Alexandria, VA. - U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas announced today that DHS and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) will jointly host a national summit on improving intelligence and information sharing between federal, state, local, tribal, territorial, and campus law enforcement agencies. The summit will focus on the challenges that law enforcement agencies face as they confront a wide array of threats to their communities, institutions, and vital infrastructure. These threats, including both foreign and domestic terrorism, gangs, drugs, active shooters, transnational organized crime, cyber, and the rapid increase in violent crimes, require close and continuing partnerships across all levels of governments. 

“I am proud to announce that DHS and IACP will co-host the National Summit on Improving Information and Intelligence Sharing – the first major event of its kind since 2007 – to discuss how law enforcement partners across every level of government can better work together to confront the evolving threats facing our communities,” said Secretary Mayorkas. “The Department of Homeland Security is fundamentally a department of partnerships and is able to execute its mission due to our partnerships with law enforcement entities across the country. DHS remains committed to working closely with state, local, tribal, territorial, and campus law enforcement, including by sharing timely and actionable information and intelligence, to ensure our partners have the resources they need to keep our communities safe.”

“We are grateful that DHS will join IACP in this critical effort”, said IACP President Cynthia Renaud, “the complex challenges before us require global solutions and IACP has historically played a key role in convening federal, state, local, tribal, territorial, and campus law enforcement for the common purpose of information sharing in the interest of public safety and national security.” 

The IACP-DHS National Summit on Intelligence and Information Sharing will be the third such event hosted by IACP.  Prior summits led to significant advances in information sharing, including the creation of the Global Intelligence Working Group, adoption of the National Criminal Intelligence Sharing Plan, founding of the Criminal Intelligence Coordinating Council, establishment of a national network of fusion centers, and creation of numerous programs to report and share information across law enforcement. 

“It is IACP’s hope”, continued Renaud, “that this summit, with our Homeland Security and Terrorism Committees' active engagement, will allow for the development and promotion of both proven and new strategies that will improve and enhance the information-sharing environment that law enforcement needs to successfully combat today’s shifting, dynamic, and often unpredictable threat environment.”

More information on the IACP-DHS National Summit on Intelligence and Information Sharing will be posted on www.theiacp.org as it becomes available.