CJI Forum

This homeowner had a burglar held at gunpoint awaiting the arrival of the police, but when they arrived, one officer shot him 6 times without giving a verbal warning. He was then cleared by his department of wrongdoing. Should this officer be held accountable? Or were his actions justified? Embedded video from CNN Video

Criminals as well as terrorists signal illegal activity either unwittingly or perhaps in some cases with disdain and contempt for those who are positioned to watch for such behavior. The ability to detect that signal from the din of constant activity intrinsic to daily operations is crucial. Recognition and collection of the signal must be complemented by a robust analytical capability to match with similar signals to discern potential patterns of activity and generate operational leads. In large measure that capability is a key component of the existing and emergent fusion centers. It strikes me that my colleagues Brian Kelly and Barry McManus (see p. 27 and p. 30) have, without collaboration, provided an excellent platform for discussion on signals – intentionally obscured, concealed, disguised, or recast, yet each hidden in plain sight and knowable to the trained observer. Both view the world through an Intelligence Community lens, yet each has seamlessly translated that knowledge...

The developing relationship between law enforcement and the Intelligence Community has taken a major step forward with the launching of an initiative which will bring together experts from both disciplines to examine the parallels between criminality and terrorism-more specifically, the signatures that both discriminate among and between groups and those which transcend culture, language, ethnicity, and geography. The goal is to inform and influence the tradecraft of analysis by leveraging the knowledge and experience historically resident, yet in many cases under-utilized within the domain of law enforcement. The tactics, techniques, and procedures endemic to law enforcement professionals across the world ranging from community policing through criminal investigation to the application of a cold-case methodology to discern the motive, intent, and capabilities of potential terrorists will enhance analytical and operational expertise as well as inform predictive analysis as terrorists f...