Description
Background-
Actions and Reactions
Module 7 is another key turning point in our scenario. There is a significant amount of action that has a range of consequences. Aside from the public security concerns you have, there are also public relations concerns. Keeping the public informed, while protecting the integrity of an investigation, can be a fine balance to achieve.
In this module, you will sift through the various happenings and consider the lens through which you are looking. You will also consider public perception and determine how to effectively communicate an appropriate amount of information without jeopardizing sensitive intelligence. This module challenges you to evaluate your biases, as well as those of the media and the public.
Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of Module 7, you will be able to:
Organize, process, and analyze a stream of conflicting and contradictory intelligence.
Anticipate information needs of important groups outside of the formal investigative process, such as the media and the public.
Produce a timely intelligence bulletin for law enforcement partners that provides an appropriate level of detail and protects sources and methods
Please read the following scenario and watch the news inject below before attempting your assignments for this module. Review common cognitive biases by clicking hereLinks to an external site. and reading through the Know Your Bias website.
The Federal District Court decided in favor of The Pack and orders the City of Ann Arbor to issue the requested parade permit. In the court’s opinion, the City of Ann Arbor violated The Pack’s First Amendment rights. The City of Ann Arbor has advised that it will not appeal the Court’s ruling and will issue the permit. The Islamic Center of Detroit, which had filed amicus curiae legal briefs in support of the City of Ann Arbor, issued a statement expressing its disappointment in the Court’s ruling and calling for the Islamic community to exercise its First Amendment rights to protest The Pack during the parade.
The Detroit Police Department advised that the Islamic Center of Detroit has rented ten school buses to transport community members to Ann Arbor on the morning of the scheduled parade. Intelligence further states that the Anti-Pack website has called for members to descend on Ann Arbor to stage a rally against The Pack. FBIHQ intelligence estimates, based on past protests, that approximately 100 members of The Pack will attend the Ann Arbor event and approximately 100 Anti-Pack members will oppose them.
The City of Ann Arbor Mayor’s Office issued a press release stating that although the Mayor was disappointed with the Court’s decision, the city will treat The Pack’s parade as if it were any other parade in the city. The Mayor advised that the Ann Arbor Police Department is capable in handling any security concerns. The Mayor compared the parade to the annual 4th of July parade. The Mayor further stated that he will not “turn his city into a police state” to handle a simple parade. The Chief of Police was quoted as stating that it was his intent to provide a secure environment for all participants while ensuring the peaceful exercise of the First Amendment.
Shortly after the start of the parade, violence erupted when protesters commenced throwing rocks and bottles at the parade participants, which consisted of approximately 75-100 members of The Pack carrying anti-immigration signs and dressed in Nazi regalia. Those identified as throwing rocks and bottles were believed to be members of the Anti-Pack; it was estimated that they numbered approximately 100-150 protesters. These protesters were dressed in black and wearing helmets with their faces covered with bandanas. The violence turned into a riot when the parade participants broke ranks and entered onto the sidewalks of downtown Ann Arbor to confront the Anti-Pack members and members of the Detroit Islamic community.
In the ensuing melee, cars were overturned, fires were set, shop windows were broken, and looting occurred. Reports of gunfire were reported, but were not subsequently verified. The Ann Arbor Police Department was accused of standing by as the mayhem escalated. There were also reports of police officers watching passively for hours as the battle between the warring factions continued into the night. The violence did not come to an end until after 8 hours, when the Governor ordered hundreds of Michigan State Police Officers to assist in restoring order.
In the aftermath, over 60 people were injured, hundreds of thousands of dollars of property damage was recorded, and 75 people were arrested. Five Ann Arbor Police Officers were also injured during the riot. The Ann Arbor Police Officers advised that they became the prime target of the violence once they attempted to stop the melee. On its website, The Pack is calling for immediate retaliation against the Islamic community and the Anti-Pack. The Anti-Pack is claiming that it was the victim of police brutality and is calling for actions against the law enforcement community.
Watch the News
VNN Scenario Inject clipLinks to an external site. (01:29) Click hereLinks to an external site. to download the transcript for the video posted above.
Sox News Scenario Inject clipLinks to an external site. (01:51) Click hereLinks to an external site. to download the transcript for the video posted
above.
As events continue to unfold in unexpected ways, the pace starts to take its toll on your leadership and colleagues. Conflict arises as various units argue over the best course of action. Some want to take an aggressive approach, while some want to wait and see what happens next, believing that things will calm on their own. Additionally, some want to keep information closely held to protect the investigation, while others want to share broadly with the local law enforcement community. You realize that you have to not only be careful about your own preconceived ideas of the groups involved, but also help your team to do the same while being cognizant of how it all looks to the public, and while protecting sensitive information.
