Law Enforcement Analysis

[bismark17]

Any papers, books, or any other suggestions for Crime or Intelligence Analysis in Law Enforcement? I work as a Crime Analyst at the Precinct level and am trying to fine tune more in depth "go fast" products for my Chain of Command to create more actionable intel for them. Any suggestions would be great. Thanks in advance. Don't worry if they are Military related, I was a trained Infantry Officer at one time....many years/pounds ago.... :( If you are concerned about security aspects I can be reached directly at 206-684-0859. If you are going to send examples I can only receive LE sensitive items. I no longer have a Secret clearance. Thanks again!!

[slapout9]

Before I respond, if you are still POST certifed what happened to your secret clearance??

[Jedburgh]

First off, I recommend you sign up for the LEAnalyst (http://www.leanalyst.info/) list-serv. Its a non-secure e-mail list-serv that is useful for putting you into contact with a wide network of LE intel types across the spectrum from state and local to fed level.

The primary purpose of the LEANALYST mailing list is to provide a place where law enforcement employees (sworn and non-sworn), academia (instructors and students), and businesses providing products or services to the law enforcement community can meet and exchange information, methods, and ideas regarding the analysis of crime. We allow other law enforcement-related postings in order to encourage a free flow of information regarding all manner of law enforcement concerns.
There are also two professional organizations that can help you out:

The International Association of Crime Analysts (http://www.iaca.net/) makes available a lot of useful little tools through the "Resources" link on their website. They've also published a pretty decent book Exploring Crime Analysis: Readings on Essential Skills that covers a wide range of skills and analytic techniques used to support LE.

The International Association of Law Enforcement Intelligence Analysts (http://www.ialeia.org/) doesn't have their website set up quite as nicely as IACA, but there are still some decent resources there and you can connect with a good group of people.

[sgmgrumpy]

Any papers, books, or any other suggestions for Crime or Intelligence Analysis in Law Enforcement? I work as a Crime Analyst at the Precinct level and am trying to fine tune more in depth "go fast" products for my Chain of Command to create more actionable intel for them. Any suggestions would be great. Thanks in advance. Don't worry if they are Military related, I was a trained Infantry Officer at one time....many years/pounds ago.... :( If you are concerned about security aspects I can be reached directly at 206-684-0859. If you are going to send examples I can only receive LE sensitive items. I no longer have a Secret clearance. Thanks again!!


I would start researching here.

http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/Default.asp?Item=1404

[slapout9]

1-See your chief, get the security thing fixed, you are going to need it for the best stuff. Should not be a problem, many analyst types have this that work at Police dept.

2-Contact local FBI office join local VICAP task force(this is real profiling not TV bull****)

3-website www.popcenter.org (Problem Oriented Police Site) this is the best! They have a number military style "how to do it" manuals on many crimes. This is all fast start stuff. They even have several manuals on how to be a crime analysts. They even have an online real time analysis program you can use.

4-I will PM you with some names and numbers for personal contacts. You can use my name, maybe kick open a few doors for you.

5-Keep reading on this website amazing how much you can adapt to police work. Pay attention to JEDBURGH's stuff he was an LE analyst or still is.
Good Luck.

[bismark17]

Thanks for the responses. I am in IAILEA and HTIA but have found a lot of it to be very generalized content. I just hooked up with someone in the Intel community who should help get the ball rolling. I guess I was looking for examples of products and conceptual frameworks since I am producing them on the fly and would like to get more professional with standardization and such. Basically, I am trying to develop a one man fusion cell at the Precinct level so my resources are pretty slim. As for my Department to pay for me to get a Federal security clearance that will happen about the same time as Paris Hilton goes celibate. I had one when I was in the Army but I have been out of the military since 2000. The only ones on my Department that have clearances are Task Force Officers with DEA or FBI such as the JTTF.

I think I am heading in the right direction and am pretty excited. Right now I am just producing standard word docs with embedded powerpoint or excel slides for the statistical analysis parts. I have got some of my best ideas from reading books by financial analysts and am reading "See No Evil" which I highly recommend. I will get back on Leanalyst. Years ago when I was still in Patrol I was on that list and got off it due to a lack of relevance. I just attended the DEA Federal Law Enforcment Intelligence Analysis course at Quantico and a couple of classmates suggested it and to be honest I forgot to get back on there! Thanks again for the suggestions. This is a tremendous resource. And as for Jedburgh, I make him a must read.

[DDilegge]

... is Sgt John Sullivan of the LA Sheriff’s Department. He set up the LASD Intel Center well before 9/11, is a prolific writer on threat related issues and analysis and, in my opinion, one of the shining stars of the LEO community. I am PM'ing you his e-mail address.

