Intelligence-led policing: an examination of intelligence practices in the policing of organized crime in Ontario

The governance of organized crime has become a prominent feature of law enforcement agendas internationally. According to the intelligence-led policing model, criminal intelligence units perform a vital role in the policing of organized crime through the collection, analysis and dissemination of tactical and strategic intelligence. This research provides an in-depth examination of the operation of criminal intelligence units in Ontario, Canada with respect to the policing of organized crime. In particular, social network analysis concepts and variables are used to develop a better understanding of the current structures and processes through which criminal intelligence operate. In doing so, three principal research questions are examined. First, do criminal intelligence practices follow the principles promoted in the intelligence-led policing model and are there any differences between municipal, provincial and federal police intelligence? Second, how important are informal communication networks to the exchange of information in the intelligence network? Finally, what structural attributes does the intelligence network exhibit and how do these attributes affect criminal intelligence operation? A qualitative participant interview research design was employed to gather data on intelligence officers’ perceptions of intelligence-led policing, various attributes of the intelligence network, the primary mechanisms responsible for effective intelligence operation, and perceptions of organized crime and the policing of organized crime. In total, 30 intelligence officers were interviewed from municipal (21), provincial (7) and federal (2) intelligence units throughout central and south-western Ontario. Interviews were conducted between April and September, 2007. The research revealed a number of important findings, including: significant divergence between municipal and provincial intelligence practices and the ILP model; significant differences in the role and function of criminal intelligence at each police level; reliance on informal communication networks rather than formal intelligence systems; intelligence practices and structural attributes restrict creative and innovative thinking; and police continue to perceive and police organized crime according to a hierarchical, ‘group oriented’ perspective