Following the terrorist events of September 11, 2001
proper reporting of intelligence information has become critical in terms of the elements impacting operational decisions. Accurate reporting ensures that law enforcement officers know exactly where to go for pertinent information. When incorrect data is reported, enforcers are more likely to go in the wrong direction, which can have a negative impact on a business (Buckley, 2014). For example, if an officer reports only two armed attackers in a bank robbery while the actual number is six or more, the operational leader may assign a small team of two to neutralize the situation. When the responding officers arrive at the crime scene, they will realize that they are outnumbered, and probably did not have enough armor to deal with such a big number which could be deadly. As a result, a well-written intelligence report not only saves lives but also saves time in planning for an operation. Possession of accurate information gives the enforcement officers an upper-hand while carrying out an operation as they are adequately prepared for the situation on the ground (Buckley, 2014).
Question 2
Just like active intelligence strategies are applied to avert crimes and terrorist threats at the international and national level, the same can be equally applied at the community level. For the active intelligence operations to be successful at the local level, the local crime units and homeland security must work jointly. The local officers must be provided with necessary training and resources for developing, accessing, gathering and recording intelligence information (Peterson, 2005). The street officers are better-position to gather information on various forms of vulnerabilities and impending threats as they interact with the local communities on a daily basis during patrols. Nonetheless, there is inadequate training, procedures, and policies for jointly collecting information between the national intelligence operations and those of the local police. Consequently, a lot of training is necessary to ensure that the officers collect and document actionable information which is both relevant and accurate. Well-trained street officers deliver relevant information which leads to stoppage of criminal activities. For instance, in 1984, the Iowa enforcement agencies formed a network of sharing information regarding suspected offenders (Peterson, 2005). With the formation of the network, all the officers in the area have to participate in two-week criminal intelligence training. In 2002, the trained officers in the Iowa area conducted an undercover operation where stolen property and narcotics valued at $1.25 million were seized (Peterson, 2005).
Question 3
It is vital to ensure that there is a robust policy that guarantees relevant information is shared aptly. Enhanced information sharing leads to action on the gathered intelligence. Information sharing is important because the different government agencies operate and are equipped differently (U.S. Justice Department, 2003). For instance, the police officers are more equipped to stop crimes while the intelligence officers have the technology to collect accurate information. Therefore, when the intelligence officers share accurate information with the enforcement officers, most crimes could be prevented or minimized. The more information the enforcement officers have regarding a certain suspect or area, the more likely they will act appropriately. Possession of information gives the enforcement officers an advantage as they proceed to the field; since they are well aware of what to expect (Peterson, 2005). Also, proper planning is done before an operation to ensure that the officers are properly equipped, and there is adequate manpower. From the above, it is clear that with continued sharing of information, the police will catch a lot of criminals; hence reducing and preventing crimes in the future.
References
Buckley, J. (2014). Managing intelligence: A guide for law enforcement professionals. Boca Raton: CRC Press.
Peterson, M. R. (2005). Intelligence-led policing: The new intelligence architecture. Washington, DC: U.S. Dept. of Justice, Office of Justice Programs. Retrieved from https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/bja/210681.pdf
U.S. Justice Department. (2003). The National Criminal Intelligence Sharing Pan. Solutions and approaches for a cohesive plan to improve our nation’s ability to develop and share criminal intelligence. Retrieved from https://it.ojp.gov/documents/200507_ncisp.pdf
