3 insights from the 2023 National Intelligence Conference

Fuelled by international instability, rising living costs, and advancements in technology, Serious Organised Crime (SOC) poses a growing challenge.  

Criminal activities such as drug trafficking, child sexual exploitation, fraud, and money laundering continue to threaten the safety and security of communities, while firearms continue to become more accessible.  

To effectively combat these crimes, there is an urgent need for improved intelligence, prevention measures, and innovative approaches by law enforcement to keep pace with criminals and better protect citizens.  

Clue Software attended and sponsored the National Intelligence Conference 2023. In this article, we explore three insights discussed across the expert-led agenda.  

Supporting and engaging with communities for prevention 

A crucial strategy highlighted at the conference was the “Clear Hold Build” approach, being implemented across policing to address the harms caused by SOC at the local level.  

This strategy focuses on communities affected by serious organised crime, aiming to clear criminal elements through intelligence-led enforcement operations, hold the ground through multi-agency partnerships, and contribute to building improved community infrastructure.  

Speakers emphasised this sustained approach in tackling SOC; by generating trust and fostering strong relationships with communities, law enforcement gains access to valuable intelligence and leads that aid in preventing crime. 

However, this community-focused approach is dependent on trust and confidence, which are both under serious strain across the country. A key component to building back trust and confidence will be ensuring integrity, through effective vetting, professional standards, and counter-corruption work. Strong intelligence foundations and the ability to securely and rapidly share will be vital to success.  

Open technology and data sharing to support intelligence 

By establishing a technology infrastructure that allows seamless integration and information sharing, law enforcement agencies can enhance their intelligence capabilities and improve overall effectiveness. The conference recognised a need for significant improvements here, highlighting counter-corruption as a key focus area.  

Addressing the challenges of data sharing requires a collaborative effort and fostering a culture of information exchange to overcome defensive attitudes; law enforcement must demand open and interoperable systems from vendors, ensuring they have the structure to securely and seamlessly share data and information.  

A wider transition to open architecture is “essential” for implementing technology to better leverage growing volumes of data from a multitude of sources. 

Innovation with technology to keep pace with criminals 

As criminals adopt new technologies like 3D-printed firearms, generative AI, and cybercrime tactics, law enforcement agencies are harnessing technological innovations to enhance their intelligence capabilities. Advancements highlighted include auto redaction of text and video while RPA (Robotic Process Automation) offers a valuable tool for data cleansing and deduplication, saving significant amounts of officer time.  

Emphasising again the need for open standards and interoperability, the ready integration of these technologies with existing systems is crucial. By embracing innovation to harness intelligence, law enforcement can better anticipate, prevent, and respond to evolving criminal threats. 

Final thoughts 

The national intelligence community faces a significant challenge in keeping pace with ever-evolving criminal tactics.  

The National Intelligence Conference reinforced the need for law enforcement agencies to work collaboratively, build trust with communities, break down data siloes, prioritise open standards, and continue to embrace new and interoperable technologies. 

Did you join us at the National Intelligence Conference? Our Head of Policing & Government Matt Horne would love to talk about your experience and tell you more about how Clue is helping organisations gather intelligence to drive preventative strategies.