at all levels of government.
The Department has also launched the “If You See Something, Say Something™” campaign in order to engage the public to identify and report indicators of terrorism, crime, and other threats.
The Path Ahead
Working closely with interagency partners and Fusion Center Directors, the Department supports an annual nationwide, in-depth assessment of fusion centers to evaluate their capabilities and to establish strategic priorities for federal government support. The assessment focuses primarily on four Critical Operational Capabilities (Receive, Analyze, Disseminate, and Gather) and four Enabling Capabilities (Privacy/Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Protections, Sustainment Strategy, Communications and Outreach, and Security) as well as additional priority areas for the year. Leveraging data collected from the Annual Fusion Center Assessment, the Department coordinates efforts to build fusion center capabilities and mitigate identified gaps. These gap mitigation efforts are designed to assist fusion centers in becoming centers of analytic excellence that serve as focal points within the state and local environment for the receipt, analysis, gathering, and sharing of threat-related information.
For further information, please contact the Department of Homeland Security Office of Public Affairs, 202-282-8010.
(end of clipping)
America needs to understand exactly where the chips are stacked in this spy v. citizen drama. The rules for what and who interest them are totally fluid. Their dynamic is based on the wind and the grass growing from what we can see. There are so many times when we wished the government would use its intelligence for helpful resolutions. But using it against those who are paying for it is utterly ridiculous.
After the November election there needs to be some clarity from the Whitehouse on Where These Fusion Centers Fit Into Americas’ Dream. Because everyone we’ve heard discuss them say they are a nightmare.
We remember the damage done in WWII to the Japanese citizens who were locked away in early fusion centers. They were locked away so that they could be contained to corral those who might lash out at the damage done to their homeland.
The response from American after this dirty incident has been a payment of restitution in cash as well as special privileges to help them return to their rightful status; as they were before their internment.
The reparations discussion is a whole different page and we’re focused only on the reason for the Fusion Centers. We will continue to report on this problem and it’s dangers to US Society and Freedom. Mostly because the main stream media will not report this, nor will they discuss it. That’s why we brought you the Jesse Ventura report, because it is the only comprehensive look at the centers from a Televised Journalist. Strangely after the Jesse Ventura report/episode aired; it was pulled from replay. Thanks YouTubers of keeping the good stuff available.
America it’s time to Ask Who Are Those Coffins For Really,
