On August 18, 2008, I hosted my first online Blog Talk Radio Show called "Analysts' Corner." The first show, Why Crime and Intelligence Analysis Matters, was an insightful discussion with Lisa Palmieri, President of the International Association of Law Enforcement Intelligence Analysts (IALEIA). In this conversation, the plea of analysts everywhere echoed–we want police managers to know how to manage us so that we can help you.
Crime and intelligence analysis, while not new concepts, remain misunderstood and underused in policing. Palmieri notes that the military have long understood the value of intelligence, not just as covertly gathered information, but as all source information analyzed to prepare for future actions.
Although intelligence is now a commonly accepted and understood central value of the armed forces for preparation in all missions, it wasn't always so. The United States struggled with the concept of intelligence in the military until events in the 20th century forced it to change. The U.S. Army (and public) prior to World War I mistrusted intelligence in a manner similar to that of modern day American policing. Facing World War I with no intelligence organization, the U.S. Army fought blindly, unprepared for what it faced on the battlegrounds, and many lives were lost. The need for an organized, integrated intelligence effort in the military was evident.
War casualties were the motivating force for change in the military's view of intelligence. Some law enforcement analysts thought 9/11 would have similar impact in changing the view of intelligence in the United States. The need for analysis and analysts in homeland security was stressed over and over again in the 9/11 Commission Report. Yet, seven years later, while things are improving, the lack of understanding and support for analysis continues to be widespread. While homeland security focuses on terrorism threats, analysts know that quality analysis can make a difference in addressing all public safety issues. We want it to be established in policing.
More training and education for police officers coming up through the ranks is needed. Palmieri believes this training should be integrated into all police agencies as part of the basic academy. Since that does not seem to be likely to occur in the near future, officers and law enforcement managers have few training option for learning more about managing crime and intelligence analysts. This dearth of training is discouraging.
The Intelligence Study Centre, a well-respected vendor, offers a 20-hour training program for law enforcement managers called "Managing Intelligence for Executives, Managers and Supervisors." This course explains why intelligence is an essential tool for identifying and exploring potential risks and threats, how intelligence data and collection can be used to map the present and forecast the future, and how to manage data collection and analysis activities effectively and efficiently.
Don McDowell is the instructor and is "well known internationally as an innovator, practitioner and author in various intelligence disciplines, particularly strategic intelligence and analysis in law enforcement, national security, border protection and critical infrastructure risk-and-threat assessment." Based in Australia, he travels around the world to provide this training to various agencies and will adapt the training to meet specific needs. The Intelligence Study Centre offers other training courses, including strategic intelligence and analysis, and intelligence analysis techniques.
The FBI has offered training on the topic of intelligence analysis to police mangers in the past and is an avenue to explore for training options. Palmieri says that IALEIA will be presenting a training session on Intelligence Led Policing at the International Association of Chiefs of Police conference in San Diego this November, with the hope of reaching police managers and letting them know the potential of analysis to help decision-makers in law enforcement.
So what is the value of an analyst to a police manager? According to Palmieri, analysts are knee deep in information and are trained to analyze in a logical, critical way, producing refined knowledge to help decision-makers make better, more objective choices. Gut feelings and decisions not based on facts might work, but in the age of increased accountability, analysts can help you be better prepared to answer to the public and private sectors you serve.
How can an analyst help a decision-maker become more proactive? Palmieri states that access to the decision-maker is crucial. Being able to ask managers questions helps analysts provide the types of analytical products needed. The manager must task the analyst by determining what he or she needs to know. Managers must figure out what they need to know!
According to the CIA, the stages of the intelligence cycle are planning and direction, collection, processing, analysis and production, and dissemination. Law enforcement intelligence analysts operate on various versions of this intelligence cycle, depending on their backgrounds. Where is the planning and direction for intelligence (including crime analysis information) in policing?
Intelligence in the form of actionable knowledge, produced by analysts, in a cycle that begins with your planning and direction, could be an important tool in policing. It might even radically improve it! Why isn't it valued in law enforcement? Why aren't you planning for analysis and directing us?
Most analysts face a hurdle in taking the extra steps that will make them more effective analysts, says Palmieri. Understanding a criminal organization, how crimes are committed, how things are done, and the vulnerabilities in criminal organizations and in our own can be improved by good analysis. Quantifying how many crimes occurred, how many arrests were made, how many weapons were seized tells us only a little about our effectiveness as law enforcement agencies. How can we measure prevention and positive impacts on communities? Palmieri stresses that it is difficult to measure the value of what an analyst can provide a law enforcement agency, especially when planning and direction are lacking.
Thinking, researching, writing, and producing work of value for a decision-maker–this is the work of an analyst. If a decision-maker doesn't appreciate this, the analyst is unimportant. As a leader of an association for analysts, Palmieri can say most analysts are not used to their potential; working analysts cannot go to their bosses and say such things. She advises that police managers should NOT hire analysts if they have not outlined a need for analysts and the issues that concern their jurisdiction. The work of an analyst needs focus and should be based on focused plans, identified problems, and issues of concern to your agency.
In 2004 IALEIA produced a booklet sponsored by the Bureau of Justice Assistance called Law Enforcement Analytical Standards. Palmieri sees this as a baseline standard for analysis in law enforcement agencies, but would like to see the standards set higher. Police executives working on the project felt they could not hire individuals at the higher standards IALEIA advocated. An example of a standard Palmieri criticizes: analysts should not be searching databases for you as an analytical duty. That isn't analysis. They should be analyzing critical issues and giving you valuable insights for decision-making.
So, decision makers, from mid-level police manager to chief, please manage your analysts! Talk to them. Task them. Support them. Working together, we can change the world.
"Analysts' Corner" Blog Talk Radio Shows, including the discussion with Lisa Palmieri, are available online in audio stream and download formats at the link below.