BTW - John is a close friend and professional associate of Capt. Sid Heal - another shining star in all things Small Wars and Homeland Defense. The LASD should count its lucky stars that they have both amongst their ranks.

[Jedburgh]

I guess I was looking for examples of products and conceptual frameworks since I am producing them on the fly and would like to get more professional with standardization and such. Basically, I am trying to develop a one man fusion cell at the Precinct level so my resources are pretty slim.
Well, that makes your request a bit more specific. In that case I recommend joining the FPS Portal, which is an Extranet Secure Portal portal with a forum, chat, messaging, and a library archive. The library section will address that specific request you just mentioned - you will find plenty of products at the Unclass/ LES/FOUO level from state fusion centers and the fed level, as well as some from MI units supporting the Homeland Security mission. Send me your official e-mail address and I will provide you with the POC to get on the system.

Also, are you on WSIN? If your dept. doesn't have it set up for you, I highly recommend you start pressuring the people who can.

Regarding setting up a "one man fusion cell", believe me, I really empathize with you. That was roughly what I had to attempt to get working when I was working with the Joint Gang Task Force. Its a rough job when not a single one of the jurisdictions involved has any connectivity with the others.

If you don't have a copy of this yet, this book published last year by DoJ is a useful read:

Guidelines for Establishing and Operating Fusion Centers at the Local, State, Tribal and Federal Level (http://it.ojp.gov/documents/fusion_center_guidelines_law_enforcement.pdf)

[bismark17]

I just came across, FM 3-19.50 Police Intelligence Operations, from the Secrecynews newsletter. It looks pretty good. The section on work products could be better but all in all it's a good introduction to Police Intel. You could combine this with several other Intel related manuals and RAND products and get rolling at a Precinct level. I tried to submit a pdf of the Manual without success. Email me if you want me to send a copy or hopefully somebody can post it in the documents section.

[SWJED]

I just came across, FM 3-19.50 Police Intelligence Operations, from the Secrecynews newsletter. It looks pretty good. The section on work products could be better but all in all it's a good introduction to Police Intel. You could combine this with several other Intel related manuals and RAND products and get rolling at a Precinct level. I tried to submit a pdf of the Manual without success. Email me if you want me to send a copy or hopefully somebody can post it in the documents section.

Here is the link to the manual via Secrecy News - U.S. Army Issues Manual on Police Intelligence Operations (http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/2006/07/us_army_issues_manual_on_polic.html).


A new U.S. Army Field Manual (pdf) (http://www.fas.org/irp/doddir/army/fm3-19-50.pdf) introduces the concept of "police intelligence operations," an emerging hybrid of military intelligence and law enforcement.

"Police intelligence operations are a military police function that supports, enhances, and contributes to a commander's situational understanding and battlefield visualization and FP [force protection] programs by portraying the relevant criminal threat and friendly information, which may affect his operational and tactical environment."

The new manual presents doctrine that is broadly applicable to support military operations abroad as well as domestic military facility protection.

A copy of the new manual was obtained by Secrecy News.

I am also going to give this its own thread for comments....

[Jedburgh]

For those with an interest:

The Crime Mapping & Analysis Program (CMAP) is proud to announce the release of the Crime Analysis Unit Developer's Kit. The CAU Developer's Kit is a unique collection of documents, tools, and examples to assist in the design, creation, implementation, and expansion of any crime analysis unit. This assembly of information, examples, and software utilities is provided as a free public service by CMAP, a program of the US Department of Justice.

The Developer's Kit includes a variety of important articles and publications on analytical processes, procedures, and methods from acknowledged experts in the field. It also includes numerous examples of crime bulletins, routine products, work analysis, flowcharts, timelines, job descriptions, mission statements, internship announcements, statistics, and other materials that can be used as templates or starting points.

The CAU Developer's Kit contains numerous free software applications, including:

* Two GIS programs - A complete, self-contained desktop Geographic Information Systems.

* Two Geographic Profiling utilities - Dragnet-K, the stand-alone original GP software from the University of Liverpool, and Ian Oldfield's GP Spreadsheet for Excel.

* The Crime Analysis Spatial Extension - Tactical crime analysis tools for ArcGIS similar to the USGS Animal Movements Extension for ArcView.

* Two Link-charting programs - Network, organizational, flow, and linkage diagram design software utilities with analytical functions.

* Six Statistics programs - Complete and robust statistics as powerful as any expensive application.

* OpenOffice - A complete office program suite that includes a word processor, spreadsheet/grapher, relational database, presentation/slideshow, diagram tool, and mathematical modeling utility.

All software is provided free of charge by CMAP and the developers for use by the US law enforcement community.

