Intelligence Led Policing: The New Intelligence Architecture

Intelligence Led Policing: The New Intelligence Architecture
Bureau of Justice Assistance September 2005

"Intelligence operations have been reviewed, studied, and slowly but steadily transformed. Most efforts have focused on reorganizing intelligence infrastructures at the federal level; however, corresponding efforts have been made to enhance state and local law enforcement intelligence operations. Such enhancements make it possible for state and local law enforcement agencies to play a role in homeland security. Perhaps more important, improvements to intelligence operations help local law enforcement respond to “traditional” crimes more effectively."

I do not agree that true intelligence led policing is centered around the operations of intelligence functions. Rather, it is truly a new way of working focused on ACTIONABLE KNOWLEDGE creation and integration into decision making from the street level to the top government boardroom. The emphasis on clandestine intelligence is a mistake that will impede the development of ILP.

That said, this text also encourages a holistic view:

"What We Need to Do

Before an agency can develop intelligence-led policing, it must address several critical areas. Among these areas are the following:
■ Blending intelligence and POP.
■Building stronger police-community partnerships.
■Blending strategic intelligence and police planning.
■Instituting information-sharing policies.
■Building analytic support for police agencies."
(POP=Problem Oriented Policing)

Data sharing policies are as or more important than information sharing policies. As Christopher Bruce, president of the International Association of Crime Analysts discussed with me this week, we cannot find important patterns through information sharing alone. Who knows what we need to know? How will you know what information is important to me? The serial criminal acting one time in each of a variety of regional jurisdictions will not be noticed unless data is shared and analyzed cross-juridictionally.

One report in each jurisdiction of someone raping someone at knifepoint wearing a red mask will be unusual and may become shared information, but we should not be relying on hope for our sharing policies. One report in each jurisdiction of someone stealing fertilizer is more likely to be shared in light of our current homeland security awareness. Nevertheless, without data sharing and individuals proactively analyzing that data for patterns and anomalies, we are working more like an emergency room in triage than professionals who study problems and cure them (or at the minimum find new treatments that work better). The emergency room will always be necessary but it is time to move beyond that and grow.