A recent study of state and local agencies found, "that only half of the U.S. law enforcement agencies... had received guidance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) about what information to collect and pass on. Further, very few law enforcement agencies had applied for security clearances; rather, they relied primarily on the FBI and other sources for threat information."
With a few important exceptions local law enforcement does not perceive a role in intelligence gathering and analysis. While there are over 700,000 law enforcement agencies in the United States, only about 100 are estimated to have formal intelligence units. Even in the post-911 era there has been a tendency to focus local efforts on receiving and distributing federal intelligence products rather than targeting, gathering, and analysis by local agencies.
This is not just a law enforcement issue. A RAND Corporation survey found that while the majority of state Offices of Emerency Management had applied for security clearances, "less than half had received them at the time of our survey. While a number of state and local officials have federally sponsored clearances, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was unable to provide an accurate count of how many such clearances had been issued to states and localities."
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Intelligence-Led Policing: The New Intelligence Architecture
Bureau of Justice Assistance, September 2005
Prevention Techniques
Share Information: Develop effective means for conducting proactive collaborative local intelligence operations that are consistent with privacy rights and civil liberties.
Prevention Thought
Share Information: How can you appropriately use open sources to better understand potential threats to your local jurisdiction?
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