DHS’s Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the FBI need to take additional actions to improve the sharing of border and terrorism related information with local and tribal law enforcement, GAO has said.
It said officials from 15 of 20 local and tribal law enforcement agencies in border communities GAO contacted said they received information directly from at least one federal agency in the vicinity that was useful in enhancing their situational awareness of border crimes and potential terrorist threats.
Nine of the 20 agencies reported receiving information from all three federal agencies.
However, most local and tribal officials that reported federal agencies had not discussed information needs and had not established partnerships with them, and they also said they had not received useful information, according to GAO-10-41.
It said DHS understands that more personnel are needed in fusion centers in border states but funding issues and competing priorities are obstacles.
The report calls on the DHS secretary and FBI director to require Border Patrol, ICE and FBI offices in border communities to periodically assess the extent to which partnerships and related mechanisms to share information exist, fill gaps as appropriate, and address barriers to establishing such partnerships and mechanisms.
They also should collaborate with fusion centers to identify and market good practices used to prepare these products, and take additional actions to solicit feedback from local and tribal officials in border communities on the utility and quality of the products generated, GAO said.