Book Description

"Counterterrorism Intelligence: Law Enforcement Perspectives" examines how the intelligence unit commanders of America's major metropolitan police departments view the terror threat and the nature of intelligence work to counter it. Based on survey research conducted in April 2011, authors Frank J. Cilluffo, Joseph R. Clark, and Michael P. Downing find that local law enforcement officials believe jihadi terrorism and radicalization continue to pose a real threat. The authors report that there continue to be gaps in the types of intelligence products to which local police have access, that there is an unmet need for increased analytical capability at the local, state, and federal levels, and that intelligence commanders would rather invest in the skills of their personnel than technology. The authors write that for local law enforcement the primary source for counterterrorism information continues to be local citizens and traditional police work and that there is significant support for the nationwide suspicious activity reporting initiative (NSI). Based on their data, Cilluffo, Clark, and Downing note that police intelligence unit commanders perceive counterterrorism to be a shared responsibility between local and federal officials and that among said commanders there is an untapped willingness for increased information sharing. The authors argue that there exists the potential for a more robust national intelligence enterprise one that could enhance the counterterrorism efforts of the United States at the local, state, regional, and federal levels. The research presented in the brief represents the initial work of HSPI's new Counterterrorism Intelligence Research Survey (CTISR) program. CTISR is the first attempt to systematically and routinely collect data from counterterrorism professionals at all levels of government.