The reader should understand that law enforcement operational managers and law enforcement intelligence managers approach problems from two different mindsets. Often an outstanding operational manager will not be successful as an intelligence manager, and vice versa. For this reason and others, it is not uncommon to hear one group making unprofessional remarks about the other.

In any law enforcement operation/investigation, three major entities are typically involved:

• A mission manager
• An operations manager
• An intelligence manager

The latter two answer to and are directed by the mission manager. If this managerial relationship does not exist, the ability of the intelligence unit to function will usually be extremely hampered, if not totally doomed to failure.

Having a realistic understanding of what to expect from an intelligence unit is one of the major difficulties encountered by the mission manager. This publication attempts to describe how an intelligence unit can maximize its ability to support operational units in implementing their various types of missions. It also describes how operational users can interact with the intelligence unit to gain full advantage of the unit's capabilities.

The intelligence unit exists solely to support law enforcement operations and administration at all levels within an agency to achieve maximum law enforcement agency effectiveness. Each law enforcement agency has a limited amount of assets and resources with which to function. Any law enforcement operations manager can employ personnel, an expendable budget, equipment, and facilities in an ineffective manner with little or no effort. If law enforcement spends time looking in the wrong places, or at the wrong time, or for the wrong activity, the resources expended cannot be recovered.

Intelligence also exists to reduce the risk to on-duty and off-duty law enforcement personnel, as well as risks to the reputation of an agency. For an agency to be effective, it must maintain a credible reputation within its area of operations and with fellow agencies.

No one can remove all risks to those involved with law enforcement activities. Intelligence is a means by which law enforcement managers can enhance their understanding of a criminal situation and the available realistic operational solutions.

Forging a partnership between these two disparate groups is not always an easy task and may, in fact, never occur. The intelligence unit is often placed in the unpopular position of posing questions law enforcement operational managers do not want to hear or address. Rather than existing to be the nemesis of the operational units, the intelligence unit functions to complement them. For this reason, intelligence unit personnel must understand the goals and objectives of the operational units.

During law enforcement operations, situations can become stressful for operational personnel. To remain focused on the common objective, the intelligence manager must work toward gaining acceptance by providing a realistic and useful intelligence product, which often will not be an easy task.