The Intelligence Cycle’s Critical Modules
By: Big
Tags: Failure, Intelligence, Critical Thinking, Law Enforcement, Education

The intelligence cycle consists of five modular phases contrary to the literature’s depiction as a cycle. Traditionally, the intelligence cycle was one direction from decision makers to analysts’ dissemination. In the aftermath of the 911 intelligence failure, decision makers request on-demand updates for the original request for information (RFI). Next, decision makers may tweak the RFIs as needed and or let the intelligence cycle play out. The five modular phases are planning, collection, processing, analysis, and dissemination. This brief essay plans to explore the critical modules of the intelligence cycle.

The most critical part of the intelligence cycle is not directly included in the five intelligence cycle modules called feedback. Failure is the best professor and without the guiding light of feedback, then analysts would stay at the same level of analysis for the entire careers (Baker, 2005). Feedback is critical to improve all phases of the intelligence cycle. For example, when a law enforcement officer shoots an unarmed person in the back, then the proper feedback should be prison time in the general population. Feedback should never be a slap on the wrists such as compulsory leave with pay as is the traditional Blue Wall mentalities when social media footage was not available to video the bad law enforcement crimes. Feedback should enforce good actions and punish the bad actions as is 21st century best practices.

The second most critical piece of the intelligence cycle puzzle is analysis. Once all of the jumbled mess of data is collected and processed for the analysts’ minds, then analysts may start the workhorse load. Intelligence analysis in intelligence led policing (ILP) is about predictive analysis (Baker, 2005). After the 911 intelligence failure, ILP changed the police system from a reactive and investigative system to a more proactive and spying on the community system (Patel, 2013). For example, ILP analysts will use GIS crime mapping to isolate locations where theft crimes take place. Next, ILP analysts could recommend sending roving patrols in the affluent areas where house break-ins happen. Analysis is the second most crucial slice of the intelligence cycle pie i.e. the worker bees.

The third most critical phase of the intelligence cycle is planning. Planning is the strategic phase of the intelligence cycle (Baker, 2005). Decision makers need to provide a global picture to persuade the ILP force why what the ILP force is doing is important. For example, without proper coaching, then the Chicago Bulls would not have won so many championships in the 1990s, regardless of having, arguably, the best player of all time. Strategic vision is the glue of the intelligence cycle. If the intelligence cycle is to succeed, then well-informed decision makers need to ask the right questions without asking for a gander chase. The last three intelligence cycle puzzle pieces e.g. collection, processing, and dissemination, are pawns in the intelligence cycle. Planning is queen.

Conclusion

Feedback was the first important piece of the intelligence cycle modular puzzle. Decision makers, since the 911 intelligence failure, have been more involved with the intelligence cycle as a modular model versus one directional cycle. The next critical intelligence cycle puzzle key described was analysis because analysis makes sense of the haystack of needles. And, the third critical puzzle key, planning, persuaded ILP analysts towards a common goal. This brief essay explored the three critical aspects of the intelligence cycle.

References

Baker, T. (2005). Introductory criminal analysis: Crime prevention and intervention strategies. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Patel, F. (2013, August 15). “What Is the CIA Teaching the NYPD?” Brennan Center for Justice. Retrieved 6 Feb 2020 from https://www.brennancenter.org/analysis/what-cia-teaching-nypd.