March 12, 09

NEWS / TSC Recognized for Information Sharing Initiatives

National Fusion Center Conference Award Praises Support for Counterterrorism Efforts

Today the Terrorist Screening Center (TSC), a component of the FBI which maintains the U.S. government’s consolidated terrorist watchlist, was presented with an award by the National Fusion Center Coordination Group at its annual conference for TSC’s information sharing and outreach initiatives to bridge the counterterrorism efforts of federal agencies and state and local law enforcement.

“The TSC’s focus on sharing information among federal, state, and local authorities has been key to the effectiveness of the terrorist watchlist as a counterterrorism tool,” said TSC Deputy Director Cory Nelson, who leads the organization’s fusion center outreach efforts. “We’re grateful to be recognized by the National Fusion Center Conference for those efforts.”

A 2007 report by the Government Accountability Office, the independent investigative agency of Congress, found that “TSC plays a central role in the real-time sharing of this information [collected during encounters], creating a bridge among screening agencies, the law enforcement community, and the intelligence community.” The report also concluded that the consolidated terrorist watchlist had “helped combat terrorism” and “enhanced the U.S. government’s counterterrorism efforts.”

The TSC initiatives recognized by the “We Hear You” award include:

* Real-time notification of encounters with watchlisted individuals. TSC notifies fusion centers by telephone as soon as the TSC Call Center has confirmed an encounter with a known or suspected terrorist by a state, county, or municipal law enforcement agency in their geographic jurisdiction.

* Daily reports about encounters across the country. TSC posts unclassified versions of its daily report of encounters with known or suspected terrorists across the country on law enforcement networks, providing greater visibility on terrorist encounters than ever before.

* Tailored analytical products. TSC provides special analysis reports on encounters with known or suspected terrorists—including analysis of possible trends—to state and local law enforcement through fusion centers.

The U.S. Terrorist Screening Center (TSC), established December 2003 by Homeland Security Presidential Directive-6, serves as the U.S. Government’s consolidation point for known and suspected terrorist watchlist information, both foreign and domestic. The consolidated watchlist contains records that are updated daily and shared with federal, state, local, territorial, tribal law enforcement and intelligence community agencies as well as international partners to ensure that individuals with links to terrorism are appropriately screened. The TSC is a multi-agency organization administered by the National Security Branch of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.