Thank
you, Chief Olson, and good morning everyone. It's been great
to spend time with all of you here in Phoenix.
We have a lot to talk about today, and I want to begin with a
word of thanks. Thanks for your professionalism, for your hard
work, and for everything you do to keep America safe and free.
Thanks for stepping up and doing such an outstanding job over
these past eight months, at a time when the challenges and stresses
of our profession have never been higher. And thanks especially
for everything you're doing to build a new and stronger relationship
with the FBI.
Today, I want to talk with you about our relationship -- about
where it stands and where it's heading. That relationship is important
to everyone of us here. And most of all, it's important to the
American people and to their ultimate safety and welfare.
The partnership between the state and local law enforcement and
the FBI has been gaining momentum for some time. For years, the
FBI has provided you with an array of law enforcement services,
from fingerprint checks to criminal background searches. And you've
supported us with your own array of expertise. As changing laws
have made our jurisdictions increasingly intertwined, and as crime
has grown ever more complex and sophisticated, we have been working
closer together operationally. Through a growing number of joint
task forces and shared investigative initiatives, we have found
ourselves working shoulder-to-shoulder in more and more investigations.
To handle the increasing complexities of our work, we have trained
together more often, developing close, personal relationships
so critical to getting things done.
Shortly after September 11th, we opened a new chapter in our relationship.
Our nation had just experienced the worst terrorist attack in
history. We found ourselves with a new overriding priority and
a huge responsibility we knew we could only tackle together: to
head off future terrorist attacks, to make sure that America never
wakes up to another morning like September 11th.
As a result of this new mandate, both new and long-standing wrinkles
in our relationship began to surface. That is entirely understandable.
This is a totally new environment. The demands on all of us have
never been greater. A whole new concept called "homeland
security" has taken shape, a campaign with many different
moving parts, with an alphabet soup of agencies working together
in an entirely new way. The ability to gather and share intelligence
has now become one of the key weapons in our war on terror, and
it is at the top of everyone's list of priorities to address and
improve.
It was in this environment that we came together to begin a new
dialogue on our relationship. We in the FBI sat down with Chief
Olson and your board to air out issues and concerns. We met with
many others of you as well, in meetings in Washington, Toronto,
Orlando, and other cities.
During those meetings, you made some things perfectly clear to
me and to the FBI. You told us that our relationships at the time
were generally solid. But you also told us that there were some
specific areas that we needed to work on. You told us that you
were more than willing -- in fact, you were totally committed
-- to helping us and the nation in the war on terror. But you
said that in many cases we simply weren't giving you the opportunity
to do so. You felt like we weren't keeping you in the loop all
the time. You said that cooperation with local FBI offices was
fairly strong but inconsistent, often contingent on personalities
and complicated by turnover among our executives. You told us
that we weren't sharing information and intelligence as freely
and as quickly as you needed to maximize your effectiveness in
this new environment.
Well, we heard you loud and clear. And in recent months we have
begun addressing each and every one of the issues you raised.
Today, I'm pleased to tell you that we've made progress. Communication
and information-flow have improved. Issues have been addressed
and misconceptions cleared up. Relationships are stronger, in
many cases the best they have ever been. And many more efforts
are underway to build on this progress.
This morning, I want to detail the recent steps we've taken and
are taking together. Then, I want to look ahead and give you a
glimpse into how our relationship may change in the weeks and
months ahead as we in the FBI adapt to the realities of our new
prevention mandate.
As I begin to talk about these issues, let me clarify one thing
for you. We have heard that some of you don't like the fact that
we in the FBI sometimes refer to you and your colleagues as "the
locals." You think it sounds like we see you as almost "junior
partners." This is clearly not our intent. In fact, whether
it is this instance or any other, let me be very clear about where
you stand in relation to the FBI. You are absolutely not -- I
repeat absolutely not -- junior partners. You are full partners.
You are equal partners. And you are indispensable partners. That
is the way we see you and will treat you in the FBI.
