Pilot program allows state-U.S. sharing of data

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -- Beat cops patrolling streets in New York and Vermont will soon have near-instant access to federal counterterrorism information as part of a pilot program touted as a breakthrough in the war on domestic terror.
The program, to be announced today by New York Gov. George Pataki, Vermont Gov. James Douglas and FBI Director Robert Mueller, allows officers in both states to tap into federal resources and also lets tips flow the other way.
"The fight against terrorism cannot be battled by the federal government alone," Pataki said. "We must empower state and local police to help our federal partners detect, prevent and deter acts of terror."
James Kallstrom, former FBI agent and top counterterrorist adviser to Pataki, said if the New York-Vermont model works, the FBI wants to quickly expand it to the five other New England states, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware. Eventually, the FBI wants a nationwide system, Kallstrom said.