409 Criminal Intelligence
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
GENERAL ORDER Bladensburg Police Department General Orders Manual 409 s Criminal Intelligence .01 Policy .03 Governing Legislation and Reference It is the policy of the Bladensburg Police Governing Legislation: N/A Department to lawfully monitor the activities of Forms: N/A persons or organizations involved in organized criminal activity. .04 Procedure .02 Terms A. Criminal Intelligence Function Criminal intelligence: The end product of a The criminal intelligence function consists of a process that converts individual items of process by which raw information is collected, information either into evidence or, more often, collated, evaluated, analyzed, and into insights, conclusions, or assessments, disseminated. The function also includes the perhaps less solid than fact but always more security and safe storage of criminal helpful than raw information, that can form the intelligence information or criminal investigative basis for the development of law enforcement information. strategies, priorities, policies, or investigative All department members are responsible for tactics regarding a specific crime, suspect, collecting raw information related to criminal criminal organization, etc. activity and forwarding this information to the Criminal intelligence information: Information with Criminal Investigations Unit. respect to an identifiable person or group of All members are also responsible for not persons collected by a criminal intelligence agency disseminating confidential criminal intelligence in an effort to anticipate, prevent, or monitor information or confidential criminal investigative possible criminal activity. information to individuals or criminal justice Criminal intelligence process: Includes the agencies except on a need-to-know basis or systematic collection of raw information which, otherwise determined to be a public record. after collation, evaluation, and analysis, is B. Security of Files and Records disseminated to appropriate units of the Department. Because of the highly sensitive nature of criminal intelligence information contained Criminal investigative information: Information within intelligence files, all criminal intelligence with respect to identifiable person or persons files and records will be safeguarded and compiled by a criminal justice agency in the course maintained in a secured manner within the of conducting a criminal investigation of a specific criminal investigations office. The retention of act or omission, include, but not limited to, all criminal intelligence files will be in strict information derived from laboratory tests, reports accordance with the State of Maryland Records of investigators or informants, or any type of Retention Schedule. surveillance. The criminal intelligence detective is Terrorism: Includes activity that involves an act responsible for ensuring that any material dangerous to human life or potentially destructive requiring storage in a file cabinet or computer of critical infrastructure or key resources and is a is properly locked and/or secured prior to violation of federal or state criminal laws; is leaving work for the day. The office shall be intended to intimidate or coerce the civilian secured when unattended. population or influence a government or affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, The Criminal Investigation Office will be a on assassination, or kidnaping. separate key system. The only members with keys will be the Criminal Investigation Detective, the Supervisor of CID and the Commanding Officer of Support Services. Bladensburg Police Department General Orders Manual Page 1 of 3 Criminal Intelligence C. Collection of Data D. Legal and Privacy Requirements The types or quality of information that may be Information is to be collected and retained only included in the criminal intelligence system is when there is reasonable suspicion that a strictly limited. Before any information can be subject is engaged in criminal activity and the placed into a permanent intelligence file and information is relevant to that criminal activity. become part of the criminal intelligence No information will be collected or directed to system, the information must meet all of the be collected by illegal means or methods. following: All intelligence investigations are to be in !Must contain criminal predicate; written form, reported in a clear, concise, and objective manner. Written reports of an !Have relevance to the suspected criminal intelligence nature are to be forwarded to the activity; CID Supervisor for review to ensure the !The source of the information is identifiable, information contained therein is limited to and the reliability of the source has been criminal conduct and relates to activities that evaluated; present a threat to the community. !The information has been evaluated for No intelligence investigations may be initiated accuracy and validity; without prior supervisory approval. !The information is valid as of its review date Unless information is necessary and relevant to and is useful to the current needs and the investigation of criminal wrongdoing, objectives of the department; information may not be collected on any individual or organization based on any of the !The information was collected properly and following; ethnic background or race, religious obtained in accordance with all applicable or political affiliation, support of unpopular federal, state, and local laws and causes, or personal habits or lifestyles. ordinances; E. Evaluating Information !The information is free of references to political, religious, or social views not Information that is collected must be evaluated directly related to suspected criminal to ensure it is limited to criminal conduct and is activity; and, in accordance with prescribed criminal predicate guidelines. !The information is free of references to associations or activities of any individual, The Criminal Investigator is responsible for the group, association, business, corporation, analysis of the data to ensure its relevancy to or partnership not directly related to criminal activity. Criteria or factors to be suspected criminal activity. considered include frequency of the crime to show how often and where; geographic factors Data collected from a variety of sources, on where the crime is occurring; victim, including police reports, Field Interview suspect, suspect vehicles, and target Reports, BOLO sheets, and Booking sheets. descriptors should be examined and compared Reliable informants may be used only to to criminal activity. provide information relevant to current Information determined not to be related to investigations or future criminal activity. criminal activity shall be purged in compliance Information received from these informants is with Maryland public record laws. processed for its validity and filed. To ensure the anonymity of confidential informants, code F. Dissemination of Data names and a numbering system will be used to When the analysis of the data is completed, the protect their confidentiality. findings are to be sent for review and approval Intelligence meetings are to be used to retrieve by the unit supervisor. Once approved, the and disseminate information to other law information is sent to the appropriate enforcement agencies in regards to on-going operational unit or division depending upon the criminal enterprises. Criminal activity bulletins type of data. received from other states, in addition to Criminal intelligence information is provided to Maryland, provide information about suspects the Criminal Investigations Detective and to and crimes occurring in other jurisdictions. personnel of other law enforcement agencies Bladensburg Police Department General Orders Manual Page 2 of 3 Criminal Intelligence only on a right-to-know authority and H. Homeland Security and Terrorist Threats need-to-know basis. Information may be Any intelligence or information that may be disseminated to other agencies at intelligence terrorism-related is sent to the Criminal meetings if the information involves suspects Investigation Detective for review. Upon or investigations that outside agencies could review and approval by the CID supervisor, assist with. information confirmed to be terrorism-related The Criminal Intelligence bulletins will be shall be submitted to MCAC. generated and stored in a password only The Criminal Investigation detective will provide protected secured folder on the town network. terrorism awareness information to the public Each bulletin will be numbered and will be upon request and through established required to be entered onto the electronic log. informational events. G. Purging Information I. Specialized Equipment Criminal intelligence information will only be Sworn members shall receive training in the retained if it meets legal requirements for such proper and lawful use of specialized retention. Information that is out-of-date or equipment, which includes, but is not limited to incorrect will be purged in accordance with the audio and visual monitoring equipment, night State of Maryland Records Retention vision equipment, Dialed Number Recorders Schedule. (pen registers), photography equipment, and Information is to be purged when it meets any surveillance equipment. of the following: J. Annual Review !No longer useful; Annually, the CID Supervisor will conduct a !No longer relevant; review of procedures and processes for the collection, processing and sharing of criminal !Invalid; intelligence relating to criminal and homeland !Inaccurate; security activities. !Outdated; !Unverifiable; or, !Inconsistent with the goals and objectives of the department. HISTORY: Adopted January 1, 2014 This General Order supersedes all other orders and memoranda in conflict therewith. Authority: Charles L. Owens Chief of Police Bladensburg Police Department General Orders Manual Page 3 of 3 .