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To Our Friends in Austin,
Ever heard of a fusion center? Here's a primer.
Fusion centers are information-gathering facilities run by law enforcement in the name of keeping you safe. Good idea, if only they did what they're intended to do.
And one of them -- the Texas Department of Public Safety's statewide center -- is already here, but the Austin City Council will consider a second one with little explanation and even less input from the public.
You should be concerned.
All too often, fusion centers have proven ineffective at combating organized crime. In fact, they have abused their authority and encouraged illegal surveillance of elite universities, as well as religious, environmental and peace groups.
A Virginia fusion center went so far as to refer to the state’s colleges and universities as "nodes for radicalization," and encouraged surveillance of First Amendment protected activities. This type of behavior is particularly troubling, especially in a community like Austin that is rich with institutions of higher education and many diverse and active community groups.
And then there are the privacy implications as these fusion centers often include not only arrest and investigation data, but also information like credit reports, library records, bank statements, and travel habits.
Fusion centers can basically be repositories for massive amounts of information about ordinary people.
We need you to act.
On Thursday, the City Council will consider using grant money to establish a second fusion center in Austin, but neither the council nor the Austin Police Department has explained why a second one is needed. Please attend the City Council meeting tomorrow, or e-mail city leaders, to show your concern.
You should tell the council such an important issue should be pulled from consideration until which time the need for this center has been explained. The Council should also schedule a community forum to allow the public to weigh-in.
Keep Austin weird or keep it under surveillance?
In liberty,
ACLU of Texas
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