Yesterday, USA Today ran a story about how the FBI is working with local law enforcement agencies to thwart terrorism:
Since the 9/11 attacks, more than 6,000 state and local police officers have been granted access to classified material involving terrorist threats, the broadest dissemination of secret information in U.S. history.
The information sharing, which is overseen by the FBI, has been held up as a model of cooperation by law enforcement.
Despite its success, it’s unclear whether giving local officials access to classified information has provided them with a direct link to any terrorism suspects.
Even so, Houston Police Chief Harold Hurtt, one of the early critics of the information-sharing program because of delays in getting secret clearances, says the new access is forging closer bonds between local police and the FBI. And the FBI has grown increasingly dependent on local police to assist in terrorism investigations.
Well, well. Isn’t that interesting?
