(SACRAMENTO, CA.) — The Sacramento City Council is scheduled to consider approving a nearly $800,000 federal homeland security grant today that would fund operations at the Central California Intelligence Center (CCIC), a regional fusion center operated by the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office.
The proposed agreement would authorize the City Manager to execute a subaward agreement with Sacramento County for $793,280 to support CCIC operations through March 31, 2027. The funding comes from the Fiscal Year 2024 Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI), a federal grant program administered through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services.
The item has drawn attention from some community advocates who have questioned the role of fusion centers and raised concerns about information sharing between local, state and federal agencies.
According to the city's staff report, however, the funding is intended to support personnel and programs at the CCIC, including intelligence analysts, cybersecurity staff, critical infrastructure protection, election security, and other homeland security initiatives. The report states the funding will cover positions such as Cyber and Intelligence Analysts, Critical Infrastructure Protection Program Managers, a UASI Support Technician and a Deputy Director.
The staff report describes the CCIC as "an analytically driven fusion center" that serves as a clearinghouse for intelligence analysis and information sharing for crimes and all-hazard threats throughout California's Eastern District. The center provides intelligence products, analytical support and threat assessments to law enforcement and public safety agencies and supports programs including the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, the FBI InfraGard Program and the Terrorism Liaison Officer Program.
The City of Sacramento serves as the fiscal administrator for the Sacramento Urban Area Security Initiative, distributing federal grant funding to regional partners. According to the staff report, the city administers approximately $2.82 million in regional homeland security funding, with no impact on the city's General Fund.
Fusion centers were established following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to improve information sharing among federal, state, local and tribal agencies. The CCIC is one of California's designated fusion centers and is part of the Department of Homeland Security's National Network of Fusion Centers.
The city staff report and proposed subaward agreement do not state that the funding is intended for immigration enforcement or expands information sharing with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Instead, the documents describe the grant as supporting intelligence analysis, public safety information sharing, cybersecurity, critical infrastructure protection and terrorism prevention activities.
The item appears on the City Council's consent calendar for Tuesday's 2 p.m. meeting at City Hall. Watch the live meeting.
Cover image: Stunning aerial view of a landmark building surrounded by lush trees in Sacramento, by Stephen Leonardi, pexels.com.
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