The Associated Press
PHOENIX (AP) - Law enforcement officials and Gov. Janet Napolitano on Tuesday formally opened the state’s new intelligence center aimed at preventing terrorism by increasing cooperation among state, local and federal agencies.”
The center, based in a northwest Phoenix business park, is unremarkable and purposely understated. Inside the 61,000-square-foot building, representatives from 22 federal agencies and 14 state law enforcement agencies will work to gather and coordinate information and look into tips from the public.”
The center is equipped with a central database that can be accessed by the agencies and a telephone number officials can call with information from the field.”
The FBI operates one wing of the center along with agents from a terrorism task force, while the Arizona Department of Public Safety runs the other.”
Authorities hope the Phoenix center will be the most fluid way to share information and will serve as a model for other states.”
“The key to cooperation is to get everyone together,” said Norman Beasley, the assistant director for DPS’s criminal investigations division.”
“We are focused on terrorism, but we’re also an all-crimes center,” he added.”
New York has a similar system, Beasley said, but it is not as encompassing as Arizona’s.”
“No one has the concept we have,” Beasley said.”
While not all law enforcement agencies can send a representative, Beasley said each agency will have a liaison trained to access the database and to keep communication channels open.”
Although the official ribbon-cutting took place on Tuesday, the center had been up and running for a few weeks. In fact, last week’s presidential debate in Tempe served as one of the center’s first large-scale tests.”