At the Toronto conference last fall, I talked about some first
steps to strengthen our partnerships in this post 9-11 world.
I told you we were expanding Joint Terrorism Task Forces to every
FBI field office, putting in place new mechanisms to address problems
and find solutions, and issuing a call to cooperation throughout
the Bureau.
Those initial steps now form new foundations in our relationship.
Today, 47 of our 56 field offices have fully funded and fully
functioning task forces. The rest are in motion, and we expect
to have them in place by year's end. These task forces, as I said
in Toronto, are really the most valuable tool we have for keeping
you up to speed on terrorist investigations and for folding you
into the war on terror. And clearly, they help strengthen our
relationships all around.
You have told us that the new task forces, together with the new
focus on cooperation, are making a difference.
In Kansas City, for example, our Special Agent in Charge not only
worked with you to establish a new task force, he established
a Board of Directors for that task force made up of area chiefs
and sheriffs. They have been given security clearances so they
can receive information and briefings and work with us to oversee
the work of the JTTF.
In our Omaha Division, which covers Nebraska and Iowa, we actually
established five new task forces because of the size of the territory.
In Des Moines, one of your members says that today "cooperation
is two-way and at the best level I have seen."
The new task force in Orange County, California, is working well
and working closely with the new multi-agency California Terrorism
Information Center to improve the quality and speed of information
flow. In many of the task forces that have been around for some
time, you are also telling us that relationships and information-sharing
are improved and often unprecedented.
One of the main benefits of these task forces is that they help
get you the clearances you need to take advantage of our latest
intelligence and information. We are committed to getting you
these security clearances, both for the task forces and for the
overall counterterrorism effort. Several months back, we identified
about 1,000 of you and your colleagues who wanted these clearances.
So far, 419 have sent in the paperwork, and about 160 clearances
have been granted. We're putting some additional resources into
the effort as we speak so we can speed up the rest.
Please understand, though, that when you get these clearances
you will not suddenly be inundated with information. Oftentimes,
we don't have the treasure trove of information you might expect.
But again, we're committed to this process because we know it's
important to you and it's important to keeping you informed.
I also spoke with you in Toronto about efforts to set up an advisory
board of state, county, and municipal law enforcement officials
so we could sit down and talk about issues on a regular basis.
That board has been established and a couple of meetings have
been held. We've addressed a range of issues, particularly those
related to information-sharing, and from what I've seen, there
has been a spirit of collaboration and cooperation throughout
our discussions.
In December, we solidified this concept of communication and cooperation
within the Bureau structure. As many of you know, we created as
one of the four major branches in the FBI a new function called
Law Enforcement Services to ensure that you get the support you
need -- whether it's training, hi-tech criminal justice capabilities,
or laboratory services. Within that branch, we created a new Office
of Law Enforcement Coordination specifically devoted to building
relationships with state, municipal, county, and tribal law enforcement.
As
you know, the two executives who are leading these efforts are
here this week. Kathleen, would you please stand? Kathleen McChesney
is our Executive Assistant Director of Law Enforcement Services.
She is a former police officer. She has been on the front lines
with you, and she knows you and your issues well. Kathleen is
on point to make sure we support you in every way possible. When
it comes to law enforcement relationships, I rely on her advice
heavily, as does the rest of the FBI. Kathleen, thank you.
Also here is our new Assistant Director of Law Enforcement Coordination,
Louis Quijas. Louis, would you please stand? Louis, of course,
also comes from your ranks. We're confident he has the experience,
the knowledge, and the reputation to help build strong relationships
with law enforcement. His job is to listen to you, to talk with
you, and to address your issues and concerns in a way that benefits
us all. He is the point of contact for your organization and for
the many other associations and groups we work with so often.
Louis not only gives you a voice in the Bureau, he also gives
you a seat at the table. He will be there with us as we develop
plans and strategies for the war on terror and for major investigations,
helping us factor in your strengths and capabilities. Louis doesn't
actually start on the job until May 20, so we appreciate him taking
the time to be here and to begin the dialogue. Louis, thank you.
