The Commission dedicated the Texas Fusion Center, a new state-of-the art facility housing federal, state, regional and local law enforcement agencies at DPS Headquarters. The Fusion Center’s Watch Center is a 24/7 unit that works with federal, state, regional, and local law enforcement agencies and serves as the state repository for homeland security information and incident reporting. The Watch Center provides real-time intelligence support to law enforcement and public safety authorities, and consolidates information and data on suspicious activities and threats from all jurisdictions and disciplines, as well as the public. During emergencies or periods of increased threat, the Center may ramp up to receive and process additional information.
∙ The Commission approved a plan to consolidate 32 radio communications offices into 22 offices over the next several months. Affected offices are Sherman, Texas City, Beaumont, Ozona, San Angelo, Childress and Harlingen. Most communications employees will be transferred to other locations; other staffing reductions will be handled through attrition as much as possible. Closing these locations as communications offices will save DPS an estimated $1.1 million. Highway Patrol offices in those cities will remain open.
Oct 2010