Posted on Sep 2nd, 2009

ACLU of Texas Meets with Austin Police to Discuss Fusion Center

Meeting Addressed Concerns About Intelligence Center’s Privacy Protections

AUSTIN – The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Texas continues to have substantial concerns about the privacy implications related to the recently approved Austin Regional Intelligence Center (ARIC). Those concerns were today again conveyed during a meeting with Austin Police Department Chief Art Acevedo, Chief of Staff David Carter and Commander Troy Gay.

Fusion centers like the ARIC have been in existence across the country for about six years and have developed a dubious reputation of mishandling and interpreting information in such a way that law-abiding citizens have often been targets of illegal surveillance.

Assigning accountability for these multi-agency centers has also proved difficult.

“The ACLU’s goal is to protect central Texans from the surveillance abuses that fusion centers in other regions have been known for,” said Rebecca Bernhardt, ACLU of Texas Policy Director. “Without a draft privacy policy, we lack a basic framework on which to build.”

A draft privacy policy has yet to be released and is crucial to protecting the rights of central Texans. It is urgent that such a policy be shared with advocates and be made available for public input.

The ARIC is scheduled to open in the next few months. However, debate over the fusion center is of limited benefit until APD makes the privacy policy public.

The meeting is the latest between the ACLU and city officials since early August when the City Council approved using a federal grant to pay for the renovation of a building where the ARIC will be housed. At the meeting the ACLU delivered a letter to Chief Acevedo asking for clarification on the mission and design of the ARIC.

To date, the ACLU has met with city council staffers, and has also met directly with city council members Laura Morrison, Bill Spellman and Chris Riley.