Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey awarded a $105,000 grant to ALEA’s Fusion Center on Thursday to improve the capability of the state’s law enforcement agencies to locate and arrest criminals and make communities safer.
The grant will enable the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s Fusion Center to share information with law enforcement agencies more easily and improve the ability of law enforcement agencies to locate criminals and track crimes.
“Our police officers, sheriffs’ deputies and investigators put in long hours protecting and serving our communities,” Ivey said. “I am pleased to provide this funding to increase the capability of law enforcement agencies to share vital information that will solve crimes and help catch criminals.”
The improved system is part of ALEA’s efforts to consolidate and combine data centers and technologies since the agency was formed in 2015. The Fusion Center serves as a repository for criminal and crime information, leads and tips.
The Alabama Fusion Center exists to improve Alabama’s preparedness against terrorist attacks and to deter criminal activity. It is an information-sharing organization designed to combine or “fuse” information between federal, state and local government, private sector entities, and the intelligence community. The Alabama Fusion Center has the ability to process information in a manner that adds analytical value and focus dissemination toward those who need to know specific pieces of information. The center has personnel dedicated to several specific areas, including critical infrastructure, the issuing of AMBER Alerts, rural crime, cybercrime, terrorism, narcotics, gangs and human trafficking. The Alabama Fusion Center is also responsible for the Alabama Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the program from funds made available to the state from the U.S. Department of Justice.
“ADECA is proud to join Governor Ivey in supporting programs that improve law enforcement’s ability to take criminals off the streets and make neighborhoods safer,” ADECA Director Kenneth Boswell said.
ADECA administers a wide range of programs that support law enforcement, victim programs, economic development, water resource management, energy conservation and recreation.
