Criminal Intelligence in Criminal Investigations, Essay Example

Criminal intelligence is a crucial tool that may facilitate criminal investigation, particularly in the area of crime prevention. Knowing when a crime will be committed or what kind of criminal activities may be underway at a given time can be uncovered using a disciplined strategic intelligence method. According to the nature of crime, the effectivity of criminal intelligence is regarded as especially pertinent in the investigations of organized crime. Insofar as organized crime consists of a structure of criminal operatives and is also indicative of ongoing criminal activity, criminal intelligence allows a view into such organizations with the overall aim of crime prevention.

The effectivity of criminal intelligence can be tied to a typology of crime. For example, in isolated criminal incidents that are spontaneous in nature, intelligence is obviously not entirely prescient. The serendipitous quality of such crimes makes crime prevention difficult. In contrast, organized crime consists of an ongoing criminal operation, which is conducive to criminal intelligence. The Council of Europe (2000), for example, suggests that, “successful fighting of organized, serious crime calls for preventive measures and inputs at a very early stage.” (92, p. 92) The nature of organized crime as a pre-planned operation with multiple levels of participants, planners and victims makes it ideally suited to an approach that stresses intelligence. Insofar as organized crime is often clandestine in nature, an intelligence strategy places an emphasis on the discovery and exposure of criminal acts. The structural character of organized crime at the same time permits for possible infiltration of such organizations, rendering it conducive to criminal intelligence.

It is concomitantly the growth of such organizations that makes criminal intelligence crucial. With continued economic globalization, the academic discourse has also identified a symmetrical “globalization of crime.” Castells (2010) writes that, “criminal organizations have increasingly set up their operations transnationally, taking advantage of economic globalization and new communication and transportation technologies.” (173, p. 173) Accordingly, law enforcement requires a sufficient strategic approach to preventing such crime according to the latter’s omnipresence and high level of organization. Ratcliffe (2004) notes that “at no time in history is law enforcement more in need of strategic direction. The rapid changes in the criminal environment over recent years have taken many in law enforcement by surprise.” (1, p. 1) Such surprise can be traced back to a lack of intelligence as to how criminal organizations function in the contemporary environment. Archaic models of crime prevention are no longer suitable for globalization. Accordingly, criminal intelligence is not only the collection of information on a specific criminal organization, but a greater theoretical approach that directly confronts the changing nature of modern crime through an increased understanding and awareness of how crime has in fact changed. Criminal intelligence provides a crucial means by which to maximize knowledge.

In this regard, one of the key features of contemporary criminal intelligence is cooperation. The sharing of information between police organizations and federal bodies such as the FBI can lead to a clearer picture of organizational structures, membership in criminal groups, and of overall operations. As the globalization of crime indicates, the scope of an organized criminal operation often extends beyond local borders. Thus, acquiring intelligence and information will require a broader strategic approach that emphasizes the facilitation of the transferring and acquisition of information between different law enforcement agencies. Accordingly, it is important to think of criminal intelligence as a team effort, in which a cumulative approach to the gathering of information is crucial.

According to both the globalization and increasing organization of crime, criminal intelligence is necessary to both identify and prevent such activities. Intelligence offers a view into how such organizations function on both a specific and greater typological level. Insofar as crime becomes all the more amorphous, a rigorous strategy emphasizing intelligence is needed to develop a corresponding epistemology of crime.

Works Cited

Castells, Manuel. End of Millenium: The Information Age: Economy, Society, and Culture. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 2010.

Council of Europe. What Public Prosecution in Europe in the 21st Century. Strasbourg, France: Council of Europe, 2000.

Ratcliffe, Jerry. Strategic Thinking in Criminal Intelligence. New York: Federation Press, 2004.

Castells, Manuel. (2010). End of Millenium: The Information Age: Economy, Society, and Culture. New York: John Wiley and Sons.

Council of Europe. (2000). What Public Prosecution in Europe in the 21st Century. Strasbourg, France: Council of Europe, 2000.

Ratcliffe, Jerry. (2004). Strategic Thinking in Criminal Intelligence. New York: Federation Press.