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L.A. police use intel networks against terror
Los Angeles has one of the few big-city police departments with a dedicated counterterrorism intelligence program.
| I'm under the impressions that New York City is another. |
"We've tried to institutionalize the idea of [counterterrorism] within the department so that people become collectors. People know what the threat is, they understand the threat domain, they know who the adversary is, what the capability is, what the intent is."
Until several years ago, only 30 members of the police department engaged in counterterrorism intelligence work. That number grew to 750 in November after the special operations branch was added to the 300-member unit of officers working the intelligence operations against terrorists.
| LA has 750 officers doing intel? Who's patrolling the streets? |
The department's intelligence branch uses a "hunt-and-pursue" strategy employing analysts who study data collected by police and networks of recruited informants and other surveillance to identify groups or people planning attacks. Police forces then act to disrupt the operations.
"We spend an enormous amount of time observing prayer, going to festivals, going to events, showing that we are not just asking for these communities for a buy-in, but we want enrollment, participation," Chief Downing said.
"We've got some equipment that is pretty incredible," he said. "If a Mumbai-style attack happened here, it would not last 60 hours, I'll tell you that. It would last 30 minutes and they might have them contained in a building."
| Not to mention that some of the citizenry goes about armed. Quite a comforting thought. |
Posted by: 2011-04-13 |
