Intelligence in policing is more than just gathering information. The first step in the intelligence process is deciding what information is necessary and the best way to obtain it. Once that is determined, the second step is to gather information from all available sources. Third, the data must be evaluated to determine what is useful. The fourth step is to analyze all the data determined to be useful. This is done by crime analysis and investigative analysis. The fifth step, dissemination, is getting the information to the people who need it. The last step is to reevaluate and get feedback to determine if the intelligence gathered was productive. This six step process is constant and ongoing in police work. The time spent on this process
