| A lack of communication, information sharing, and a centralized and unified intelligence repository to gather, maintain, and analyze intelligence information before the September 11, 2001 (9/11) terrorist attacks limited the ability of U.S. law enforcement to share intelligence. The problem addressed in this case study was the lack of multiagency information exchange by local law enforcement. The purpose of the qualitative case study was to describe the barriers in information exchange local law enforcement agencies experienced on all law enforcement levels and how information exchange could improve. The conceptual framework of the study was to discover barriers to information exchange between local police with all law enforcement levels, and how multiagency information sharing could improve. The study used a case study design and a purposeful sample of 12 law enforcement officers and civilian intelligence analysts working in local intelligence operations at two local police departments in South Florida were interviewed. Study findings were largely consistent with previous literature on multiagency collaboration and information exchange. Four major themes, (a) interpersonal relationships, (b) clearance levels, (c) one-way federal information exchange, and (d) grant funding, as well as four minor themes, (a) fusion center information, (b) turf guarding, (c) Regional Law Enforcement Exchange (RLEX), and (d) database synchronization, emerged from the data analysis. Recommendations for practice included emphasis in interpersonal relationships, networking, and task forces to increase intelligence exchange and improve multiagency collaboration, developing a security policy to prevent improper release and misuse of intelligence, and molding fusion centers to cater to the specific needs of the law enforcement agencies the fusion centers serve. Additionally, law enforcement agencies should use database systems such as the RLEX, which allow police agencies to tap into more than one database in search of information for investigative purposes. Future research should consider a qualitative study with a larger sample of law enforcement agencies within one or several states or a quantitative study, using the study results to develop survey questions to further explore officer or agency perspectives. |
