This document was created to provide a template with supporting information for fusion center policy personnel as they develop and update policies for their respective centers.
Privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties (P/CRCL) policies are written, published statements that articulate a fusion center’s position on how it handles the personally identifiable information (PII) and other personal, sensitive information it seeks, receives, or uses in the routine course of business. A P/CRCL policy’s purpose is to articulate within the center or to external partners that the center will adhere to legal requirements and policy and procedural provisions which enable gathering and sharing of information in a manner that protects individuals’ constitutional rights, personal privacy and other civil liberties, and civil rights. This document was developed in order to provide a template and supporting information as fusion centers create and update P/CRCL policies for their respective centers. It includes an introductory section that defines and lays out benefits of a P/CRCL policy; the main section is the Policy Development Template, with subsections covering the purpose statement, policy applicability and legal compliance, governance and oversight, definitions, information, acquiring and receiving information, data quality assurance, collation and analysis, merging records, sharing and disclosure, redress, security safeguards, information retention and destruction, accountability and enforcement, and training. The six appendixes include Terms and Definitions; Federal and SLTT Laws, Regulations, and Guidance Relevant to Seeking, Retaining, and Disseminating Justice Information; Fair Information Practice Principles (FIPPs); Sample Fusion Center P/CRCL Policy; Technology-Related P/CRCL Policies; and resources.