Altogether, more than 100 files have been selected and packaged for this inaugural release of the Crime Analysis Unit Developer's Kit, a product of CMAP, the Crime Mapping & Analysis Program. Be warned, this is a very large download because it contains so much material - a smaller download, without software files, is also available for low-bandwidth users.

Please visit http://www.crimeanalysts.net and click on the Resources tab to download and install your copy of these useful tools and documents, or write to cmap@crimeanalysts.net to find out more.

[sgmgrumpy]

Mapping Crime: Understanding Hot Spots http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/209393.pdf



Much of crime mapping is devoted to detecting high-crime-density areas known as hot spots. Hot spot analysis helps police identify high-crime areas, types of crime being committed, and the best way to respond.
This report discusses hot spot analysis techniques and software and identifies when to use each one. The visual display of a crime pattern on a map should be consistent with the type of hot spot and possible police action. For example, when hot spots are at specific addresses, a dot map is more appropriate than an area map, which would be too imprecise.
In this report, chapters progress in sophistication.

Contents

Chapter 1. Crime Hot Spots: What They Are, Why We Have Them, and How to Map Them

Chapter 2. Methods and Techniques for Understanding Crime Hot Spots

Chapter 3. Spatial Analysis Tools for Identifying Hot Spots

The report can be used as a companion to another crime mapping report published by the National Institute of Justice in 1999, Crime Mapping: Principle and Practice, by Keith Harries.

■
Identifying hot spots requires multiple techniques; no single method is sufficient
to analyze all types of crime.
■
Current mapping technologies have significantly
improved the ability of crime analysts and researchers to understand crime patterns and victimization.
■
Crime hot spot maps can most effectively
guide police action when production of the maps is guided by crime theories (place, victim, street, or neighborhood).

[Jedburgh]

FYI - as GIS applications mature, I'm sure we will begin to see more of this open to the public (at least domestically):

The Chicago Police Department developed this web application to provide residents of the City of Chicago with a tool to assist them in problem-solving and combating crime and disorder in their neighborhoods. It is based upon the CLEAR (Citizen Law Enforcement Analysis and Reporting) system developed by the Department for use by its police officers.

This web application enables you to search the Chicago Police Department's database of reported crime. You will be able to see maps, graphs, and tables of reported crime. The database contains 90 days of information which you can access in blocks of up to 14 days. Data is refreshed daily. However, the most recent information is back-dated 7 days from today's date.

The site can be accessed at http://gis.chicagopolice.org

All feedback is welcomed through email or blog links.

[Jedburgh]

Published by JMIC in Mar 06, but I finally just got around to looking it over:

Out of Bounds: Innovation and Change in Law Enforcement Intelligence (http://www.policefuturists.org/pdf/OutofBounds.pdf)

Deborah Osborne’s Out of Bounds: Innovation and Change in Law Enforcement Intelligence Analysis addresses the changing nature and role of analysis in policing. Osborne’s examination, though, focuses not only on the analytical process, but on the analysts—critical actors who function with relative anonymity.

Osborne employs a provocative method of study: appreciative inquiry. In essence, analysts tell their stories: what motivates them, what successes they have enjoyed, what processes have worked well for them, how they see the future. A picture emerges of women and men who have great passion for their work, and who make tremendous contributions to solving crimes, interrupting crime patterns, apprehending criminals, and even preventing crime. By studying what works, the appreciative inquiry process draws out the themes that characterize these successes: innovative thinking; creative problem solving; intraagency teamwork; collaboration and information sharing among agencies....
The link is to the pdf, but the book is available through both the GPO and Amazon.

[sgmgrumpy]

This is an excellent on-line learning center for LEOs


Problem-oriented policing is an approach to policing in which discrete pieces of police business (each consisting of a cluster of similar incidents, whether crime or acts of disorder, that the police are expected to handle) are subject to microscopic examination (drawing on the especially honed skills of crime analysts and the accumulated experience of operating field personnel) in hopes that what is freshly learned about each problem will lead to discovering a new and more effective strategy for dealing with it. Problem-oriented policing places a high value on new responses that are preventive in nature, that are not dependent on the use of the criminal justice system, and that engage other public agencies, the community and the private sector when their involvement has the potential for significantly contributing to the reduction of the problem. Problem-oriented policing carries a commitment to implementing the new strategy, rigorously evaluating its effectiveness, and, subsequently, reporting the results in ways that will benefit other police agencies and that will ultimately contribute to building a body of knowledge that supports the further professionalization of the police.
-Herman Goldstein 2001



CENTER FOR PROBLEM-ORIENETED POLICING

http://www.popcenter.org/default.cfm

[marct]

Via the IALEIA site


The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has long been out front in the use of intelligence and analysis to support law enforcement objectives. This report on their use of analysts has just been released:

DEA OIG Report on the Use of Analysts, May 2008 (http://www.ialeia.org/files/docs/DEA%20OIG%20report.pdf)

[Tom Odom]

We also found significant delays in the issuance of intelligence reports.
Prior to dissemination of its intelligence reports, the DEA performs a lengthy
review to ensure the accuracy of the information. We tested 16 strategic
reports and found they were published on average about 21 months after
the source information was first observed by the DEA.

