The quality and quantity of intelligence information gathered determines the value of the overall intelligence product. In the police department, intelligence information requires appropriate registration, proper storage, and retrieval through the use of information technology. As an intelligence supervisor in the police agency, two sources of intelligence were used to gather the information that a local massage parlor was involved in human trafficking, which associates with terrorism. One of the origins of data is human intelligence (HUMINT). The source entailed the gathering of information about the massage parlor through conducting open interviews with the witnesses, and some of the suspects arrested (Gottschalk, 2010). The source of intelligence information was relevant as it assisted in providing a link to the activities taking place inside the massage parlor. The other source of intelligence information used was imagery intelligence (IMINT). The source entails the use of photos of the environment surrounding the parlor (William, 2015). IMINT assisted in gathering information about the activities taking place around the room and who enters and leaves the massage parlor at what given time and when all the vehicles that come to the rooms packing a lot. Undercover police officers took the responsibility of hiding secrete cameras that captures the activities taking place in the surrounding of the parlor. The photos were then taken to the geospatial intelligence to assist in the analysis and establishment of visual representation. With the information received from the geospatial data, the report indicates that the activities taking place within the massage parlor are illegal. The conclusion was based on the subsequent visit of private cars and trucks to the parlor and a specific period. To come up with concrete evidence to prove the human trafficking activities taking place in the massage parlor, other agencies were involved in the investigation. One of the agencies that assisted with the investigation is the CID (Criminal Investigations Department). The agency largely contributed to the investigation as they provided officers that went undercover. The undercover officers gathered information in video and image form of the activities that were taking place inside the massage parlor. Also, they assisted in getting a recording of conversations with some of the workers inside the parlor, which was enough proof of the malicious activities of human trafficking and terrorism taking place in the parlor. They managed to do so through sound devices planted in their clothes and spy cameras. Another agency involved in the investigation is the Federal Investigative agency. The agency is a different law enforcement agency that protects the community against criminal organizations and the illegal use and trafficking of humans and firearms. Through their teamwork and collaborative effort in partnering with the police, they were able to analyze and identify the materials being delivered in the massage parlor by the tracks to be explosives and firearms. Equally, through the interviews, they help with the suspects as a source of intelligence information. They managed to prove the existence of violent criminal activities in the massage parlor. The adoption of the Intelligence – Led Policy (ILP) assisted in the investigation through sharing of information with all the agencies for the identification and development of a response in prevention of the threat (Carter, 2009). Equally, they assisted in tracking the vehicle that visited the massage parlor. That provided information on the source of origin of the explosives and firearms identified by the CID and Federal investigative agency. However, there was a limitation to the collection of intelligence information from various sources. One of the limitations is the lack of enough confirmation to take action on the news. The investigation faced the challenge of working on possibilities and hunches. Before taking any action or making a conclusion that there are malicious activities taking place within the parlor, such as human trafficking, there is a need to be confident and not operate on probabilities. However, when using intelligence information, it's hard to be sure. There might have been something else taking place in the parlor of which the department responsible for the investigation is not supposed to eavesdrop, spy, or take a view from the satellites. That's limitation implies that our knowledge that we use in the examination can only be proven to be evident after a fact has been established. Another barrier to intelligence information is revealing the sources and methods (Gottschalk, 2010). In the investigation, there would have been a surety of the data; however, acting upon them would reveal that research is being carried out on the activities taking place inside the parlor. For safety in the intelligence investigation two practices were avoided. One was repackaging of the intelligence product of any other agency involved in the investigation (Carter, 2009). Equally, all the information was not disseminated to all the agencies involved. When reaching too much information it would have been ineffective as compared to receiving the information. In conclusion, intelligence information is the collection and analysis of data from various sources that would assist the police or other private investigators in establishing any form of malicious activities taking place for the safety of the community. There are multiple sources of intelligence information, such as humans, through carrying out interviews. The interviews are carried out on suspects that might have been arrested in conjunction with the investigation or other individuals who are willing to provide relevant information on what they know concerning the investigation. When carrying out an investigation, several agencies may be included. They may consist of the CIA agent, the federal investigative agency, and even the geospatial agency. Based on the discussion above, intelligence sources should be critically analyzed before taking action when carrying out investigations.
References
Carter, D. (2009). Law Enforcement Intelligence: A guide for State, Local and Tribal Law Enforcement Agencies (Second Edition). School of Criminal Justice, Michigan. Pp. 1- 496. Print.
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Gottschalk, P. (2010). Information Sources in Police Intelligence. The Police Journal, Vol. 82, no. 2, Pp. 149-170.
William, R. (2015). A Deafening Silence: U.S. Policy and the SIGINT Facility at Lourdes. Intelligence and National Security, Vol. 9 , no. 4. Pp. 723-734.
