Crime Reduction - Helping to Reduce Crime in Your Area

Information Information Sharing

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Background

Confident and effective information exchange is the key to multi-agency crime reduction work. It relies on good relations between partners and can reflect the effectiveness of the partnership as a whole.

Office of the Information Commissioner and Home Office Statement

'The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 provides a legal basis for data sharing whilst the Data Protection Act 1998 provides a legal framework for good practice in handling personal information. These acts should facilitate responsible information sharing between agencies in pursuit of a reduction in crime and disorder. They should be seen as regulating rather than prohibiting.'

Why we should share information

Bringing resources together through responsible information sharing reveals a more accurate picture of what is going on in the local area. This improves analysis, decision making and better informs resource allocation.

Why information has not been shared

Barriers to effective information sharing have included:

Misconceived ideas about legislation governing information sharing, particularly data protection legislation.
A lack of guidance and plain language explanations.
An absence of formal protocols between Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships.
A tendency to take an overly cautious approach.
A lack of awareness of the benefits