Abstract
The goal of this paper is to outline the purpose and significance of Intelligence within the Federal Bureau of Investigations by giving a general understanding of what Intelligence is and how it is used in the world today. This document will show you how Intelligence can provide you security while maintaining your privacy in your day to day life. Additionally, it will inform you as to what is required of the Intelligence Analysts we rely on and trust.
What is Intelligence?
Intelligence is a word that has a similar definition across many platforms, but its use and intention differ significantly from one situation to another. In this scenario, we are referring to the intelligence gathered by the Federal Bureau of Investigations, which is used to prevent, investigate and resolve cases. (Intelligence Branch, Paragraph 8) This task can be daunting due to the repercussions that may ensue if the data and intel gathered are falsified or unreliable at their source. However, there are directions and precautions taken to prevent this from happening such as the Intelligence Cycle. (Gibbs, 2018) This process is the result of over one hundred years of intelligence practice and execution narrowed down into five parts.
The Process of Intelligence
Intelligence is a well set and practiced process that involves approximately five different parts. These may vary depending on the type of information and criminal activity they are seeking. (Gibbs, 2018) As with any recipe for success, it is important that you use all of the parts correctly at precisely the best moment in order to complete a well investigated case.
The first “step” in the intelligence process is planning and direction. (Gibbs, 2018) This will be the foundation of your case and the root of many successes or problems that you may face. For example, if an intelligence analyst is searching for a criminal regarding a drug distribution, they may only list certain things to look for during their planning and direction such as convictions of drug use, criminal history, their origin, their housing, etc. However, doing this may cause them to eliminate the criminal they were looking for and completely misdirect the whole case because they did not plan correctly.
This leads into the second, third, and fourth parts of the intelligence process which are collection, processing, and analysis. (Gibbs, 2018) Unlike the first step, I have grouped these three together because you cannot really perform one without also doing the other. After you have planned the case, you will actively go into the collection, processing and analyzing portion of the process. This is where you take all of the information that you have been given or have collected, and document it according to procedure, and mull it over with the facts that you already know.
For example, during the planning and direction, you may already know for a fact that the drug distributor has tanned skin, blue eyes and a broken arm from an altercation with another criminal. Therefore, when you receive a file stating that one of the five suspects have light skin and brown eyes with no bodily injuries, it would be common sense to eliminate them from the list. However, it is still important that you process that information immediately to keep an accurate record. In this scenario, processing means to file the information electronically so that you do not accidentally misrepresent or misread the data later. After this is completed, you can then analyze and determine that it is not a relevant part of the investigation and set it aside. (Gibbs, 2018)
The last part of the process is the dissemination of the data. This is when the intelligence analyst takes the information that they have recorded and widely spreads it to other intelligence agencies that may become involved in the case. It is important that the other steps of the process are completed prior to dissemination so that incorrect information is not relayed to other people. It would cause a huge issue if another unit arrested a man based on false information given to them by an intelligence analyst. Therefore, all of the parts need to be completed accurately in order to prevent the misdirection of a case.
How Intelligence Effects our Daily Lives
While some may be concerned that the Federal Bureau of Investigations is crossing lines in privacy to gain intelligence, it is safe to say that this is not so. According to their website, the FBI is limited to gathering intelligence by the attorney general’s guidelines and their procedures for FBI national security investigations and foreign intelligence collection. (Intelligence Branch, Paragraph 8) They are also controlled by the federal courts through which they must gain permission via a federal judge to perform actions such as search warrants and wiretaps for counterintelligence and counterterrorism. (Intelligence Branch, Paragraph 9) This prevents them from gaining access to information without due cause and can allow you to live your daily life without fear of “big brother” always keeping an eye on you.
In contrast to the fears that intelligence may ensue in regard to privacy, the intelligence unit should induce some comfort and safety in your every day lives. Their ultimate goal is to protect the citizens of the United States and prevent any crime that may cause harm to them in the immediate, near, or distant future. The creation of the intelligence unit back in 1908 has prevented and protected an uncountable number of people that may never know the effects of the hard work that the Bureau has put in. (Fox, 2013)
FBI Intelligence Requirements
As it may already be assumed, the requirements to be an Intelligence Analyst within the Federal Bureau of Investigations are strict. Before even being considered for an Intelligence Analyst, there are “employment disqualifiers” that you must read through to determine if you even qualify to work for the government. (Unknown, 2018) These include, but are not restricted to not obtaining a U.S. citizenship, the conviction of a felony, illegal drug use, participating in actions that are designed to overthrow the government, leaving a court ordered child support unpaid or failing to file your taxes. (Unknown, 2018) If any of these descriptions apply to you, then you are not even eligible to apply for a job within the Federal Bureau of Investigations. However, if you are not restricted by these disqualifications, you may then move forward into the application for the Intelligence Analyst position.
In addition to the requirements already listed, there are specific qualifications needed to be an Intelligence Analyst. However, these may vary depending on the role and grade of the Intelligence Analyst that the government needs. (Unknown, 2018) Regardless, the candidate chosen needs to have excellent reading, writing, analytical and critical thinking skills as well as the ability to work under pressured time constraints. (Unknown, 2018)
References
Fox, John (2013) Intelligence Analysis and the Bureau: The Evolution of Analysis and the Analyst in the FBI, 1908-2013. Journal of Strategic Security, Volume 6, Page 2.
Gibbs, Whitney W. (2018) A question of Triumph: Effectively Measuring the Success of Intelligence against Terrorism. International Social Science Review, Volume 94, Page 5
Unknown (2018) Intelligence Branch. Retrieved from https://www.fbi.gov/about/leadership-and-structure/intelligence-branch
Unknown (2018) Employment Eligibility. Retrieved from https://fbijobs.gov/working-at-FBI/eligibility
Unknown (2018) A Seamless Link. Retrieved from https://fbijobs.gov/career-paths/intelligence-analysts