Wow no wonder the DEA is winning the war on drugs....:rolleyes:

Tom

[marct]

..........

[Ron Humphrey]

Wow no wonder the DEA is winning the war on drugs....:rolleyes:

Tom

in a job security kinda way. If it takes 21 months to let us know that enemy C has been nuetralized and it takes enemy D approximately 12-15 months to get to a size of which is concern then somebody's guaranteed work for at least, Forever:D:eek::cool:

[Jedburgh]

IACA has updated their certification program and released a new study guide:

IACA Certification Exam Study Guide (http://iaca.net/Certification/StudyGuide.pdf)

This study guide is to be used as a supplement to materials used in preparing for the IACA Certification Exam. It is not meant to be the sole study tool for the exam. Questions on the exam may be worded differently than concepts provided in this study guide. This study guide is not all-inclusive and only provides general concepts that are covered on the exam. This study guide should also be used in combination with other references in addition to IACA’s Exploring Crime Analysis book.
FYI, the IACA certification currently isn't very widespread. According to the organization, there are just ten Certified Law Enforcement Analysts in the US and three in Canada (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dc/RCMP_Hockey_Team.jpg) - with another two waiting to take the exam by the end of this year......

[Jedburgh]

A free version of geographic profiling software, developed through a grant from the NIJ (http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/). The linked website includes the software download, tutorial, source code and other resources: Profiler (http://pages.towson.edu/moleary/Profiler.html)

[Slowandsteady]

In my experience law enforcement/police intelligence (at least in the US) is still very much stuck in the crime analysis mindset, which is more reactive and less proactive.

I would be interested to hear the thoughts/experiences of the forum.

[davidbfpo]

My experience in the USA was that intelligence meant an analyst preparing reports for management or within a specialist unit conducting research. There are examples of a different approach, see this thread:http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/showthread.php?t=12979

'Intelligence-led policing' (ILP) was a mantra starting approximately fifteen years ago here in the UK, with a 'National Intelligence Model' (NIM) and sold to politicians as a new, cost-effective method of tackling volume crime (burglary and vehicle crime notably). The main theme of this ILP was to target the most active criminals, invariably using informants, surveillance, forensic science and investigation.

ILP led to a large investment in I.T., in the UK rarely linked up (about to change) and critical reports years later questioning if had been effective. ILP made claims that it was responsible for reductions in volume crime that were countered by outsiders citing better security, a smaller group of young offenders and that many crimes were not reported / recorded.

The police have always used recording and detection rates as the key indicator of performance. This emphasis in the UK became known as 'Key Performance Indicators' (KPI) and was driven by national government, seeking ever better performance in volume crime and particularly violent crime, mainly street robbery.

What had been the mantra of ILP became KPI-policing with intelligence as some management-driven tool.

ILP can be more pro-active and serve the wider public interest if requirements are clearer and not just reflecting local police management priorities - which are often not those of the public (incidentally I found US LE better tuned in on this point).

[Fuchs]

I am deeply irritated by this seamless connection between small wars and domestic police work.

Let's keep the warfare box closed for domestic affairs and not import whatever we do to foreign people!

Don't mix this!

[davidbfpo]

Fuchs,

I do tend to agree with you at first reading:
I am deeply irritated by this seamless connection between small wars and domestic police work. Let's keep the warfare box closed for domestic affairs and not import whatever we do to foreign people! Don't mix this!

In several places, not just the USA, there has been an overlap between 'small wars' and 'domestic police work' partly due to the interaction of people and institutions - SWC is a place for this interaction and reflects IMHO a sizeable US law enforcement readership / membership. I've not looked at previous threads, so IIRC there has been a clear line drawn between the two spheres and not a 'seamless connection'.

[Fuchs]

The seamless connection is that it happens in the same forum.
It does not belong here.

Thread naming is irrelevant. The content is the problem. SWC forum facilitates the transfer of war-like methods to domestic state power, and that's just wrong.

These small wars are in great part about how to suppress political opponents, after all.
Population control and surveillance programs and attitudes are generally questionable, but they are specifically totally unacceptable in a domestic context.

[Ken White]

You're both right. :cool:

That said, I don't know what the best answer might be. I agree with Fuchs om the line blurring but it may be best if both of us just live with it...

:confused: :o

[slapout9]

In my experience law enforcement/police intelligence (at least in the US) is still very much stuck in the crime analysis mindset, which is more reactive and less proactive.

