Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) on Thursday introduced legislation that would make permanent a committee that facilitates information-sharing between federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies.
Richard Durbin (Gov)
The Global Justice Information Sharing Initiative’s advisory committee, also called the Global Advisory Committee, was created by the Justice Department in 1998 to create effective information-sharing policies by bringing the law enforcement officials together. But the panel must cease its operations and re-establish itself every two years.
“The Global Advisory Committee has already achieved great success in bringing together local, state, tribal and federal agencies to develop consensus information-sharing solutions,” Durbin said on the Senate floor Thursday. “With congressional authorization and a consistent funding stream, the committee can build upon that success in a way that will benefit justice and public safety agencies across the nation.”
Durbin noted that the committee has created the “National Criminal Intelligence Sharing Plan” and “Fusion Center Guidelines,” which have helped communities improve their information-sharing. He also said the committee is slated to help the DOJ in the creation of new information-sharing tactics for improving correctional information, sharing criminal information and fighting gang crime.
The bill is co-sponsored by Democratic Sens. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania and Patty Murray of Washington.
