A previous article on the relationship between intelligence and surveillance highlighted the need for a reciprocal exchange between these two functions. The article indicated that surveillance has a major part to play in following through and leveraging the intelligence information. In addition, it was also mentioned that surveillance can play a major role in testing out assumptions and providing a whole range of details to enhance the intelligence process.
However, surveillance is often done in a relatively unstructured manner, relying on operators to generate information they think is relevant. In many cases much of this operator generated information is not followed up, even such things as occurrence book notes. One of the main needs for surveillance contributions to intelligence is a systematic way of recording and passing on information.
The starting point for CCTV surveillance contributions to intelligence include environmental, traffic, target and event intelligence information (Corkill and Donald, 2003)*. Environmental intelligence includes disclosure on changes in the environment, and as importantly, the effects of structural changes on the behaviours of personnel observed. An example is avoidance behaviour in a diamond mine on the day that they introduced an X-ray screening function at the exit to the access control. By picking up the behaviour of personnel who realised the X-ray machine was suddenly operational, it was possible to detect the dropping off of diamonds that led to a later arrest of an individual.
The same kind of concept applies to reactions of drivers approaching police road blocks who react adversely when they see the police. Areas where people may be hiding stolen material may also be revealed through thorough environmental surveillance, movement patterns, and amounts of time within certain locations within the environment.
Target intelligence
Target intelligence relates to targets that need to be acquired because of signs relating to their behaviour, or to currently identified targets about whom more needs to be known. Surveillance can be used for more in-depth profiling to get a better perspective on the person and to look at consistencies of behaviour and lifestyle. This lifestyle analysis could include clothing, accessories and vehicles used. Alternatively, aspects of crime related behaviour could be looked at, including business or potential risk areas entered by the target, reactions to different people (including the presence of security or police), and details and behaviours of contacts and associates. Identification of contacts and further profiling could, for example, lead to the identification of a syndicate group currently operating in an environment. Identification of illegal number plates through automated number recognition via camera could provide leads by stopping cars with this characteristic - in a UK trial significant signs of criminal behaviour were found among vehicles stopped in such a manner.
Movement and flow analysis
Movement and flow analysis intelligence relates to how people move relative to the normal or established flow of people, vehicles, or even events within standard situations. Deviations from typical movement may reflect areas of concern or indicators that unusual or incident type actions that may be about to occur, or in the act of occurring. Movement profiling can also help identify or confirm issues such as drug dealing (the movement and positioning of both dealers and clients), theft hotspots, and intentions of people. Deviations from expected timing can also be an element in movement analysis.
Event and incident intelligence
Event and incident intelligence provides in-depth descriptions of event activity before, during and after the event. Who, where, what, when and how are questions that would solicit answers and are characteristic of questions that intelligence professionals are trained to examine. Not all information is necessarily contained on tape or DVR, and surveillance operators need to have a broader context on events and incidents that occur in the area of concern. Also, the potential to link events together that may, at first glance, seem unrelated but can be drawn together because of an ongoing familiarity with the situation being observed.
The data being generated by surveillance also needs to cater for a number of other criteria. As indicated above, information recorded by surveillance functions needs to be passed on in such a way that it will be useful and match the needs to intelligence. Management and protection of data is also increasingly an issue with a need to protect the confidentiality and use of information and ensure the rights of individuals are protected. While this is a major concern in the UK with regard to public area surveillance, it is likely to increasingly become an issue more broadly and in South Africa as well and has implications for intelligence.
Finally, the need to have a coherent and supportive interaction between intelligence and surveillance to maintain the integrity of respective findings is a critical issue.
*Jeff Corkill and Craig Donald. Intelligence led surveillance in CCTV today, 10.2.2003.
Dr Craig Donald is an industrial psychologist and specialist in human factors in security and CCTV. He is the co-developer of the Surveillance and Monitoring Assessment Exercise (SAMAE) for the selection and placement of CCTV operators and presenter of the CCTV Surveillance Skills training course. He can be contacted on telephone: 011 787 7811, fax: 011 886 6815, or e-mail: [email protected]
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