source: www.thenewamerican.com

The federal Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is silently and gradually converting local police agencies into regional subdivisions of the surveillance state.

Typically, we get only occasional glimpses of the despotic disregard for the Constitution and egregious violation of the rights of the people committed by DHS fusion centers.

Thanks to a presentation delivered by a sheriff’s department sergeant at a casino in West Virginia, the scope of the surveillance and the blurring of the lines between federal, state, and local law enforcement were revealed without the typical reserve shown at similar gatherings.

Here’s the remarkably forthcoming report of the pro-Fusion Center address as reported by the Shepherdstown (West Virginia) Chronicle. I’ll advise you to read closely the content of Sergeant Robert Sell’s description of the DHS fusion center where he works. The pride permeating the remarks made about the nearly unbelievable submission of local control of police is dismaying.

The Fusion Center, which was the topic of Sell’s talk at the Friday luncheon, is located in Charleston and is a partnership between public and private entities encompassing local, state and federal law enforcement, public safety agencies, and the private sector. The Center’s mission is to anticipate, identify, prevent, monitor criminal activity and all other hazards, then responsibly distribute their findings while protecting the rights of the citizens of the state and the agencies involved.

“The bottom line,” Sell said during his talk, “is that the Fusion Center reaches out to many different levels within the community to gather information, process, analyze, predict and ultimately issue warnings or alerts as appropriate.”

Sell explained that the local FLO’s provide information at state and national levels, as well as locally when necessary.

“You may be surprised at the range of topics that are researched at the Fusion Center,” Sell told attendees. “They include terrorism, both international and domestic, gangs, security threat groups, auto theft, high technology crime, threats to public order, special events and civil emergencies, threats to government, law enforcement and critical infrastructure, identity theft and fraud, major serial arson, major alcohol, tobacco and explosives incidents, HAZMAT incidents and any international incidents with potential local impact.”

According to Sell, the driving force behind the creation of Fusion Centers was the September 11 attacks on U.S. soil.

“The 9/11 Commission report outlined many deficiencies in the intelligence community,” Sell said, “as well as lack of communication and information sharing both within and across government organizations, technology problems, lack of standards and policies and the need for a unified process for reporting, tracking an accessing Suspicious Activity Reports [SARs], to name a few.”

SARs can now be submitted by anyone.

“There is even an app for submitting,” Sell said.

Want to be rewarded for spying on your neighbors, citizen? Good news! There’s an app for that!

Seriously. The sergeant’s seemingly joyful description of his department’s submissiveness to the federal DHS is unpatriotic in so many ways and unworthy of a man who likely swore to serve and protect his fellow citizens of Jefferson County, West Virginia.

It isn’t as though we shouldn’t have seen this coming.

READ MORE HERE