Press Release  Audit Survey Indicates Some Law Enforcement and Other Groups are Satisfied with State Police Fusion Center Operations

Boston — An audit of the Commonwealth Fusion Center (CFC) released today by the Office of State Auditor Suzanne M. Bump was inconclusive due to federal data confidentiality constraints, but a survey of a sample of law enforcement and others who receive information from the Center shows apparent satisfaction with its information and support. What could not be determined by the state auditors was the CFC’s efficiency and effectiveness in disseminating the information. The CFC is operated and funded by the Massachusetts State Police. The audit examined the period of July 1, 2014 through December 31, 2017.

“The Commonwealth Fusion Center is a critical piece of our state’s public safety infrastructure,” Bump said. “While I’m disappointed that federal regulations prohibited us from fully accomplishing our audit objective, I’m encouraged by the positive response stakeholders provided about their experiences with the Fusion Center. I encourage the leadership of the Center to take action on the suggestions for increased communication provided by stakeholders.”

Guidance from the US Department of Justice, FBI, and Department of Homeland Security encourages the CFC to establish a group of stakeholders in a cross-section of categories, including criminal justice, military, banking and finance, non-law enforcement emergency services, and more. The CFC regularly disseminates and receives information on public safety issues from these organizations. The CFC provided the audit team with a list of 484 stakeholder groups.

Bump’s office surveyed a sample of these stakeholders to understand their interactions and satisfaction with the CFC. All surveyed stakeholders provided positive feedback, reported general satisfaction regarding their relationship with the CFC and noted the information it provided was timely, relevant, and useful. Many surveyed stakeholders expressed a desire for increased communication from the CFC, and suggested this be accomplished through:

• Bulletins about the capabilities of the CFC;
• Seminars and user groups to expand stakeholder capabilities;
• Visits with stakeholders;
• Daily email distributions; and
• A smartphone application for quicker dissemination of information.

The Department of the State Police’s Commonwealth Fusion Center is the principal state repository for threat-related information, including criminal activity, threats to public safety, and terrorist activity. It facilities the receipt, analysis, and sharing of critical information from federal, state, regional, and local public-safety agencies, as well as a variety of public- and private-sector entities. As of December 31, 2017 the CFC had 37 employees. It has locations in Maynard and Framingham.

The audit of the Department of State Police Fusion Center Operations is available here.

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