Understanding the value and danger of intelligence sources

This chapter offers an overview of current and emerging intelligence sources, providing a critical assessment of their strengths and weaknesses. Two elements run through this discussion. The first is the overt-covert continuum and its implications for policing. The second is the gap between theory and practice, which is illustrated using operational examples. To provide a framework, the chapter divides intelligence sources into three categories. The first examines the different types of intelligence generated by human sources (HUMINT), both internal and external to the police. The second category explores the intelligence opportunities provided through technological and scientific methods. This will include elements such as CCTV, Forensic, and Behavioural sciences. The final category discusses the emergence of open-source intelligence (OSINT) and the sophisticated opportunities analysts now have in obtaining accessible information from the internet.