State Fusion Centers : Their Effectiveness in Information Sharing and Intelligence Analysis

The 9/11 Commission investigating the September 11, 2001, attacks concluded that the nation’s intelligence community had failed to ‘connect the dots,’ thus ushering in the era of homeland security. As a result state and local fusion centers emerged; however, there is little research available addressing either their activities or effectiveness. Joyal explores these and related issues. Drawing upon the perceptions of those working in and closely with state fusion centers, particularly law enforcement, it appears that fusion centers are successful in improving law enforcement’s ability to collect and share information; however, they continue to struggle with several challenges, namely developing robust analytical capabilities and overcoming persistent subcultural obstacles.