Review of Domestic Sharing of Counterterrorism Information

I&A intelligence officers in the field completed reports officer training. In
addition to the 26 reports officers in the field, these 59 intelligence officers can
now produce intelligence reports, but Reporting Branch staff have not had
commensurate increases. Ten senior reports officers review all reports from
the field. In addition, by assigning reviews to senior reports officers based on
regions, the Reporting Branch may be creating backlogs for officers responsible
for regions with a greater number of reports or more complex reporting.
During our review, I&A field officials also said they did not have local release
authority, that is, the authority to send intelligence reports directly to the
clearing offices for review and approval without first sending them to the
Reporting Branch. The Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis recently
approved granting local release authority to I&A field officials, but formal
guidance had not been issued prior to the end of DHS OIG’s fieldwork.
Because of the delays in I&A reporting, even though they would like to
develop joint products, many fusion centers had given up on doing so. In one
often cited example, a joint product with the New Jersey, New York, and New
Hampshire fusion centers about homegrown violent extremists targeting
military assets was in production for about 2 years. Several fusion centers said
they still coordinate products with I&A field personnel who contribute
informally, but without joint seals or official reporting credit. These types of
timeliness issues were raised in an October 2012 Senate report and a July
2013 House report. 21
For more flexibility and continued coordination with and support from
fusion center partners, I&A has introduced new intelligence products and
reports, such as Field Analysis Reports and Field Intelligence Reports. Field
Analysis Reports are finished intelligence products designed to highlight
analysis from the National Network of Fusion Centers on national, regional,
and local issues of concern. Topics must meet I&A’s statutory missions and
authorities and should contain unique state, local, tribal, or territorial and/or
DHS Intelligence Enterprise information or perspectives. Field Intelligence
Reports are used to formally report raw, unevaluated information of potential
intelligence value that responds to departmental requirements but not IC
requirements. These new products have been well received by I&A
stakeholders, including Congress, who had expressed concern about I&A’s
production levels.
21 United States Senate, Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs: Federal Support
for and Involvement in State and Local Fusion Centers, Majority and Minority Staff Report, Permanent
Subcommittee on Investigations (October 2012); and the United States House of Representatives,
Committee on Homeland Security, Majority Staff Report on the National Network of Fusion Centers (July
2013).
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