Auditing and Information Sharing
Principles
Effective information sharing between agencies and organisations is important in identifying and analysing problems at both a regional and local level. This can then prove invaluable and assist in the decision making process allowing resources to be targeted strategically. Processed data that has been provided by the Police (information) can then used by the CDRP in the decision making process (knowledge). The diagram below illustrates this.
Raw and unprocessed
Data that has been processed and that has a meaning
Information that is used to make a valued decision
However, for this process to operate efficiently, data must have three qualities that ensure that it can be used productively. These are:
- The data must be accurate
- The data must be relevant
- The data must be up-to-date
These qualities are important for CDRPs as they need accurate, relevant and up-to-date data to be able to construct their local strategies and target resources accordingly. If the data provided is incorrect, attempting to reduce crime and disorder in the local area will be hampered.
Successful information sharing between organisations relies on co-operation and communication. Organisations must understand the aims and objectives of other agencies in an attempt to understand their information needs. Practitioners must therefore understand what information the other organisation requires, how often the data needs to be provided, along with ensuring that the data is updated accordingly.
Question
What kind of information do you need to help you carry out your job? It might be useful at this point to list the type of information you use, where you get it from and any difficulties you have in obtaining it.
The Relevant Legislation
Section 5(2)(c) of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 provides the details of persons or bodies required to co-operate with the Police and Local Authority in the formulation and implementation of the local Crime and Disorder Strategy. These include:
- Local Authority
- Chief Officers of Police
- Police Authorities
- Health Authorities
- Probation Committees
- Parish Council
- Community Councils (Scotland only)
- National Health Trust
- Governing Bodies of Schools
- The Proprietors of Independent Schools
- The Governing Bodies of an Institution within the Further or Higher Education Sectors
Section 115 of the Act permits the agencies listed above to share information in order to fulfil any legitimate crime reduction purpose or objective outlined in their Crime and Disorder Strategy. Currently Section 115 provides only a power to share information and it does not contain an overriding requirement to disclose. Therefore, the information that can be shared under the Crime and Disorder Act should be that which is needed for general crime and disorder analysis, and must be de-personalised. The Act does not allow the disclosure of personal information for crime and disorder purposes. The Data Protection Act 1998 aims to protect the exchange of personal information. Later we will look at how some changes to section 115 of the Act will make data sharing easier.
Under the Data Protection Act 1998, personal data must, for example:
- be obtained only for specified and lawful purposes, and not be further processed in any manner incompatible with that purpose or those purposes;
- be adequate, relevant and not excessive in relation to the purpose or purposes for which they are processed, and;
- not be kept for longer than is necessary for that purpose or those purposes.
However, section 55 of the Data Protection Act states that one can lawfully obtain personal data if necessary for the purpose of preventing or detecting crime, and if, in those particular circumstances, the obtaining, disclosing or procuring is justified as being in the pubic interest.
Information Sharing Protocols
Sometimes community safety practitioners are so focused on their own organisation’s targets and aims they forget the wider context of crime prevention and community safety. Different organisations and agencies have different aims and objectives, so effective communication between organisations is important. Different organisations may have a different understanding of the same concept, so it is important to be clear about what information is necessary.
Information sharing protocols can help with communication and clarity. Help and advice in this area can be found on the Home Office Crime Reduction Website (Intelligence and Information) www.crimereduction.co.uk/toolkits/ui04.htm
Information protocols highlight key areas and important factors that need to be considered. This final point takes into consideration problems that might be experienced technologically. An IT system implemented at one organisation may not be compatible with that at another organisation, presenting problems with transferring information. It is therefore important that the compatibility of IT systems is addressed and re-addressed with the implementation of new technological developments.
It is important for practitioners to build relationships with those in other agencies. Having well established contacts within an organisation can prove invaluable when information is required promptly. It is important for managers to understand this as well, by allowing their staff to build up contacts. Having more than one contact within an organisation then reduces the risk of losing the contact entirely once an individual leaves that particular organisation. Information sharing should be reciprocal throughout the organisations, ensuring that everyone is helping others in their common aim to reduce crime and disorder and to promote community safety.
Question
Does your organisation and partnership have an information sharing protocol? Get hold of a copy and find out about what the protocol covers, how you share information and what kind of data you can get access to.
Does the protocol help you obtain the information you need in order to do your job correctly. If not what are the difficulties in obtaining it and how could they be overcome?
Information Sharing and the Crime and Disorder Act Review
In Part One of this guide we looked at how the review of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 will affect partnerships. One of the main areas under review is information sharing and auditing needs.
The review stresses the need for partnerships to be more intelligence-led, building up an ‘…up-to-date, comprehensive picture of local community safety…’ and several changes to the way they work are being brought in. These include:
- adapting the police National Intelligence Model (NIM) to partnerships
- replacing three year audits of crime and disorder with regular strategic assessments, at least on a six monthly basis
- replacing the current system of triennial audits and strategies with a requirement for annual rolling three year community safety plans
- strengthening section 115 of the Crime and Disorder Act, which gives relevant agencies the power to disclose information by making it a duty to share depersonalised data.
The strategic assessments and rolling three year plans will need to be firmly integrated with Local Area Agreements as well as local thematic plans such as the Local Policing Plan, the Youth Justice Plan and the Children and Young People Strategic Plan.
These changes should help to make information sharing and auditing a much more dynamic and responsive process.
National Intelligence Model (NIM)
The Police National Intelligence Model. (NIM) was originally launched by the National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS). It was adopted by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) in 2000 when the government placed NIM at the centre of the Police Reform Agenda. It has proved to be a successful model and its use will soon be extended to all agencies within CDRPs.
Currently NIM is applied to crime at all levels, non-crime including antisocial behaviour and community cohesion, offenders and reassurance agendas, including working with partners. NIM works by:
- providing greater consistency of policing across the UK
- allowing operational strategies to focus on key priorities
- allowing more officers to focus on solving priority problems and targeting the most active offenders
- achieving greater compliance with human rights legislation and the Regulation of Investigation Powers Act (RIPA)
- informing the management of risk
- providing more informed business planning and a greater link to operational policing issues
- improving direction and briefing of patrols
- reducing rates of persistent offenders through targeting the most prolific
- improving integration with partner agencies.
Further information on NIM can be found at http://www.police.uk/nim2.
Question
Does your organisation use NIM, or is it planning to implement it in the near future? At this stage it would be helpful to ask someone in your organisation or a police partner to explain what use is made of NIM in your CDRP. If you have a data analyst attached to your CDRP they will be able to explain about NIM and any other information sharing tools available to help you.
If you are already using NIM how does it help you obtain and analyse data? What are the benefits of using NIM and can you identify any potential problems?
Summary
Information sharing between agencies is an important element in attempting to reduce crime and
disorder The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 encourages the collaboration of information sharing to target resources productively
Partners can be reluctant or fearful to share information due to legislative fears for which clear guidance needs to be provided Information sharing requires organisations to communicate clearly and effectively with one another
Information sharing can depend heavily on the capabilities of differing IT systems in operation The Crime and Disorder Act Review will alter the way CDRPs share information and introduce the National Intelligence Model (NIM) into all partnership agencies.
