National Criminal Intelligence Resource Center (NCIRC)

MODEL POLICIES

This section includes links to model policies related to criminal intelligence initiatives, fusion centers, information sharing, and privacy/civil liberties protection initiatives.

Assessing and Managing the Terrorism Threat: The monograph Assessing and Managing the Terrorism Threat explains risk assessment, how it is conducted, and how it fits into the risk management process. The monograph defines terms used in risk management—including threat, vulnerability, and criticality assessment—and provides a utilitarian risk management methodology. It also discusses how local practices are being adapted to implement the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) State Homeland Security Assessment and Strategy Program.
Engaging the Private Sector to Promote Homeland Security: Law Enforcement-Private Security Partnerships: The article Engaging the Private Sector to Promote Homeland Security: Law Enforcement-Private Security Partnerships provides background information on law enforcement-private security partnerships, discusses why these partnerships are important to homeland security, supplies information that enables police chiefs and sheriffs to make partnerships successful, and profiles a number of law enforcement-private security partnerships that local and state agencies might consider replicating.
Homeland Security Intelligence: Perceptions, Statutory Definitions and Approaches: This report provides a potential conceptual model of how to frame homeland security intelligence (HSINT), including geographic, structural/statutory, and holistic approaches. The report argues that there is, in effect, a Homeland Security Intelligence Community (HSIC). The proliferation of intelligence and information fusion centers across the country indicates that state and local leaders believe there is value to centralizing intelligence gathering and analysis in a manner that assists them in preventing and responding to local manifestations of terrorist threats to their people, infrastructure, and other assets. At the policy and operational levels, the communication and integration of federal HSINT efforts with these state and local fusion centers will likely remain an important priority and future challenge.
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)—Fusion Center: The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the creation of a fusion center is intended to set forth guidelines regarding the establishment of a particular fusion center. The purpose of the MOU, including but not limited to providing framework, defining the working relationship, and outlining the intent of the parties involved in the fusion center, is depicted. The MOU explains the objective of enhancing the ability of law enforcement to predict, prevent, and respond to unlawful activity and terrorist threats. Such items as organization, management, distribution of work, financial obligations, security, and privacy are also discussed in the MOU.
Model Policy: Privacy Policy: Model Policy: Privacy Policy discusses the privacy policy for fusion center databases. The author explains what policies must be in place in order to ensure the integrity of the information provided in the databases. The guide examines the collection limitation, data quality, use limitation, security safeguards, and openness of the information provided, as well as the individual participation and accountability of those agencies who take part in the fusion center databases.
Criminal Intelligence File Guidelines: The Criminal Intelligence File Guidelines, prepared by the Law Enforcement Intelligence Unit (LEIU), are provided to promote professionalism, provide protections for citizens’ privacy, and enable law enforcement agencies to collect information in pursuit of organized crime entities. These guidelines outline the standards for a file structure that agencies can use as a check-and-balance system. The file guidelines include the definition of the criminal intelligence file; file content; file criteria such as permanent status and temporary status; information evaluation, classification, and source; and quality control, as well as file dissemination, review, purge, and security.
Criminal Intelligence: Model Policy: Criminal Intelligence: Model Policy outlines model guidelines and principles for the collection, analysis, and distribution of intelligence information. This guide details each element of a policy including the purpose, policy descriptions, term definitions, and procedures, such as the mission, organization, standards, compilation and analysis of intelligence, evaluation of material, filing, classification, and auditing and purging of the files.
Statewide Intelligence System Control Group Sample Memorandum of Understanding: The document Statewide Intelligence System Control Group Sample Memorandum of Understanding describes the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between a law enforcement agency and the Statewide Intelligence System (SIS) control group. The MOU discusses the objectives and composition of the SIS control group, applicability, implementation, and authority of the MOU, and the amendments and termination rights as signing agencies of the MOU.
The Public Record: Information Privacy and Access—A New Framework for Finding the Balance: The Public Record: Information Privacy and Access—A New Framework for Finding the Balance discusses the need for a framework for policymakers to evaluate when and how the law should protect privacy and access interests and how to balance the maintenance of the essential public records infrastructure with legitimate concerns about harm that may result from inappropriate use. According to this article, legislative, administrative, and judicial experience suggests 12 principles that should help guide the process of balancing access and information privacy. These include, but are not limited to, policymakers identifying and evaluating conflicting interests; limits to access to protect privacy being effective and no more restrictive than necessary; no secret public records; and information policy that must ensure the security of the public record infrastructure.
Justice Information Privacy Guideline: Developing, Drafting, and Assessing Privacy Policy for Justice Information Systems: Justice Information Privacy Guideline: Developing, Drafting, and Assessing Privacy Policy for Justice Information Systems discusses the goal of a justice agency privacy policy to preserve the integrity and effectiveness of public safety and civil justice functions, protect the individual from inappropriate use or release of personal information, and promote public access for oversight of the justice process. This guide aims to provide assistance for those who seek to balance public safety, public access, and privacy when developing information privacy policies for their agency’s systems. The key to developing policies for both civil and criminal justice information is to consider the type of information and the context in which it is shared within or released outside the justice system. The guide explains how some privacy issues can be addressed through information collection and use and provides specific direction on how to employ good collection and use practices. This guide also provides background discussion on information privacy policy issues, followed by tools or templates, to assist in drafting privacy policies, and a privacy impact assessment to test their effectiveness.
Privacy, Civil Liberties, and Information Quality Policy Development for the Justice Decision Maker: Privacy and information quality policies protect agencies and make it easier to share information. The Privacy and Information Quality Policy Development for the Justice Decision Maker is a resource that justice and public safety leaders can use to make the best business decisions on privacy and information quality for their information sharing systems. The guideline provides the framework and outlines the approach for an agency to use when developing or reevaluating their privacy and information policies.