I would be interested to hear the thoughts/experiences of the forum.

Tell us more about yourself and exactly what you are looking for.

Moderator's Note: It is completely voluntary to provide an introduction about yourself, usually in the 'Hail & Farewell' thread; being a new SWC member there is nothing for others to see what you have commented on before. As for
exactly what are you looking for that is a valid question.

[slapout9]

The seamless connection is that it happens in the same forum.
It does not belong here.

Thread naming is irrelevant. The content is the problem. SWC forum facilitates the transfer of war-like methods to domestic state power, and that's just wrong.

These small wars are in great part about how to suppress political opponents, after all.
Population control and surveillance programs and attitudes are generally questionable, but they are specifically totally unacceptable in a domestic context.

Police Work is a small war, we invented it not the Army.

[slapout9]

Fuchs, you have more to fear from THRUSH than the government. THRUSH was a private organization and Goggle,Face book, etc. are private organizations and they are a lot scarier than the government.

T-Technological
H-Hierarchy for the
R-Removal of
U-Undesirables and the
S-Subjugation of
H-Humanity

[Fuchs]

Fuchs, you have more to fear from THRUSH than the government. THRUSH was a private organization and Goggle,Face book, etc. are private organizations and they are a lot scarier than the government.


I seem to need to remind you that a 5th of my people was living in a dictatorship for four of the last six decades. Tell me if I need to go back a few more years to make my point.

[motorfirebox]

I am deeply irritated by this seamless connection between small wars and domestic police work.

Let's keep the warfare box closed for domestic affairs and not import whatever we do to foreign people!

Don't mix this!
I'm not sure it's avoidable. To some extent, the only difference between a police action and a counterinsurgency is the ideology of the non-state actors in question, Mexico being the current gold standard for this concept. To go in another direction, the Wikileaks hullabaloo blurs the line between small (info)war and criminal activity. Another example is that clashes with sovereign citizens could technically be considered small wars--section 1076 of HR5122(2006) could theoretically be used to get around posse comitatus.

[Slowandsteady]

Sorry guys it was not my intention to ignore forum etiquette.

I am a civillian analyst currently working as a contractor for law enforcement.

Davidbfpo - thanks for the reply.

Fuchs - For what it's worth I agree with you,and perhaps ironically given my current profession, I am a big believer in personal privacy.

Slapout9 -Probably the best way to explain what I'm looking for is by giving an overview what I'm experiencing:

1) Reports (by analysts) that describe crimes/criminal groups, there is no "so what/now what" mindset.
2) A reluctance by middle and senior management to be more tactical in their approach, for example working with different units to develop a more detailed picture of the environment they are operating in.
3) Communication - we have had guys working different ends of the same case from the same office, and yet not realized this. I believe the challenge is getting officers comfortable that sharing information won't compromise their case/job security.

Basically I'd just appreciate hearing a different perspective,from what I've read so far on this forum there are folks from all kinds of backgrounds here on small wars, and I'm keen to learn from that.

[slapout9]

I am a civillian analyst currently working as a contractor for law enforcement.



I have highlighted what may be the problem. It is going to take a while for you to be accepted. Have you ever worked the Streets? How long have you been an analyst?

[slapout9]

I seem to need to remind you that a 5th of my people was living in a dictatorship for four of the last six decades. Tell me if I need to go back a few more years to make my point.

No need to remind me because I never new it in the first place,so I will remember in the future. But it doesn't change my opinion that the threat from privatized intelligence (information) companies that could be used to do the things you fear most is greater than any western style police gestapo. May be different where you live.

[Slowandsteady]

I have highlighted what may be the problem. It is going to take a while for you to be accepted. Have you ever worked the Streets? How long have you been an analyst?

No and 7 years.

[Fuchs]

No need to remind me because I never new it in the first place,so I will remember in the future. But it doesn't change my opinion that the threat from privatized intelligence (information) companies that could be used to do the things you fear most is greater than any western style police gestapo. May be different where you live.

We have no Patriot Act...

[Sergeant T]

In my experience law enforcement/police intelligence (at least in the US) is still very much stuck in the crime analysis mindset, which is more reactive and less proactive.
Fusion centers were supposed to address this to some degree. From the street level I never saw any evidence of that. For that matter, I saw very little evidence that they actually existed at all. They were the Roach Motel of information. To be of any use or utility at all intelligence would have to flow both ways across jurisdictional boundaries, and that seems anathema to just about every law enforcement organization's genetic programming.

