Intelligence-led policing

Disclaimer: This research paper does not necessarily reflect the policy position of the Commonwealth Government. Adam Graycar Director This paper is timely, given that policing is currently going through a period of significant change in both operational tactics and organisational structures. New ideas in crime reduction and changes to shortand longterm policing strategies are underway. Intelligence-led policing represents a recent approach and is one of the more prevalent of the current “shifts in crime control philosophy and policing practice” (Maguire 2000). Surprisingly, given the wide distribution of the term “intelligence-led policing”, considerable confusion remains in regard to its actual meaning to both front-line officers and police management. This paper provides an introduction to intelligence-led policing and discusses some of the related limitations and opportunities.