Kathleen and Louis form a strong team for you at FBI Headquarters.
We also have dozens of Special Agents in Charge nationwide who
work with you on a regular basis. I've made it clear to the SACs
that relationships with you must be a priority. And they have
responded. Many of you have told me that partnerships at the local
level are stronger than ever.
In Minneapolis, for example, Chief Olson says that our SAC is
now attending the monthly meetings of county police chiefs. The
SAC briefs them on what's happening in the Bureau and in the terrorism
arena specifically. Chief Olson says it may seem like a small
gesture, but to him, it goes a long way towards demonstrating
commitment.
In the Windy City, I understand that our SAC is doing likewise,
attending Chicago Police Department meetings, being accessible
to law enforcement, and setting an example for our Agents to follow.
In the Oklahoma City field office, you tell us that the SAC and
ASACs really go out of their way to return phone calls as quickly
as possible and to provide any and all credible threat information.
These are just a few examples, and I'm pleased we're being more
responsive to you all around. We recognize that challenges remain
across the nation, but our goal is to have success stories in
every one of your jurisdictions.
Personal relationships are a critical piece in determining whether
we are in sync in the war against terror. A larger, more complicated
issue is information-sharing. It involves not just a broad interplay
of relationships, but a host of legal, technology, policy, and
cultural issues.
I couldn't possibly cover every angle of the issue for you today.
But I do want to touch on some of the high points, and I do want
to assure you that this issue definitely has our attention.
We realize that in many respects, information-sharing is the glue
that holds together all of the government's many homeland security
efforts. The military piece, the intelligence piece, the financial
piece, the domestic preparedness piece, and certainly the law
enforcement piece all require a seamless, two-way flow of information.
It is fundamental to both prevention and crisis response. It is
vital to your efforts to protect your communities. And that is
why we in the Bureau are so squarely focused on it.
During our conversations with you and with state homeland security
directors, one of the things you said would be most useful in
addressing terrorism is general information on what to be aware
of and what to look for based on what the FBI has learned. In
response, we began a weekly Intelligence Bulletin three months
ago that shares exactly this kind of information. You've told
us these bulletins are helpful, and we'll continue to refine and
improve them based on your input and feedback.
At the state and local level, field offices are responding to
your needs by initiating or participating in groundbreaking information-sharing
efforts. At the national level, of course, we have many projects
and plans underway to build our information-sharing capabilities.
Shortly after the events of September 11th, we started a terrorism
watch list. It will soon become a permanent program in the Bureau,
providing a single repository of information on individuals who
are wanted on criminal charges, who are of investigative interest
to us, and who are sought by other agencies and governments. We
are creating an Office of Intelligence to help ensure the vigorous
and fluid flow of information both inside and outside the FBI.
We've been given nearly half-a-billion dollars by Congress to
modernize our information technology, which will dramatically
improve our ability to manage and analyze intelligence and share
it government-wide. We created a new Records Management Division,
not just to help fix what went wrong in the Oklahoma City bombing
investigation, but also to put in place mechanisms and policies
to manage the vast amounts of information that we gather everyday
relating to terrorism.
Coordinating our overall national efforts is an Information Sharing
Task Force, led by Bob Jordan at FBI Headquarters. One of the
issues it's working on that I know is important to you is how
we communicate threat warnings and advisories. Let me just say,
I understand your frustration with these alerts -- with both the
content and how fast they get to you. I know how disconcerting
it is to hear threat warnings for the first time on CNN, which
many of you have probably experienced. But I hope you realize
that some of our information-sharing systems are just not quite
up to the job yet and that we are working hard to address the
issue.
Over the past eight months, we've used a variety of processes
to pass along threat information to you. We're working to refine
those processes and to find the best mechanism or combination
of mechanisms. We've found NLETS to be extremely slow and cumbersome.
