Intelligence Analysis Tools PRS 3 Michele A. Melton Upstate New York Regional Intelligence Center Minneapolis, Minnesota March 29, 2007

Information: Only Scratches the Surface

Intelligence: Reveals the Whole Picture

Law Enforcement Intelligence: Collection Efforts Prior to  Often Informal  Often Redundant  Lacked Sufficient Procedures  Lacked Prioritization  Limited Support  Lacked Analysis

September 11, ,973 people killed2,973 people killed Defining moment for law enforcement agencies nationwideDefining moment for law enforcement agencies nationwide Highlighted the critical need for the flow and exchange of information and intelligenceHighlighted the critical need for the flow and exchange of information and intelligence Indicators development becomes investigative focusIndicators development becomes investigative focus Added a new sense of urgency to interagency cooperationAdded a new sense of urgency to interagency cooperation Moved Terrorism & Intelligence initiatives to the forefront of many law enforcement agencies concernsMoved Terrorism & Intelligence initiatives to the forefront of many law enforcement agencies concerns Strained resources of law enforcement statewideStrained resources of law enforcement statewide

“We can never let this happen again.” - New York Governor, George E. Pataki

Intelligence: The Need for a Statewide, Proactive Approach The Problem: As with many other government agencies, law enforcement agency information tended to be “silo’d”- restricted to the creator and owner of the information, and never shared with other agencies. The Solution: The Fusion Center concept. The fusion center reduces the compartmentalization of information by eliciting the involvement of law enforcement agencies at every level in its intelligence gathering efforts: –Federal –State –County –Local

Fusion Centers What is a fusion center? How does a fusion center operate? What services does a fusion center provide? Who staffs a fusion center? –Sworn law enforcement –Civilians

 540 Local, County and State Law Enforcement Agencies.  More than 75,000 Full Time Sworn Officers.  More than 3,000 Probation Officers Statewide.  Work 24 – 7.  Eyes and ears.  Well-positioned to supply critical information and intelligence. New York State Law Enforcement

The UNYRIC is a multi-agency, co-located intelligence center designed to gather and analyze information and disseminate terrorism-related and criminal intelligence to our local, tribal, state and federal law enforcement partners in New York State. Upstate New York Regional Intelligence Center

UNYRIC Goals Detect and prevent crime and future terrorist activity Develop and disseminate information on all crimes and terrorism related activities Serve as a “One Stop Shopping” Center Support Field Intelligence Officers across the State through: Case Support Actionable Intelligence Awareness Bulletins Safety Bulletins Trend Analysis

Investigative Focus Areas at UNYRIC Criminal Intelligence – i.e. US DOJ Index Crimes Cross-border Criminality Financial Crimes (money laundering, identity theft) Gangs Illicit Gambling Narcotics Organized Crime Terrorism – Domestic and International Weapons Trafficking

Elements for Success - Why the UNYRIC and Fusion Centers Make a Difference Enlisting the aid of state/county/local law enforcement.Enlisting the aid of state/county/local law enforcement. Maintaining a continuous dialogue between:Maintaining a continuous dialogue between: –Local agencies –County agencies –State agencies –Federal agencies Incorporating sophisticated analytical techniques to support cases and promote strategic decision making.Incorporating sophisticated analytical techniques to support cases and promote strategic decision making. Obtaining support from state government officials.Obtaining support from state government officials.

Role of Analysis in Law Enforcement Historically Analysts used to generate summary statistics (i.e. Index Crime Reports) Not traditionally used to support or direct law enforcement officer activities Today Analysts support, focus and direct law enforcement activities and critical incident responses. Used to create “the big picture.”

Provide Tactical Intelligence Providing analysis, maps, and data to support an operation or disaster response effort. Fulfilling s hort term, case-specific needs. Provide Strategic Intelligence Taking a “ big picture” view of criminal or terrorist activity. After-action reviews; pre-planning What Can Analysts Do? Intelligence

Analytical Tools Analyzing large amounts of information can be a challenge. Useful tools for managing and displaying your data include: I2 – Analyst’s Notebook – supports timeline and link chart analysis. Excel – supports a multitude of functions and other software applications. Access – useful for managing large volumes of information on a multitude of subjects. Penlink/ACISS – supports toll analysis. ARC GIS manages large numbers of location information. MS Publisher and Adobe PDF- useful for packaging info.

With all the technology available, it is easy to forget … The human element of analysis - 1)Reviewing the data set for trends and typos before analyzing it. 2)Understanding the information in front of you – what is it supposed to show you? 3)Outlining your analytical questions before analyzing the data. 4)Communicating with your lead investigators at all times – are the results making sense to them? 5)Having another set of eyes review the data and analysis - what do they see?

Association or Link Charts

Satellite Images

Timelines

Crime and Event Mapping

Conclusion Fusion centers are key to fighting crime and terrorism. Educating the field must continue. Quality analytical products are essential to supporting law enforcement’s efforts. Information sharing and compatible technology are vital.

“Fighting terrorism is like being a goal keeper. You can make a hundred brilliant saves but the only shot that people remember is the one that gets past you.” Paul Wilkinson British Scholar & Terrorism Expert

QUESTIONS PRS 3 Michele A. Melton UNYRIC (518)