Kenneth Foster
University of Phoenix
As this country continues to change and evolve, several issues are still prevalent, such as terrorism. Ever since the 9/11 terrorism attack, the stigma of terrorism has been at the forefront for criminal justice agencies. In a recent situation, several men from Toccoa, GA, were involved in a terrorist plot to blow up government facilities and kill hundreds of human with the use or poison, by way of the bean plant, which is used for killing moles and a key ingredient in ricin, a deadly poison (Severson, Brown, 2011). In this current situation, local and federal law enforcement were involved, and due to local law enforcements initial involvement, it seems that some things were missed, despite the men being apprehended on conspiracy charges. I would have to make a change, and this change would come in the form of more effective information gathering. The benefit of this change for the local law enforcement agency would allow the force to be up to date on any or all information, as it pertains to the citizens of that county or city, as well as sharing vital information with other criminal justice agencies, such as the FBI and ATF. In this particular story, these men were suspected members of the Georgia Militia, and had ties to various off-shoot organizations in the South that oppose the government. The negative consequences of the change may come in the form of Fourth Amendment challenges, and the idea that law enforcement is invading a person’s privacy, which is also protected by the Constitution, but do to the Patriot Act, this has allowed the government and criminal justice agencies to pry into a person’s business and life without consequence. Another negative aspect is the possibility that information can be abused, and according to the IACP “abuse can happen if such operations are not properly organized, focused, and directed” (2003). There are several resources that factor into this change of obtaining information more efficiently and effectively, and human resources play a vocal role, as these individuals in this department would be responsible for record keeping of vital information, whether it may be personnel files, or classified information and assigning resources to assist in various areas of information sharing operations. Human resources is also involved in the planning and resource allocation, and according to Carter “this intelligence function assist in providing information to decision makers about changing the nature of threats, emerging threat idiosyncrasies, and developing strategies and reallocating resources” (2004). There are also financial and management aspect as well, as management will be directed to defining mission statements, staying current with potential threats, and holding individual’s accountable, as possibly deception, abuse, and misguided information can be catastrophic. Management in the role of this change will be constantly on point with the current issue of possible terroristic attacks, so this information can be relayed efficiently, so that action can be taken by the appropriately. Also, the operational procedures, evaluations, and financial responsibilities will be handled by management, and resources will be extracted from other departments within the local force, as well as personnel will be hired in terms of specialization and skills.
References:
Carter, D. L. (November, 2009) Law Enforcement Intelligence: A Guide for State, Local, and Tribal Law Enforcement Agencies. Retrieved on December 11, 2011 from www.cops.usdoj.gov
Severson, K., Brown, R. (November, 2011) Georgia Men Held in Plot to Attack Government. New York Times Retrieved on December 11, 2011 from www.nytimes.com
(July, 2003) IACP National Law Enforcement Policy Center: Criminal Intelligence Retrieved on December 12, 2011 from www.ojp.usdoj.gov
References: Carter, D. L. (November, 2009) Law Enforcement Intelligence: A Guide for State, Local, and Tribal Law Enforcement Agencies. Retrieved on December 11, 2011 from www.cops.usdoj.gov Severson, K., Brown, R. (November, 2011) Georgia Men Held in Plot to Attack Government. New York Times Retrieved on December 11, 2011 from www.nytimes.com (July, 2003) IACP National Law Enforcement Policy Center: Criminal Intelligence Retrieved on December 12, 2011 from www.ojp.usdoj.gov
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