Procedures for the Co-operation of Law Enforcement Institutions in Prevention and Combating of Crime

Issued pursuant to
Section 72, Paragraph one, Clause 2
of the State Administration Structure Law

I. General Provisions

1. The purpose of this Instruction is to specify unified procedures for the co-operation of State institutions the competence of which includes prevention and combating of crime (hereinafter - the law enforcement institutions).

2. In order to take optimal decisions on the necessary actions for the prevention and combating of crime, as well as to objectively define the priorities in the prevention and combating of crime, the law enforcement institutions, based on the results obtained in criminal intelligence, shall co-operate:

2.1. at a strategic level to ensure a unified State policy for the prevention and combating of crime;

2.2. at a tactical level to ensure coordinated and optimal action of the law enforcement institutions according to the priorities defined for combating crime;

2.3. at an operational level to obtain information and knowledge on criminal offences and the persons who have committed such offences, the influencing factors, dynamics and impact (threat), as well as to ensure coordinated action.

3. Criminal intelligence is a set of specific actions and processes in order to obtain knowledge on criminal offences, the persons who have committed such offences, the influencing factors, dynamics and impact (threat), to prevent, in a timely manner, criminal offences from being committed, to uncover criminal offences, and to identify the persons who have committed such offences, as well as to reduce increase in crime and the overall consequences thereof on the basis of the analysis of the information at the disposal of the law enforcement institutions.

II. Analytical Reports of Criminal Intelligence

4. The analytical reports of criminal intelligence are documents drafted by the law enforcement institutions either independently or through mutual co-operation containing information regarding the current situation in the field of crime, crime area, or an individual phenomenon of crime, the contributing factors, the prevention and combating measures implemented and to be implemented. The analytical reports of criminal intelligence are prepared on the basis of a single methodology for analytical work.

5. The following analytical reports of criminal intelligence shall be prepared:

5.1. a strategic assessment which characterises the crime situation, the development trends and phenomena, identifies the long-term problems, as well as determines the priorities in the prevention and combating of crime on the basis of the assessment of the situation within the scope of one year and a longer period of time, the most important tasks within the scope of priorities, and the resources necessary for the performance of such tasks;

5.2. a tactical assessment which characterises the actual situation and development trends in the specific crime areas, as well as defines short-term tasks for the prevention and combating of crime;

5.3. a problem profile which characterises individual crimes, their nature, danger, and spread in order to implement joint investigative or other measures on the basis of such information;

5.4. a target profile which identifies the persons or criminal groups who have committed criminal offences, the nature of their activity and danger, as well as the measures to be implemented in order to prevent and uncover criminal activities;

5.5. other analytical reports, where necessary.

6. Conformity with the provisions for the protection of restricted access information and information containing official secrets laid down in laws and regulations shall be ensured in preparation of analytical reports of criminal intelligence and exchange of information.

III. Criminal Intelligence Co-operation Institutions

7. The following working groups for the co-operation of the law enforcement institutions shall be established for coordinated implementation of the crime prevention and combating policy:

7.1. a management working group of the law enforcement institutions;

7.2. an expert working group of the law enforcement institutions (hereinafter - the interinstitutional expert group);

7.3. an expert working group of the law enforcement institutions for specialised tasks (hereinafter - the specialised interinstitutional expert group).

8. The management working group of the law enforcement institutions shall ensure exchange of the necessary information among the law enforcement institutions and coordinate their actions to facilitate coordinated and optimal operation of the law enforcement institutions according to the priorities defined for combating crime.

9. The management working group of the law enforcement institutions shall consist of:

9.1. the Chief of the State Police (the head of the management working group of the law enforcement institutions);

9.2. the Chief of the State Border Guard;

9.3. the Chief of the Security Police;

9.4. the Director of the Financial Police Department of the State Revenue Service;

9.5. the Director of the Customs Police Department of the State Revenue Service;

9.6. the Director of the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau;

9.7. the Commander of the Military Police;

9.8. the head of the Prisons Administration;

9.9. the Prosecutor General or his or her authorised prosecutor;

9.10. the head of the Office for Prevention of Laundering of Proceeds Derived from Criminal Activity;

9.11. the Chief of the Internal Security Bureau.

10. The management working group of the law enforcement institutions shall assess:

10.1. the proposals for priority crime prevention and combating directions and decide on priorities in the prevention and combating of crime to be supported;

10.2. the analytical reports of criminal intelligence;

10.3. the tasks to be carried out for the implementation of priorities and action plans in the prevention and combating of crime and the results of the tasks carried out;

10.4. the proposals for the funds from the State budget necessary, in addition, for the implementation of priority measures in the prevention and combating of crime;

10.5. the identified problems of organisation, circulation of information or other topical problems, and proposals for solving of such problems.

11. The interinstitutional expert group shall coordinate continuous co-operation of the law enforcement institutions in the fields of criminal intelligence, collection and analysis of information regarding criminal intelligence, preparation and methodological management of the analytical reports of criminal intelligence, as well as provide written proposals on the tasks and measures to be implemented for the prevention and combating of crime.