I came to the conclusion a few years ago that police intelligence/crime analysis is always going to be in a rut to some degree because all of their "wins" are tactical in nature. (Granted, some tactical wins are pretty big, but none rise to the level of game changer.) You don't get a strategic win because as you're taking perps off the conveyor belt at your end new ones are being fed into the game on the back end. The philosophical underpinning would be Camus's Myth of Sisyphus. I always wanted a unit patch with this image..

http://m.rottendata.net/gallery/var/albums/Eric%27s/Funny/sisyphus-sign-214585371.jpg?m=1296701237

And I'd have to agree hard with Slap. ChoicePoint (now part of LexisNexus) and the big three credit agencies wield an impressive amount of data and power. Anybody with an Android phone and a gmail account volunteers an incredible amount of information to a company we're trusting to be benevolent.

[slapout9]

No and 7 years.

If understand the problem correctly? you are frustrated because of a lack of results from your hard efforts?

[CloseDanger]

Fuchs,

I do tend to agree with you at first reading:

In several places, not just the USA, there has been an overlap between 'small wars' and 'domestic police work' partly due to the interaction of people and institutions - SWC is a place for this interaction and reflects IMHO a sizeable US law enforcement readership / membership. I've not looked at previous threads, so IIRC there has been a clear line drawn between the two spheres and not a 'seamless connection'.

Soldiers in Baghdad used such systems for LEO work there. Just so happens, it may be something that needs to be shared if only to show the Military how far things are going. They have the weapons and they took an Oath. Even the database system was posted in one of the forums here. There was an insightful thread, just not up to hunting it down right now.

[Slowandsteady]

If understand the problem correctly? you are frustrated because of a lack of results from your hard efforts?

Just trying to get a different perspective that's all. Not trying to suggest I'm some kind of wunderkind because I ain't.

[davidbfpo]

In the UK intelligence-led policing (ILP) has been under scrutiny at intervals, for example the latest enquiry into the use of undercover officers within an environmental group by the national inspectorate (HMIC).

I am mindful of Sergeant T's comments and the shoulder patch.

Many years substantial crime analysis on commercial robbery highlighted the attacks at post offices and to lesser extent banks. Preventative action was taken, target hardening and the robbers migrated their attention elsewhere, to smaller shops.

Then political attention was directed to mounting car crime and the response by the car manufacturers was steadily better car locks and ignition systems. Car crime slipped and then the M.O. changed, threats / use of violence to get car keys from the driver / owner. A far greater level of violence than before. Now we have the situation few cars can be stolen without the keys, where fewer stolen cars are recovered and there are more stolen cars on the road than before.

ILP led IIRC - rightly - to targeting a particular high profile drug scene in Liverpool, this took months and after arrest / conviction the new dealers were far more violent than the "old hands". Which led many to ask was the approach right?

Part of the problem is that ILP, especially with the advances of I.T., has become remote from those on the streets and is increasingly directed to support management decision-making.

Yes, commercial databases e.g. Choice Point in the USA and Credit Expert here offer opportunities for LE, notably in tracing witnesses, warrants and suspects. They also have significant drawbacks, especially from those who think and adjust their life-style.

[davidbfpo]

In my LE career, with a large part in intelligence, each time I noted there was a bigger gap between intelligence and operations. Intelligence by the 1990's was better understood by management to provide situational awareness, where it generally failed was to direct resources to problems and suspects - as so much effort was absorbed by response policing.

Pre-emptive action was rare and all too often intelligence was demanded after an event to guide an investigation.

The advent of better I.T., notably easy to access databases, made it easy for users to see intelligence as a reference library and not something they should contribute to. Yes, there can be security issues, IMHO they are nothing compared to the practice of officers / staff retaining information and alas forgetting.

Intelligence needs to add value and when directed invariably achieves results.

[Rifleman]

My personal experiences are with a small (30 sworn) municipal agency: not big city but not quite podunk Andy and Barney. In a lot of ways we are too big to be little and too little to be big.

We are mostly reactive. Proactivity is often limited to being a visible presence in the community until something is in progress. It just seems to be the nature of the beast.

Slowandsteady, my thoughts on your thoughts:


1) Reports (by analysts) that describe crimes/criminal groups, there is no "so what/now what" mindset.

Let's say the report was on an outlaw motorcycle gang and they're coming through your area on a "run." Proactivity (the "so what/now what") will be limited to increasing officer presence and making as many contacts with them as you have a legal reason to do (for traffic infractions, noise complaints, etc.) in order to field interview and ID as many as possible. A high volume of penny ante (aka "chicken s**t") traffic stops can also lead to a lot of warrant arrests but that's about the limit of proactivity. You can't just use intelligence reports that say these bikers are known to be bad dudes to have a SWAT raid on the bar they're drinking in. That would be PH (probable hunch). That darn 4th Amendment again!


2) A reluctance by middle and senior management to be more tactical in their approach, for example working with different units to develop a more detailed picture of the environment they are operating in.

