Intelligence-led Policing - Crime Prevention Implications

Crime Prevention Implications

Often viewed as a management tool instead of a crime reduction strategy. Jerry Ratcliffe gives ten benefits to the use of intelligence led policing.

1. Supportive and informed command structure

2. Intelligence‐led policing is the heart of an organization‐wide approach

3. Integrated crime and criminal analysis

4. Focus on prolific and serious offenders

5. Analytical and executive training available

6. Both strategic and tactical tasking meetings take place

7. Much routine investigation is screened out

8. Data are sufficiently complete, reliable and available to support quality products that influence decision‐making

9. Management structures exist to action intelligence products

10. Appropriate use of prevention, disruption and enforcement

These ten yard sticks all help prevent crime by creating a police force that is more efficient with the resources available to them. There is also a growing recognition within policing that external agencies may hold the key to long-term crime reduction. These agencies, such as local councils, housing authorities, and health and education departments, have a greater potential to impact on a wider range of causal factors, and the police are well placed as the "gatekeepers" to much crime information (Ericson & Haggerty 1997). Also as agencies share information amongst each other this creates a larger network of intelligence which when used effectively will create a substantial decrease in crime (Ratcliffe,2003)