Where we are, where we’ve been, where we’re going

Where we are, where we’ve been, where we’re going

“Intelligence-led policing” was a policing model which kicked off in the last half of the Twentieth Century but gained speed post 9-11. The basic gist was to remind officers that intelligence is everyone’s job. It encouraged them to gather and analyze intelligence that might prevent crime in the first place. That said, not all agencies are equipped with sophisticated technology and intelligence resources (in fact, most are not).

The Bureau of Justice Assistance was well aware of that fact when they drafted up a handbook about intelligence-led policing in conjunction with the International Association of Chiefs of Police in 2005. It included these key recommendations to agencies everywhere—regardless or manpower or budget: 1. Promote intelligence-led policing 2. Provide the critical counterbalance of civil rights 3. Increase opportunities for building trust 4. Remedy analytic and information deficits and 5. Address training and technology issues. https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/bja/210681.pdf

That’s a hefty list of to-dos, especially for small, rural agencies. But they still apply—perhaps now more than ever. And despite what technology you’ve acquired or not acquired in the last 10+ years, I would venture to bet that if you took a long, hard look you’ve already changed some things to align your mission with these suggestions in order to do your best work.

For example, have you embraced more training in the last 10-12 years? Began a positive dialogue with your community via social media? Upped the security for your digital records? Hired specialized officers?  Maybe in recent years you’ve opened the door to better information sharing with your neighbor agencies.

If you’ve only managed one or two of these things, that is no small feat. It shows you are doing the best with what you have, you are engaged and accountable to your force and your community. “Intelligence-led policing” started as a seedling concept almost three decades ago. In the early 2000s its emphasis was on homeland security/counterterrorism. How will it evolve next? As everyone knows, many of these same tenets for “smarter” policing remain particularly resonant with current events.

Change may seem slow to come when we’re in the thick of things, but when we step back and take that 50-foot view we sometimes surprise ourselves.

I’d like to invite you to share your stories and experience for us to share with others. Talk about your small agency challenges and solutions, how you manage to do more with less, or what policing innovation you can’t wait to see hit the marketplace. Then let’s see where we are again in the next ten or 15 years.