Statewide Terrorism and Intelligence Center commemorates 5th anniversary

[June 07, 2008]  SPRINGFIELD -- The Illinois State Police announced Thursday that the Statewide Terrorism and Intelligence Center is commemorating its five-year anniversary. The center is a 24/7 all-crimes fusion center staffed by analytical personnel from the Illinois State Police, Illinois National Guard, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Agency and Department of Homeland Security. The center was fully functional in May 2003 after Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich appropriated $1 million to establish it and was one of the first 24/7 state fusion centers to emerge after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

"The tragic events of Sept. 11 necessitated all law enforcement and emergency responders to come together to not only ensure a strategic and comprehensive response to a critical incident, but to do whatever we could to stop the threat before it occurs," said Illinois State Police Director Larry G. Trent. "Governor Blagojevich gave us the resources necessary to create a fusion center to further homeland security."

Proposed by the Illinois State Police and Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police, in conjunction with their partners in the criminal justice community, the Statewide Terrorism and Intelligence Center is a one-stop resource for police officers to obtain information related to criminal activity. Analysts perform a comprehensive search of all available databases and resources, negating the need for an officer to make a series of independent, time-consuming contacts to obtain a fraction of the information.

The Illinois center has become a model for other state fusion centers. The state police director is a member of the U.S. Department of Justice's Criminal Intelligence Coordinating Council, which serves as an advisory body to the federal government through the attorney general. The council developed the recommendations used in the National Criminal Intelligence Sharing Plan, the Fusion Center Guidelines, the Law Enforcement Analyst Certification Standards and many other Department of Justice publications.

While much had been done to increase security, revise response protocols and strengthen interagency partnerships in anticipation of the next terrorist attack, a consistent concern voiced by law enforcement officers was the lack of intelligence information being exchanged at all levels.

In November 2005, the Statewide Terrorism and Intelligence Center moved its operations to the newly constructed Statewide Emergency Operations Center, home of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency. This partnership allows for better communication and accessibility between emergency responders and the law enforcement intelligence community.

In April 2008, the Statewide Terrorism and Intelligence Center received a Special Achievement Award from the Law Enforcement Intelligence Unit, a nationwide professional association of law enforcement agencies having an intelligence function. The award is in recognition of outstanding contributions to the law enforcement intelligence community.

The Statewide Terrorism and Intelligence Center continues to provide a critical service to Illinois criminal justice agencies and currently focuses on terrorism, narcotics, violent crimes, Internet crimes, motor vehicle theft and missing children, as well as outreach to the private sector. The center continues to serve as a model for other state agencies nationwide through public-private partnerships and innovative technology solutions.

[Text from file received from Illinois State Police]