Directions
Draft a two-page intelligence bulletin for the law enforcement community. Ensure you supply recommendations on how the police should handle media requests. Make sure that your bulletin takes into account the likely perceptions of what has occurred, and anticipate the questions that will be raised by the media. Additionally, consider what information is likely to be considered law enforcement sensitive (LES), and the ways in which your law enforcement partners can navigate it effectively.
Grading
You will receive a grade ranging from 0-100% based upon the quality of your submission. Your score on this assignment will contribute to your overall course grade. Please refer to the course syllabus for more information regarding how your course grade will be calculated. The grading criteria for this assignment are as follows:
Bulletin includes an accurate and appropriate summary of the core events relevant to its law enforcement audience – 30%
Recommendations for communicating with the media and managing LES information are sound and based on critical analytic thought/appropriate research. Bulletin clearly demonstrates understanding of media biases, disparate public perceptions, and communications strategies for intelligence/law enforcement information. – 25%
Bulletin effectively anticipates likely questions to be posed by the media, based on the scenario’s events. – 25%
Writing/presentation/organization of the bulletin is clear, accurate, and professionally-delivered – 20%As events continue to unfold in unexpected ways, the pace starts to take its toll on your leadership and colleagues. Conflict arises as various units argue over the best course of action. Some want to take an aggressive approach, while some want to wait and see what happens next, believing that things will calm on their own. Additionally, some want to keep information closely held to protect the investigation, while others want to share broadly with the local law enforcement community. You realize that you have to not only be careful about your own preconceived ideas of the groups involved, but also help your team to do the same while being cognizant of how it all looks to the public, and while protecting sensitive information.
Directions
Draft a two-page intelligence bulletin for the law enforcement community. Ensure you supply recommendations on how the police should handle media requests. Make sure that your bulletin takes into account the likely perceptions of what has occurred, and anticipate the questions that will be raised by the media. Additionally, consider what information is likely to be considered law enforcement sensitive (LES), and the ways in which your law enforcement partners can navigate it effectively.
Grading
You will receive a grade ranging from 0-100% based upon the quality of your submission. Your score on this assignment will contribute to your overall course grade. Please refer to the course syllabus for more information regarding how your course grade will be calculated. The grading criteria for this assignment are as follows:
Bulletin includes an accurate and appropriate summary of the core events relevant to its law enforcement audience – 30%
Recommendations for communicating with the media and managing LES information are sound and based on critical analytic thought/appropriate research. Bulletin clearly demonstrates understanding of media biases, disparate public perceptions, and communications strategies for intelligence/law enforcement information. – 25%
Bulletin effectively anticipates likely questions to be posed by the media, based on the scenario’s events. – 25%
Writing/presentation/organization of the bulletin is clear, accurate, and professionally-delivered – 20%As events continue to unfold in unexpected ways, the pace starts to take its toll on your leadership and colleagues. Conflict arises as various units argue over the best course of action. Some want to take an aggressive approach, while some want to wait and see what happens next, believing that things will calm on their own. Additionally, some want to keep information closely held to protect the investigation, while others want to share broadly with the local law enforcement community. You realize that you have to not only be careful about your own preconceived ideas of the groups involved, but also help your team to do the same while being cognizant of how it all looks to the public, and while protecting sensitive information.
Directions
Draft a two-page intelligence bulletin for the law enforcement community. Ensure you supply recommendations on how the police should handle media requests. Make sure that your bulletin takes into account the likely perceptions of what has occurred, and anticipate the questions that will be raised by the media. Additionally, consider what information is likely to be considered law enforcement sensitive (LES), and the ways in which your law enforcement partners can navigate it effectively.
Grading
You will receive a grade ranging from 0-100% based upon the quality of your submission. Your score on this assignment will contribute to your overall course grade. Please refer to the course syllabus for more information regarding how your course grade will be calculated. The grading criteria for this assignment are as follows:
Bulletin includes an accurate and appropriate summary of the core events relevant to its law enforcement audience – 30%
Recommendations for communicating with the media and managing LES information are sound and based on critical analytic thought/appropriate research. Bulletin clearly demonstrates understanding of media biases, disparate public perceptions, and communications strategies for intelligence/law enforcement information. – 25%
Bulletin effectively anticipates likely questions to be posed by the media, based on the scenario’s events. – 25%
Writing/presentation/organization of the bulletin is clear, accurate, and professionally-delivered – 20%