The recent alert concerning banks and financial institutions went
over NLETS, and I'm sure it didn't reach many of you by the time
the Attorney General made a public announcement. On the threat
involving malls and supermarkets, we asked our Sacs to get that
information to you through JTTFs and other mechanisms. We are
looking at other ways of sharing threat information, such as LEO
and RISS Net. In the meantime, please bear with us as we work
through this issue, because it will take some time to get it all
sorted out.
I also want you to know that you can probably expect these terrorism
warnings and alerts to continue for some time. We continue to
gather intelligence. New prisoners and suspects are being questioned
and interviewed, and they may shed additional light on terrorist
operations. From time to time, we may issue additional warnings
and alerts. We may not have many specifics. But we believe they
are necessary as information to be aware of and to factor into
your thinking and planning. So we appreciate your patience and
understanding as we move through what is really a unique and challenging
period in our history.
These many issues that we're working on together, from strengthening
the quality of our relationships to improving the level of information-sharing,
are beginning to make a difference. Much work remains to be done,
but I think we'd all agree that we're heading in the right direction.
One of our challenges is that even as we build our relationship,
the FBI is undergoing a deep and fundamental transformation that
is going to change how we work with you. Our transformation is
being driven by an increasingly volatile and ever changing criminal
landscape. You know it well: the foreign intelligence services
that are targeting our nation's secrets and technologies; the
new "wild, wild west" of cyberspace, where everything
from petty crime to billion-dollar attacks on our nation's infrastructure
are taking place; and our increasingly global society, where crimes
cross borders with relative ease and where complex networks of
international drug and organized crime groups are taking hold.
On top of all this, of course, are the events of September 11th
and the unprecedented international war on terror, as well as
the growing domestic terrorism challenges evidenced recently by
anthrax and pipe bombs in the mail.
In this environment, we in the FBI realize that we simply can't
be all things to all people. We must narrow our focus. We will,
first of all, reorient our operations to make the prevention of
terrorist acts our top priority. It is not a new mandate, but
September 11th and its aftershocks have clearly magnified the
intensity level and made it imperative that we redirect more resources
into counterterrorism. We will also put more emphasis on counterintelligence,
which is so vital now to national security. Because of its great
potential for harm in our increasingly networked world, we will
focus more squarely on cybercrime, and we have established a new
division in the FBI specifically for that purpose. And finally,
we will continue our strong commitment to the criminal cases that
we've worked on together for years.
This
new focus, of course, is going to have implications for our relationships.
We've been talking about these issues with you for some time,
and we are still putting the finishing touches on our plans. I
think you understand that we will be working fewer investigations
with you that are not related to terrorism. We may do fewer drug
investigations, one-note bank robberies, and the like.
We will need, and we greatly appreciate, your understanding and
support. But I want to assure you that we are not talking about
wholesale changes. We will still join with you in protecting your
communities from violent crime and drugs. We will still give local
FBI offices a great deal of flexibility to respond to local needs.
We will still participate in our many joint task forces. In short,
we will continue to build on our strong, historic partnership
with state and local law enforcement.
Many of you have heard me say that the FBI is only so good as
its relationships with state and local law enforcement. The reality
is, our work together is becoming so seamless that it's getting
harder and harder to separate our successes. In science, there
is a term for when two entities are more powerful together than
they ever could be separately. It's called synergy. In fact, in
Greek, the word itself means "working together." That
synergy is exactly what we're experiencing today, and it is powerful
indeed.
Harry Truman put it this way. He said, "It's amazing what
you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit."
More and more, when one of our joint investigations is complete,
the nation doesn't hear us say, "The FBI did this" or
"state and local law enforcement did that." They hear
us say, "We did it together." That's because more and
more, when we work together side-by-side, we don't see agencies
or jurisdictions or even uniforms. We see partners. We see friends.
We see people who we are willing to put our very lives on the
line to protect and defend.
So let me close as I began, with two words: thank you. Thank you
for everything you do for America. Thank you for being such being
such true professionals. And thank you for being our friends and
partners. Thanks and God bless.