[Photo]What began as a pilot program between the department and six states two years ago has grown into the first nationwide network of intelligence analysts focused on homeland security ever created in the United States. It is called the Homeland Security State and Local Intelligence Community of Interest (HS SLIC), and it allows intelligence analysts in 45 states, the District of Columbia and seven federal agencies to share sensitive homeland security intelligence information and analysis on a daily basis. We expect it to expand to all 50 states soon, and become a key element of the National Fusion Center Network that I wrote about earlier.

When I came to the Department in late 2005, DHS did not have a dedicated intelligence information sharing channel with the intelligence analysts at the state and local fusion centers. I asked my staff to travel to the leading fusion centers around the country to understand and document their requirements for a direct partnership with the department's integrated intelligence enterprise.

When President Bush issued guidelines for information sharing between the federal and state and local governments in December 2005, I asked my staff to develop a pilot program that would meet these requirements and enable federal, state and local intelligence professions to gather and share accurate and timely intelligence information and strategic analysis that would help protect nation. From March to September 2006, we tested this program with six states – Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, New York and Virginia. The pilot demonstrated that a full, open and equal partnership among federal, state, and local intelligence professionals could be developed and trusted by all its members.

With the support of the pilot states — their fusion center and intelligence leadership and the respective homeland security advisers — we have turned that pilot into the Homeland Security State and Local Intelligence Community of Interest (HS SLIC). Today, intelligence analysts from the homeland security, intelligence and law enforcement communities in 45 states, the District of Columbia and seven federal agencies share sensitive homeland security intelligence information and analyses on a daily basis. The HS SLIC enables them to meet, avert or respond to current, emerging and future threats to homeland security.

Every week, HS SLIC members meet virtually via a secure Internet portal to discuss emergent threats and analytic topics. Annually, DHS also hosts a national HS SLIC analytic conference and regional conferences at the classified level to discuss important analytic topics and threat trends, such as border security or threats to critical infrastructure. And most importantly, all of this collaboration is being done securely while supporting and upholding federal, state and local laws and policies to protect civil liberties and the privacy rights of our citizens.

By all accounts, the HS SLIC "virtual community" has been a tremendous success. Information is shared as never before, and shared responsibly; state and local needs for information are being met; analytic products are being jointly written; and analysts are seeing trends and patterns across information stovepipes that they were not able to see before. Together with the DHS State and Local Fusion Center program and its deployment of DHS intelligence officers and intelligence technology to the fusion centers, the HS SLIC has made significant strides toward increasing the flow of intelligence information and collaborative analysis at all levels of government. The beneficiary is the American people we all serve.

Charlie Allen
Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis and Chief Intelligence Officer