IntroductionFusion centers are easily described by their name. It is a collaboration between several agencies coming together to form a united criminal justice front against terrorism. All agencies, such as the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and local police, work together analyzing and gathering potential intelligence on threats and possible terrorist attacks against the United States. They also act as a sort of hub to relay necessary information to other agencies. The creation of Fusion Centers helps make local law enforcement more capable of responding to and combating terrorist threats. The beginning Fusion Centers were born in New York in 2002 under the direction of Raymond Kelly. He used the capabilities of technology to help fight terrorism, establishing the need for fusion centers. At a cost of more than eleven million dollars, New York's Real Time Crime Center (RTCC) reviews millions of complaints, arrest records, and 911 calls dating back ten years to provide NYPD officers possible information to stop or investigate terrorist threats or attacks. They distribute this information to all their and surrounding agencies they work with. After the September 11 attack on the United States, these agencies became more important and available. To transform a local police agency into an intelligence-driven organization, they must go through several steps. The first, after rigorous training and funding, concerns task and coordination processes. The second is to create and develop intelligence products for use in operations. The next step is to start using standardized training for all the people you involve. Since some local agencies cannot afford to train all employees in this… middle of paper… Territo, L., & Taylor, R.W. (2012). Intelligence, terrorism and internal security. Police administration: Structures, processes, and behaviors (8th ed., pp. 90-99). Boston: Pearson. National security. (n.d.). Fusion Center locations and contact information. Retrieved March 9, 2014, from http://www.dhs.gov/fusion-center-locations-and-contact-informationHomeland Security. (n.d.). State and major urban fusion centers. Retrieved March 9, 2014, from http://www.dhs.gov/state-and-major-urban-area-fusion-centersFusion Center Locations Revealed | Public intelligence. (n.d.). Public intelligence. Retrieved March 9, 2014, from http://publicintelligence.net/fusion-center-locations-revealed/American Civil Liberties Union. (n.d.). American Civil Liberties Union. Retrieved March 9, 2014, from https://www.aclu.org/fusion-centers-force-multiplier-spying-local-communities