One of the more contentious homeland security debates has concerned fusion centres—state and locally run organizations dedicated to information sharing and analysis. These centres have raised concerns regarding civil rights and the monitoring of lawful political and religious activities. There have also been concerns about their effectiveness and the quality and timeliness of the intelligence produced. But while fusion centres certainly saw their share of shortcomings in their early years, there has been substantial progress in their national security role.

Question: Are fusion centers an effective and efficient mechanism to exchange information and intelligence, maximize resources, streamline operations, and improve the ability to fight crime and terrorism by merging data from a variety of sources?