It happens to be sure but see answer to #3 below. Also, sometimes politics plays a role with "different units" when it comes time to act on intelligence. For instance, we recently had some pro-life demonstrators in town and we knew from intelligence they were somewhat radical in their approach. The sheriff wanted his deputies to be seen by the community but not take much enforcement action. When it came time to make arrests the PD were the ones going hands on and getting our pictures in the paper.



3) Communication - we have had guys working different ends of the same case from the same office, and yet not realized this. I believe the challenge is getting officers comfortable that sharing information won't compromise their case/job security.

I'm sure this happens more often in large agencies but we mostly cooperate well internally as well as with the sheriff's office and to a lesser extent the highway patrol. For instance, we often have auto burglars hitting cars in the town and county in the same night and our report writing system will link the related cases so everyone is briefed. Having said that, sometimes things will fall through the cracks - just happens.

[Fuchs]

That darn 4th Amendment again!

*sigh*

I complained a lot here, with concerns that first appeared to be kind of respected as reasonable.

Few replies later, the thread has dived so quickly and so deeply downwards that a SWC member is swearing about a constitutional provision that protects citizens against arbitrariness and repression by the state.



I get it that Americans think their country is exceptional and they don't think that they need to learn from others' experiences. Yeah, sure, most of the time you guys think that your country is immune to the evil that rid history in other countries.
It's always the others. Even when you cuss about things going wrong at home, it's always the others - never it's your own responsibility to resist a current that goes into a dangerous direction.


When will you guys learn to draw a line, to respect a Rubicon instead of crossing it, no matter how small the step appears to be?

This Rubicon should be to not discuss LE issues in a forum that was meant to discuss warfare topics.


What do you guys expect will come out of this thread? Lessons learned in oppression of even most resolute political opposition in other countries that can be transferred to domestic police work?
Ever heard of Pandora's box?


Please. Lock this thread!

[Slowandsteady]

On a day to day basis what I get from fusion centers falls into 2 category's: federal reports/bulletins and officer safety bulletins. I agree with your observations about the wins being tactical in nature, although I think fusion centers are missing a trick when it comes to linking these tactical events up to form a statewide strategy (where appropriate).


Fusion centers were supposed to address this to some degree. From the street level I never saw any evidence of that. For that matter, I saw very little evidence that they actually existed at all. They were the Roach Motel of information. To be of any use or utility at all intelligence would have to flow both ways across jurisdictional boundaries, and that seems anathema to just about every law enforcement organization's genetic programming.

I came to the conclusion a few years ago that police intelligence/crime analysis is always going to be in a rut to some degree because all of their "wins" are tactical in nature. (Granted, some tactical wins are pretty big, but none rise to the level of game changer.) You don't get a strategic win because as you're taking perps off the conveyor belt at your end new ones are being fed into the game on the back end. The philosophical underpinning would be Camus's Myth of Sisyphus. I always wanted a unit patch with this image..

http://m.rottendata.net/gallery/var/albums/Eric%27s/Funny/sisyphus-sign-214585371.jpg?m=1296701237

And I'd have to agree hard with Slap. ChoicePoint (now part of LexisNexus) and the big three credit agencies wield an impressive amount of data and power. Anybody with an Android phone and a gmail account volunteers an incredible amount of information to a company we're trusting to be benevolent.

[Slowandsteady]

In my LE career, with a large part in intelligence, each time I noted there was a bigger gap between intelligence and operations. Intelligence by the 1990's was better understood by management to provide situational awareness, where it generally failed was to direct resources to problems and suspects - as so much effort was absorbed by response policing.

Pre-emptive action was rare and all too often intelligence was demanded after an event to guide an investigation.

The advent of better I.T., notably easy to access databases, made it easy for users to see intelligence as a reference library and not something they should contribute to. Yes, there can be security issues, IMHO they are nothing compared to the practice of officers / staff retaining information and alas forgetting.

Intelligence needs to add value and when directed invariably achieves results.

I agree, I think it's sometimes seen as a 'silver bullet', as opposed to a tool that can be used in specific scenarios to provide support to officers in the field/investigations.

[Slowandsteady]

Let's say the report was on an outlaw motorcycle gang and they're coming through your area on a "run." Proactivity (the "so what/now what") will be limited to increasing officer presence and making as many contacts with them as you have a legal reason to do (for traffic infractions, noise complaints, etc.) in order to field interview and ID as many as possible. A high volume of penny ante (aka "chicken s**t") traffic stops can also lead to a lot of warrant arrests but that's about the limit of proactivity. You can't just use intelligence reports that say these bikers are known to be bad dudes to have a SWAT raid on the bar they're drinking in. That would be PH (probable hunch). That darn 4th Amendment again!

