Thank
you Governor. Good afternoon. I am here,
along with the heads of our offices in New
York City, Buffalo, and here in Albany,
to show our support for the UNYRIC and its
new Counter-Terrorism Unit (CTU).
UNYRIC has already made considerable contributions
to our crime fighting efforts in New York
and Vermont, and we are confident that the
CTU will prove to be a powerful new weapon
in the war on terrorism.
Terrorists and their supporters are mobile
and networked, and they operate across jurisdictional
boundaries. We can defeat these adversaries
only if all of our agencies work together.
We are here to celebrate an endeavor that
will help us do just that.
Countering the terrorist enemy requires
a seamless flow of intelligence. In New
York State and Vermont, more than 70,000
officers with eyes and ears in their communities
are on constant alert for possible indicators
of terrorist activities.
The
CTU will assist police officers in recognizing
possible terrorist surveillance, rehearsal,
fundraising, and training. It will facilitate
assignments to collect information. And
it will get the intelligence that police
officers gather in their communities to
the FBI so that it can be put together with
intelligence from other sources.
The
results will be more targeted intelligence
collection in the field, a reliable pipeline
for intelligence, more complete analysis
of patterns and trends, and ultimately a
greater chance of catching terrorists before
they strike.
To
ensure that this seamless flow of intelligence
is accomplished without harming privacy
rights, the FBI will provide a security
officer, offer training, and review information
sharing systems and policies to ensure their
compliance with privacy protections.
We are proud to be a part of UNYRIC and
will continue to provide our full support
and cooperation. We believe it offers a
model that can guide information sharing
initiatives in states across the country.
I would like to thank Governor Pataki, Governor
Douglas, Superintendent Bennett [NY State
Police], and Director McMahon [Office of
Public Safety] for their visionary leadership
on this endeavor. Thank you.
