Intelligence-led policing (ILP) is not about solving crimes; it’s about predicting them. It is the ultimate foundation for preventative, proactive policing. Although police officers have been conducting ILP for generations, there was not, until shortly after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, a name for the process. In fairness, there also was not a uniform methodology for doing it correctly. Gathering, analyzing, and making constructive, useful predictions based on the analyzed data, as well as storing data in an easily searchable and retrievable manner, is a science.

This science was refined and is continuously modified and upgraded by the military and organizations that work closely with the military, such as the Defense Intelligence Agency. As such, it is natural to look to these agencies for developmental standards and best practices. The basic practices, procedures, and methods have been adopted incrementally by municipal law enforcement agencies across the United States in the aftermath of 9/11.