A critical view over the absence of a general protocol for the integration of agencies in Public Security Intelligence

Abstract

Public security policies and programs require constant improvement by the State agencies responsible for carrying out preventive and repressive actions in this area. There is a growing and dynamic set of criminal activities that require, as a response, a specialized service for identifying, collecting, analyzing and disseminating information that guides decisions and effective interventions by security agencies. Public security intelligence plays a crucial role in this regard, and several organizations have been integrated through the Public Security Intelligence Subsystem - SISP, regulated by Decree 3695/2000. The objectives involve identifying and assessing threats and producing information and knowledge to support measures that neutralize and repress criminal acts. For this, intelligence agencies, such as the Brazilian Intelligence Agency, the Federal Police, the Federal Highway Police, the Financial Activities Control Council, the Federal Revenue Service, the Ministry of Defense, the National Secretariat for Public Security, and the military and civil polices from the states (these in an agreed manner) must, respecting the respective competences of each member of the system, join forces for the implementation and improvement of public security intelligence in the country. However, the absence of a specific protocol for directing managers and operators of the intelligence activity to achieve the intended objectives represents an important unfavorable factor to the effectiveness of the actions within the scope of the SISP.