NCJ Number
228761
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 76 Issue: 10 Dated: October 2009 Pages: 124,126,128,130
Date Published
October 2009
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article analyzes ways in which police intelligence units can be infected by and remedy "noble cause corruption" (NCC), which consists of officers violating individuals' constitutional rights under the rationalization of serving the "noble cause" of identifying and convicting people perceived by officers as dangerous to the public.
Abstract
The mission of intelligence-led policing (ILP) is to collect, analyze, and disseminate intelligence data in an effort to thwart the next terrorist attack or prevent the commission of a major felony. This effort, however, is constrained by the constitutionally mandated privacy rights of individuals. This pertains to individuals' interests in preventing the inappropriate collection, use, and release of personally identifiable information. Privacy interests include personal behavior, privacy of personal communications, and privacy of personal data. Crime due to NCC in the violation of privacy rights is not as explicit as planting tangible evidence. Rather, it is the implication of suspicious behavior related to the planning of serious crimes by planting prejudicial ideas, negative profiling, labeling, applying preconceived notions, and making judgments based on religious beliefs. The selection and framing of the information provided in intelligence reports must be carefully edited, challenged, and sworn to before it is entered into any intelligence database. Unsubstantiated fishing expeditions by law enforcement agencies violate both the U.S. Constitution and the public's trust. Without a system of accountability for ILP, the secrecy of ILP can be a cover for human error or NCC. Zealously adhering to the philosophical tenets of policing reinforces subordinates' commitment to the profession, reinforces the importance of constitutionally restrictive privacy guidelines, and bolsters the commitment to and demand for professional policing. 21 notes