Former New York City Police Commissioner and Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton said Tuesday that it was important for local police agencies to exchange and coordinate information with the CIA regarding terrorism.

“In dealing with information intelligence as it relates to terrorism, the CIA has a lot of information that is appropriate for use by American police forces,” he said.

ADVERTISEMENT

He noted that most terrorists were homegrown, not foreigners.

“So what you really do need is a cohesive exchange of information — always within the law,” Bratton added. “And if you recall the law actually helped to create the 9/11 incident, when the law prohibited the CIA and the FBI from exchanging information.”

It was recently revealed that the New York Police Department may have illegally collaborated with the CIA to establish a domestic intelligence program. The CIA is allowed to provide local law enforcement with “specialized equipment, technical knowledge or assistance of expert personnel,” but only if the agency’s general counsel approves of the arrangement.

Bratton said that the LAPD had coordinated with the CIA as well.

“We had interactions with the CIA in the sense of meeting with them from time to time, certainly, just in order to make them aware of our capabilities and our needs,” he explained. “There is nothing that precludes that.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Watch video, courtesy of Current TV, below: