Intelligence and intelligence support mean different things to different law enforcement agencies. Each agency will task its intelligence unit to perform functions determined necessary for the agency's operation. This publication attempts to demonstrate how intelligence can support operational level managers and planners at all levels within an agency in both understanding ongoing intelligence developments and in planning law enforcement missions.

The intelligence unit exists for one reason and one reason only.to support law enforcement operational and administrative planning to assure that the law enforcement units are able to maintain intelligence dominance in their fight against crime.

Criminals and law enforcement want to know each other's capabilities, their objectives, and their current methods of operation. Therefore, as Figure 1.1 illustrates, the intelligence unit is not only active in the planning of operations, but also responsible for developing an understanding of the criminal element and protecting the law enforcement agency from the criminal element.