Fusion Centers: Issues and Options for Congress, a report by the Congressional Research Service, explores the values and risks of fusion centers and the evolution of the fusion center concept. This document also explains the characteristics of fusion centers, including but not limited to the ownership, mission, operational versus analytical role, information/intelligence sharing management, funding, and staffing. In addition, the report describes the federal and private sector roles in fusion centers. Lastly, the authors examine options for congressional consideration to clarify and potentially enhance the federal government’s relationship with fusion centers.

The Intelligence Fusion Process for State, Local, and Tribal Law Enforcement, a white paper by David Carter, Ph.D., is intended to provide insight about the intelligence fusion process in order to help facilitate the change needed to make intelligence fusion and function a reality.

Executive Order 13388: Further Strengthening the Sharing of Terrorism Information to Protect Americans contains the order of President George W. Bush in regards to further strengthening the effective conduct of United States counterterrorism activities and protecting the territory, people, and interests of the United States. The order is divided into sections that discuss policy for the distribution and collection of terrorism information.

The National Criminal Intelligence Sharing Plan (NCISP), the first of its kind in the country, provides a blueprint to help agencies establish criminal intelligence sharing policies, procedures, standards, technologies, and training. The Plan was assembled with close input and cooperation from local, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement agencies, and it has been endorsed by numerous national law enforcement organizations. Implementation of NCISP will provide law enforcement agencies with the ability to gather, analyze, protect, and share information and intelligence to identify, investigate, prevent, deter, and defeat the perpetrators of criminal and terrorist activities, both domestically and internationally.

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The Fusion Center Oversight Board: Bylaws define the mission, guiding principles, and goals of the Oversight Board. The membership, election procedures, recommendations, structure, and duties of the board are outlined in the bylaws. The guidelines to the meetings, such as attendance, voting, proxies, and public participation, as well as the board agenda and meeting minutes, are also explained within the bylaws.

The Criminal Justice Policy Foundation’s (CJPF) goal is to preserve freedom and democracy by improving the criminal justice system. CJPF's mission is to educate the public about the impact of drug policy and the problems of policing on the criminal justice system. CJPF provides information and advice to policymakers, criminal justice professionals, and the public through consultation, education programs, conferences, publications, the news media, and the Internet. The foundation assists drug policy reform organizations with advice on legal organization, management, outreach, research, media relations, and coalition building. CJPF also provides speakers to educational institutions and organizations of all kinds.

The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) establishes policies, priorities, and objectives for the nation's drug control program. The ONDCP also aims to reduce illicit drug use, manufacturing, and trafficking; drug-related crime and violence; and drug-related health consequences.

The study Mission Possible: Strong Governance Structures for the Integration of Justice Information Systems aims to ascertain the type, quality, and capability of governance processes and structures; evaluate quality and effectiveness of current models; explore the creative processes behind governance structures; and observe the progress of different communities as they seek to share justice information. This study is designed to help jurisdictions create and deploy governance for the integration of their justice information systems and to provide the tools needed by local government to develop successful governance structures and improve upon existing structures. This study is an initial step in the process of helping local governments reach a level of integration that could lead to a nationwide integration of justice information systems.

Homeland Security Presidential Directive 8 (HSPD-8) requires the development of the National Preparedness Goal to help ensure that local, state, and federal entities are prepared to prevent, respond to, and recover from threatened and actual domestic terrorist attacks, major disasters, and other emergencies. The directive provides guidelines for the delivery of federal preparedness assistance to local and state governments and outlines procedures for the development of first-responder equipment standards that support nationwide interoperability and a comprehensive training program to meet the National Preparedness Goal.