Intelligence-Led Policing Strategy Strives to Proactively Stop Crime

By Ed Scarpo
Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco was an officer in Fairfax, Va., in 2001, when terrorists crashed an airliner into the Pentagon, reports the St. Petersburg Times.

The images and emotions of 9/11 never left Nocco, who announced last week that he's taking the Sheriff's Office in a new direction. He plans to implement a method called "intelligence-led policing," an approach that has gained steam since the terrorist attacks. It focuses on agencies gathering intelligence and sharing that information within their departments and with other local, state and federal agencies. It's part homeland security, but also a method of tracking and taking down organized crime.

For instance, one county might have two convenience store robberies. A bordering county might have had a rash of four. In intelligence-led policing, these agencies would share information to help catch the crook. The idea is that criminals don't respect or care about county or city lines and that law enforcement will catch more by working together.

"Instead of being reactive," Nocco said, "we are going to be proactive."

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