A new way of warding off terror worries many
The newly created body of government called "fusion centers" is something that grew out of the new terrorist prevention methods following September 11th. Minnesota's fusion center is called the Minnesota Joint Analysis Center or (MNJAC).
The purpose of these centers-of which there are 40 across the United States, is to disseminate important information to law agencies.
One of the criticisms before 9/11 was that nobody was sharing information. Fusion centers are meant to create synergy and fill in the cracks of the law enforcement body as a whole.
Many legislatures and law makers are worried about these centers, and whether or not they are encroaching on our first amendment rights.
These fusion centers seem to be tiptoeing a line between doing a vigilant job of staying on the defensive in times of terror, and slowly taking away American's rights. The passing of the Patriotic Act into law saw several of the same discussions over first amendment rights. It remains to be seen whether fusion centers will act in a purely synergistic way, or if they begin to overstep their boundaries.