12. The interinstitutional expert group shall consist of representatives delegated by the following institutions:

12.1. the State Police (the head of the interinstitutional expert group);

12.2. the State Border Guard;

12.3. the Security Police;

12.4. the Financial Police Department of the State Revenue Service;

12.5. the Customs Police Department of the State Revenue Service;

12.6. the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau;

12.7. the Prisons Administration;

12.8. the Military Police;

12.9. the Office for Prevention of Laundering of Proceeds Derived from Criminal Activity;

12.10. the Internal Security Bureau;

12.11. the Office of the Prosecutor General.

13. The interinstitutional expert group shall:

13.1. ensure the collection, analysis, and exchange of the following information among the law enforcement institutions:

13.1.1. information characterising the crime situation and development trends;

13.1.2. information regarding individual crime areas and crimes, their nature and spread;

13.1.3. information regarding problems and circumstances promoting crime;

13.1.4. information regarding the measures to be implemented for the prevention and combating of crime, as well as the results of such measures;

13.2. assess and provide proposals on priority crime prevention and combating directions and the measures to be implemented, and their performance indicators under the specific priority;

13.3. provide proposals to the management working group of the law enforcement institutions regarding the necessity to establish a specialised interinstitutional expert group;

13.4. draft intersectoral analytical reports of criminal intelligence;

13.5. assess the crime prevention and combating efficiency, inter alia, by identifying the problems hindering efficient combating of crime, prepare appropriate reports, and provide proposals for the prevention of problems;

13.6. develop a uniform methodology or standard for the preparation of analytical reports of criminal intelligence, as well as provide methodological support to the law enforcement institutions in analytical work;

13.7. identify and examine the latest developments in analytical work and methodology and facilitate the introduction thereof in the work of the law enforcement institutions, as well as provide proposals for improvement of criminal intelligence.

14. The interinstitutional expert group has the right to initiate the convening of the management working group of the law enforcement institutions if it is necessary for successful carrying out of the tasks of the expert group or immediate prevention of crime threats.

15. The specialised interinstitutional expert group is established in a particular field of the prevention and combating of crime and carries out the following tasks:

15.1. ensures the collection, analysis, and exchange of the information specified in Sub-paragraph 13.1 of this Instruction among the law enforcement institutions in the respective field of combating crime;

15.2. prepares intersectoral analytical reports of criminal intelligence in the respective field of combating crime;

15.3. assesses and provides proposals on crime prevention and combating directions, the measures to be implemented, and the performance indicators of such measures under the specific priority of crime combating;

15.4. assesses crime prevention and combating efficiency, inter alia, by identifying the problems hindering efficient combating of crime, as well as prepares appropriate reports and provides proposals for the prevention of problems in the respective field of combating crime.

16. The specialised interinstitutional expert group shall be established on the basis of the decision taken by the management working group of law enforcement institutions.

17. The decision to establish the specialised interinstitutional expert group shall a reference to the institutions whose representatives are to be delegated for participation in the expert group, the tasks and duration of operation of the expert group, as well as the managing authority of the expert group.

IV. Operating Principles of Criminal Intelligence Co-operation Institutions

18. The work of the management working groups, interinstitutional expert groups, and specialised interinstitutional expert groups of the law enforcement institutions (hereinafter - the working group) shall be managed by the head of the respective working group.

19. The head of the working group shall:

19.1. organise the carrying out of the tasks of the working group;

19.2. convene and chair the meetings of the working group, as well as set the agenda of such meetings;

19.3. sign the decisions and minutes of meetings of the working group.

20. The meetings of the management working group of the law enforcement institutions are organised not less than twice a year. A meeting of the management working group of the law enforcement institutions may be convened if it is proposed by at least one member of the working group.

21. The interinstitutional expert group and the specialised interinstitutional expert group shall operate independently, setting their own work schedule.

22. The meetings of the working group shall be recorded in minutes. The agenda and decisions taken, as well as the persons who participated and the persons who spoke on the relevant issue at the meeting shall be recorded in the minutes.

23. The material and technical organisation of the meetings of the working group shall be ensured by the institution whose representative is the head of the working group (the managing authority of the working group), it shall collect information regarding execution of the decisions taken by the working group, as well as ensure exchange of information among the members of the working group.

24. Upon an invitation of the head of the working group, the meetings of the working group may be attended also by the representatives of other institutions and non-governmental organisations, experts, and other specialists.

25. The members of the working group shall act within the competence of the represented institution.

26. The working group shall take decisions upon mutual agreement or by a majority vote. In the event of a tied vote, the vote of the head of the working group shall be the deciding vote. The decisions of the working group are of recommendatory nature.

27. The working group shall have a quorum if more than half of the members of the working group are present at its meeting.

Prime Minister Māris Kučinskis

Minister for the Interior Rihards Kozlovskis

Translation © 2019 Valsts valodas centrs (State Language Centre)