With Southern California believed to be a primary terrorist target, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and other local, state and federal authorities took a pivotal step July 27 toward safeguarding the public with the introduction of the first regional intelligence center in the nation.
The Los Angeles Joint Regional Intelligence Center (JRIC), located in Norwalk, is designed to identify and address terrorism threats and other criminal activity. Through an intelligence-sharing collaborative of more than 200 law enforcement agencies, JRIC personnel will support intelligence gathering and analysis.
“Common interests produce common security,” Chief William J. Bratton said. “JRIC provides for the common security of the Los Angeles area by giving all of its partners access to the same intelligence. We will all benefit from collective analyses done here and from the ability to quickly share that information.”
Chief Bratton believes Los Angeles JRIC will be a national model for terrorism prevention.
At JRIC, teams of investigators—comprised of LAPD officers, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s (LASD) deputies, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents, and other public safety proponents—will respond to leads and reports of suspicious activities potentially leading to terrorist events.
JRIC personnel will process and analyze leads more effectively at the centralized facility, minimizing duplication and circular reporting. Additionally, by combining available resources personnel will be better able to identify patterns and trends and produce relevant assessments for use by appropriate government agencies.
"This is truly a partnership that has come together at just the right time,” Chief Bratton added. "In this area of the country, we have some of the top terrorist targets. Through this partnership, we are building on the spirit of cooperation between law enforcement agencies.”
By collecting, converting and disseminating intelligence, the Los Angeles JRIC aims to prevent terrorist attack and combat crime in the Central District of California. The seven-county region is made up of Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, San Bernardino, Riverside, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.
JRIC’s opening coincided with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s announcement that an unspecified number of its personnel will be embedded at four fusion centers. Fusion centers are state and local anti-terrorism hubs, such as Los Angeles JRIC. Other fusion centers include facilities in New York City; Reisterstown, Md; and Baton Rouge, La.
Los Angeles JRIC is one of four regional centers in California. The others are located in Sacramento, San Francisco and San Diego. JRIC founding agencies include the LAPD, LASD and FBI among others. These agencies have committed more than $2 million each to this initiative.
I just hope it's not too little being done too late. I have confidence in the LAPD and the LAFD, but very little faith in the federal government to do anything right. If the Feds don't do their jobs right then how can LAPD and other local law enforcement work effectively?
Posted by: Anne Adams | July 28, 2006 at 11:08 PM