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Data Sharing, Privacy and Organizational History: DHS Fusion Centers

Year: 2011
Type: preprint
Abstract: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), under both the Bush and Obama administrations, has supported the creation of 'fusion centers' with a mandate to share data across government agencies as well as across public and private sectors. The stated goal of fusion centers is to 'blend relevant law enforcement and intelligence information analysis and coordinate security measures to reduce threats in their communities' (U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2006). Concerns about privacy and surveillance have surfaced in response to these centers. As of December 2010, there were 72 state and local fusion centers. Some of these were created in response to terrorism concerns, while others emerged from existing law enforcement organizations (such as drug interdiction, crime control, or regional coordination). This research explores the question of what factors contribute to the data-sharing practices of fusion centers, with particular attention on the organizational history of the fusion center. Specifically, it is expected that there will be more data sharing with less oversight (i.e., mission creep) when: fusion centers take on responsibility for addressing 'all crimes' or 'all hazards' instead of addressing terrorist threats alone; state and local agencies seek out “dual purpose” functions that meet perceived local needs; multiple jurisdictions and actors with different policy orientations are involved; policies for data sharing or data management are unclear; oversight or enforcement of existing policies and laws is inadequate; and budgetary constraints under which fusion centers operate are great. Data for this NSF funded research will be drawn from government documents, reports of think tank and interest groups, and interviews with fusion center officials and civil society groups.
Language: English
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1597733346
Cites: 14
Cited by: 2
Related to: 10