Definitely, there are just some situations where you're only able to give your people advanced warning, and some details on possible MO.


It happens to be sure but see answer to #3 below. Also, sometimes politics plays a role with "different units" when it comes time to act on intelligence. For instance, we recently had some pro-life demonstrators in town and we knew from intelligence they were somewhat radical in their approach. The sheriff wanted his deputies to be seen by the community but not take much enforcement action. When it came time to make arrests the PD were the ones going hands on and getting our pictures in the paper.

I've come to realize that it's as much a part of this job as any, people have all different types of approaches, and it can often depend on who is the chief.


I'm sure this happens more often in large agencies but we mostly cooperate well internally as well as with the sheriff's office and to a lesser extent the highway patrol. For instance, we often have auto burglars hitting cars in the town and county in the same night and our report writing system will link the related cases so everyone is briefed. Having said that, sometimes things will fall through the cracks - just happens.

[Rifleman]

Guess I should have used an emocon with that line to denote humor.

Fuchs,

*sigh*

Mostly I enjoy reading your posts and think you usually make a well reasoned and positive contribution to the discussion here - but sometimes you really do take yourself too seriously.

I will explain myself to you out of courtesy for others who are reading, not because I owe you any justification.

I swore to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic and to bear true faith and allegiance to the same. I do, including the 4th Amendment. And sometimes domestic enemies are rogue cops. I consider myself subject to King Constitution the way others in the world might consider themselves subject to a monarch. That's my true faith and allegiance.

I do not want to live in a police state and I believe in learning from the experiences of others - including early American colonists who were subject to unreasonable searches and seizures.

Regarding your signature: sometimes you do look provacative in a thoughtful way - and sometimes you just look like a ass!

[Slowandsteady]

In my LE career, with a large part in intelligence, each time I noted there was a bigger gap between intelligence and operations. Intelligence by the 1990's was better understood by management to provide situational awareness, where it generally failed was to direct resources to problems and suspects - as so much effort was absorbed by response policing.

Pre-emptive action was rare and all too often intelligence was demanded after an event to guide an investigation.

The advent of better I.T., notably easy to access databases, made it easy for users to see intelligence as a reference library and not something they should contribute to. Yes, there can be security issues, IMHO they are nothing compared to the practice of officers / staff retaining information and alas forgetting.

Intelligence needs to add value and when directed invariably achieves results.

As databases (particularly LE related) become more sophisticated, I think the line between information and intelligence, in particular IT's role in the whole process will probably become more blurred. Every department has budgets and wants to survive, some are more forward thinking than others.

[slapout9]

Guess I should have used an emocon with that line to denote humor.

Fuchs,

*sigh*



Rifleman, alot of folks just don't understand a Police sense of Humor. They just don't know what it is like out there.;) I have to go watch Gettysburg, trying to think of some old stuff about pro-active Police Work.

[Fuchs]

@Rifleman:

I do not take myself seriously, but the issue that I am discussing about in here. You should be able to make that distinction.


It's not about what people think of themselves. Few think that they do wrong.

It's about resisting small steps into a wrong direction, even if the seem to be unimportant as for example making that 4th Amendment remark.

Small, incremental steps add up, as if they were an intentional salami slice tactic - and some people even do this intentionally.
You seem to think of yourself as a stalwart pro-constitution guy who cannot do wrong in regard to civil liberties.
That basically means you're extremely prone to do what you think you would not do. You're simply not critical enough of yourself, not willing to resist the urge to tolerate the incremental steps. You see no evil in the tiny stuff, even though that adds up.

In short; you were apparently raised in a country that did not apply lessons from experiencing the ruin of a republic and the establishment of dictatorship.


Evil regimes aren't build on the foundation of evil men. They're being built on 5% evil men and 95% men who don't resist.

- - - - -

Again: Military and law enforcement should not be mixed in a Western-style state. Especially not if the former is being used to suppress resistance in foreign countries.


Tell the LE guys to found their own forum and to draw lessons from foreign police institutions, not from the military or even from actively spying intelligence services.

[slapout9]

slowandsteady,
We used to have(a long time ago) a unit called the CIB (Criminal Identification Bureau). Now it sounds like a fingerprint unit but it wasn't, their job was to identify criminals that were coming into our jurisdiction (usually of the organized crime type) and then either monitor their activities or convince them that they should go someplace else. They were very proactive and intelligence and analysis(all done by hand,telephone,typewriters,teletype) was pretty much their stock and trade. We didn't have dedicated Crime Analyst back then. If you were a criminal they were bad news but there was little if any threat to Americas civil liberties. Which while I am on that, the coming digitalization, and centralization of medical records into the hands of privately run health insurance companies is going to far outstrip the average Americans civil liberties than anything the patriot act is ever going to do.