This section provides users with information about national strategies relating to law enforcement intelligence, including information and intelligence sharing. Links in this section include the National Criminal Intelligence Sharing Plan and Fusion Center Guidelines. These links are meant to provide information on the current information sharing strategies affecting law enforcement, including the identification of relevant national strategies and how to implement these strategies at a law enforcement agency.
Fusion Center Guidelines
Fusion Center Guidelines addresses the development of guidelines for fusion centers as well as the foundation for the development of fusion center guidelines for law enforcement intelligence, public safety, and private sector entities. These guidelines and related materials will provide assistance to centers as they prioritize and address threats posed in their specific jurisdictions for all crime types, including terrorism, and guide administrators in developing policies, managing resources, and evaluating services. The fusion process supports the implementation of risk-based, information-driven prevention, response, and consequence management programs as well as efforts to address immediate and/or emerging threat-related circumstances and events. The document also defines fusion centers and explains that the principal role of fusion centers is to compile, blend, analyze, and disseminate criminal intelligence and other information (including, but not limited to, threat assessment, public safety, law enforcement, public health, social service, and public works) to support efforts to anticipate, identify, prevent, and/or monitor criminal activity.
Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004
The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 is intended to improve the intelligence, intelligence community, and intelligence-related activities of the United States government, including the prevention and prosecution of terrorism, border security, and international cooperation and coordination.
Mission Possible: Strong Governance Structures for the Integration of Justice Information Systems
The study Mission Possible: Strong Governance Structures for the Integration of Justice Information Systems aims to ascertain the type, quality, and capability of governance processes and structures; evaluate quality and effectiveness of current models; explore the creative processes behind governance structures; and observe the progress of different communities as they seek to share justice information. This study is designed to help jurisdictions create and deploy governance for the integration of their justice information systems and to provide the tools needed by local government to develop successful governance structures and improve upon existing structures. This study is an initial step in the process of helping local governments reach a level of integration that could lead to a nationwide integration of justice information systems.
National Information Exchange Model (NIEM)
NIEM—the National Information Exchange Model—is a community-driven, government-wide, standards-based approach to exchanging information. NIEM connects communities of people who share a common need to exchange information in order to advance their mission. Used in all 50 states and internationally, NIEM is available to everyone. It is a consistent starting point—which includes a data model, governance, training, tools, technical support services, and an active community—that assists users in adopting a standards-based approach to exchanging data.
National Infrastructure Protection Plan
The National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP), published by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, provides the unifying structure, processes, and mechanisms for the integration of existing and future critical infrastructure and key resources (CIKR) protection efforts into a single national program. The NIPP discusses the roles and responsibilities of the security partners, the risk-management framework, organizational structures and partnerships needed, how CIKR is part of the homeland security mission, and how to ensure an effective, efficient, long-term program and provide the required resources for the CIKR protection program.
National Strategy for Counterterrorism
A formal counterterrorism strategy released by the White House focuses on goals of the United States in its efforts to defeat the al Qaeda terrorist network as well as principles the nation will embrace while working toward those goals.
National Strategy for Homeland Security
The updated National Strategy for Homeland Security guides, organizes, and unifies our nation’s homeland security efforts. It builds on the first National Strategy for Homeland Security, issued in July 2002, and complements both the National Security Strategy issued in March 2006 and the National Strategy for Combating Terrorism issued in September 2006. It reflects the increased understanding of the threats confronting the United States, incorporates lessons learned from exercises and real-world catastrophes, and articulates how to ensure our long-term success by strengthening the homeland security foundation. Issued October 2007.
National Strategy for Information Sharing and Safeguarding (NSISS)
National security depends on our ability to share the right information, with the right people, at the right time. Anchored on the 2010 National Security Strategy, the NSISS provides guidance for more effective integration and implementation of policies, processes, standards, and technologies that promote secure and responsible national security information sharing.
Strategy for Homeland Defense and Civil Support
Strategy for Homeland Defense and Civil Support focuses on achieving the U.S. Department of Defense goal and strategies for leading, supporting, enabling, and securing the United States from direct attack. The strategy is rooted in the following guidelines: respect for America’s constitutional principles, adherence to Presidential and Secretary of Defense guidance, recognition of terrorist- and state-based threats to the United States, and commitment to continue transformation of U.S. military capabilities. This report discusses the priority objectives, such as achieving maximum awareness of potential threats and deterring, intercepting, and defeating threats at a safe distance. It also discusses the capabilities of (but is not limited to) intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities and information sharing for homeland security and civil support. This report also explains the projected implications of the Strategy for Homeland Defense and Civil Support.
Unified Message
This Unified Message document, issued in April 2012, was created to help clarify a unified approach to the process of reporting and sharing information related to suspicious activity.
U.S. National Intelligence—An Overview
The document U.S. National Intelligence—An Overview, published by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, is designed to help people across the government better understand and navigate the Intelligence Community (IC), leading to improved collaboration and coordination between and with the IC and with the rest of the federal government.