Intelligence Discussion Paper

Question 1 

Law enforcement intelligence is an agency whose responsibility is to collect and organize information on criminal activities and threats to national security with an aim of monitoring possible trends on crime, formulating criminal cases and safeguarding the citizens from crime. It applies tactical intelligence to mitigate the effects of crime and terrorism and also provide an information framework for the proper allocation of resources. On the other hand, national security intelligence collects relevant information on foreign nations together with their agents, and process it for use by the government to develop foreign policies that promote good international relations. Homeland Security Intelligence, also known as Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is an intelligence entity headed by an undersecretary formed in the wake of September 2001 terror attack on the World trade centre in the US. Its role is to receive intelligence collected from various governmental agencies and analyze it before issuing warnings on possible terror activities within the state and other national agencies. Additionally, it is also tasked with the responsibility of providing vital information in the process of preventing and responding to terror activities together with the protection of critical infrastructural installations. 

Question 2 

An intelligence cycle refers to a process of refining raw facts, data and pieces of information and availing them to the end-user as intelligence to achieve community-centred policing. This cycle involves planning, collection, processing, production and dissemination of intelligence to target consumer in a suitable format such as intelligence databases. The planning phase involves identification of intelligence requirements while the collection stage involves the physical acquisition and the subsequent processing of information before dissemination. Several disciplines come together to facilitate a successful collection of intelligence. Some of the disciplines are human intelligence abbreviated as (HUMINT) and signal intelligence (SIGINT). HUMINT is sourced from humans through spies, diplomats, delegates, agents and military operatives who infiltrate a target organization under a suitable cover while SIGINT comes from intercepted signals and transmissions both individually or when such signals occur in combinations. To determine the validity of intelligence there are some factors to be considered such as clarity of information, value addition and also authenticity and reliability of the sources evaluated through various intelligence gathering methods such as HUMINT and SIGINT among others.