The primary purpose of the Homeland Security Division (HSD) is to provide support to local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies on matters pertaining to the investigation of criminal and terrorism-related activity. The Division will identify, document, collect, analyze, maintain, and disseminate criminal intelligence and homeland security information on a need-to-know basis, but with an emphasis and attitude of sharing, while ensuring privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties. This intelligence will pertain to persons involved in organized crime, terrorist groups, and multi-jurisdictional or serial crimes.
The Division, through its Virginia Fusion Center, Field Intelligence, and Joint Terrorism Task Force Agents, maintains contact with other law enforcement agencies and collects information related to possible crimes, while our analytic resources provide proactive information related to crime trends, possible solutions and potential criminal activity.
The Homeland Security Division promotes the Intelligence Led Policing Model in an effort to reduce the impact of criminal, gang, and terrorism-related activity while increasing communication, information flow, and efficiency of law enforcement and public safety resources in the Commonwealth. The Division, through the Virginia Fusion Center and its partners, will maintain an intelligence database that will support the functions of the Department of State Police, along with local, state, tribal, federal, and international criminal justice agencies. A proactive approach will be emphasized to forecast criminal trends and effectively deter criminal and terrorist activities within Virginia.
- Report Suspicious Activity (Online or Phone: (877) 4VA-TIPS)
- Virginia Fusion Center (Website)
- See Something Send Something (Download the smartphone app: Apple | Android)
Organization
The Division is composed of three sections – the Virginia Fusion Center (VFC), the Field Intelligence Unit and the Joint Terrorism Task Force. Administration consists of a Captain, two Lieutenants, two First Sergeants and four clerical positions.
Virginia Fusion Center
The Virginia Fusion Center (VFC) was designed as the Commonwealth’s fusion center to create cross-jurisdictional partnerships between local, state, tribal and federal agencies to include private sector participants. The Virginia Fusion Center is an all-hazards/all-crimes operation and provides one central point in Virginia for the collection, analysis, and timely dissemination of all-crimes information and intelligence. The VFC will coordinate with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management’s Emergency Operations Center as it relates to the analysis and dissemination of all hazard information and intelligence that does not have a criminal nexus.
The Virginia Fusion Center provides an integrated, multi-discipline, information sharing network to collect, analyze, and disseminate information to stakeholders in a timely manner in order to protect the people of Virginia. The Virginia Fusion Center and the Virginia Emergency Operations Center work cooperatively to maintain overall situational awareness of the threats to the Commonwealth and provide intelligence and information sharing support to decision-makers at all levels of government.
The VFC produces intelligence reports for law enforcement and non-law enforcement personnel and is capable of providing real-time information to thousands of key recipients throughout the United States. The VFC coordinates with local, state, tribal and federal agencies, as well as members of the critical infrastructure sectors, to ensure a coordinated intelligence exchange and to disseminate information and “best practices” in order to prevent or mitigate further attacks or criminal activity. The VFC acts as an early warning system for actual or suspected terrorist acts and criminal activities and helps to facilitate comprehensive protection strategies and unified response tactics.
The VFC is integrated into the National Network of Fusion Centers, enhancing the ability to share information horizontally and vertically with partners at the local, state, and federal levels.
The vision of the Virginia Fusion Center is to achieve its mission through a collaborative, cooperative, and interdisciplinary approach. The vision includes the accomplishment of goals and objectives that are focused on prevention and deterrence and that are reliant on progressive information sharing strategies.
Field Intelligence Unit
The Field Intelligence Unit (FIU) operates to improve intelligence collection and dissemination, to gather tactical intelligence in support of criminal investigations, and to use intelligence in support of strategic planning. Intelligence agents deployed throughout the Commonwealth coordinate with field analysts and the VFC to expedite intelligence gathering and information dissemination. The FIU will develop and maintain strong liaison and interaction with department personnel and local law enforcement counterparts as well as private sector partners.
Joint Terrorism Task Force
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Forces, (JTTFs), are our nation’s front line of defense against terrorism, both international and domestic. JTTFs serve as a national resource creating familiarity among investigators and managers. Task force units prepare before a crisis by conducting frequent training to maintain the specialized skills of investigators, analysts, and crisis response teams. JTTFs pool talents, skills, and knowledge from across the law enforcement and intelligence communities into a single team that responds together.
The JTTF coordinate their efforts largely through the interagency National Joint Terrorism Task Force, working out of FBI Headquarters, which makes sure that information and intelligence flows freely among the local JTTFs and beyond.