NCJ Number
84305
Date Published
1981
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This discussion of intelligence operations covers intelligence sources, ethics in intelligence, confidentiality and security, and criminal targeting.
Abstract
Intelligence operations collect and organize information from prior investigations, public documents, mass media, internal police information, informant responses, and documented actions of persons under observation. Although the criminal informant has been considered the most reliable source of data, information collected from ongoing investigations, wiretaps, and search warrants is essential in the classification and analysis of facts about the criminal subculture. Two of the best sources of information are personal telephone books and records of transactions between suspected criminals. Other information may come from business transactions or corporate operations. The updating of intelligence information is particularly important; otherwise intelligence quickly becomes stale and ineffective. Persons selected for centralized intelligence units should have extensive field experience in specialized squads to reduce the tendency of the outside intelligence command function to be distrusted or to be viewed as intrusive. Confidentiality must be established to obtain data for analysis and filing within the command; internal safeguards incorporated into operating procedures should guide the selection of trusted staff and the dissemination of information. Selective targeting is a method which can be used in gathering data about specific persons or areas of crime. Large police departments should be divided into decentralized intelligence functions, with each specialty maintaining an intelligence reporting officer responsible for the flow of gathered facts and reporting directly to the commander of the specialty squad.