Most Americans simply don’t know what a fusion center is or what their role is in the anti-terror effort. (See this story for some background information.)
Many of these state and local organizations, including Illinois’ and Chicago’s fusion centers, don’t have websites that are easily searchable or that answer questions for citizens. For curious Hoosiers, however, a quick Google search of “Indiana fusion center” yields a number one result that leads directly to the website of the Indiana Intelligence Fusion Center, which is operated by the state police.
“We thought it would be best to put as much information as possible on the website to answer questions and provide information to all interested parties,” said First Sergeant David R. Bursten, of the Indiana State Police Public Information Office.
The website includes basic information about what a fusion center is and where Indiana’s is located. It also gives guidance on how to identify and report suspicious activity. The site has a FAQ section, a direct phone number to contact and like at all of Indiana’s government websites, clicking “Help” leads you to the option to live chat with a real human.
Despite all of its functionality, Gerry and David Brown, who live in South Bend and work at the University of Notre Dame, both said they didn’t know the website existed.
David Brown said most Indianans are unlikely to think of the IIFC if they had something to report. They’d just call their local police if they saw something suspicious.
Gerry Brown said the link to “8 Signs of Terrorism,” a national information campaign, was a little useful, but didn’t go into enough detail. She felt that, overall, the website felt as if it were for “professionals in the field of law enforcement.”
The site led to more questions than it answered for David Brown. He said “security is the single major responsibility of a government to its citizens,” but wonders about the cost-effectiveness of the program.
He questioned whether any useful tips had been made through the site, and also if it perhaps fosters “a heightened state of alertness or anxiety.”
Sergeant Bursten said the site has been helpful for keeping citizens informed, and the development of a fusion center overall has made law enforcement better by improving communication between state police and local and federal officials.
As for whether or not the site and its warnings might make people worried or cause them to overreact to an incident, he said, “the intent is not to have people paranoid, but observant.”
