Managing Operational Information and Intelligence using knowledge management principles: A work based study at Queensland Police Service

Managing Operational Information and Intelligence using knowledge management principles: A work based study at Queensland Police Service

The Queensland Police Service (QPS) operates in a complex environment. Rising calls for service and an uncertain future, created by environmental, fiscal, political, economic, and demographic factors, challenge the organisation’s capacity to deliver policing services that maintain community confidence and provide public value. Moreover, there is an expectation that results are achieved through the most effective allocation of resources. Accurate and timely operational information and intelligence is therefore critical for effective decision-making and the successful delivery of organisational strategy. Through an Intelligence-Led Policing (ILP) strategy and the increased deployment of mobile technology, including QLites and personal devices, there is a capacity for police to collect and store operational information and intelligence. Whilst most information is stored using the Queensland Police Records and Information Exchange Program (QPrime), much of the information that cannot be filed according to person, location, vehicle, and property categories is often disseminated to officers by email and randomly stored in a collection of online folders that are rarely accessible to a wide group of users. This situation creates intelligence gaps and missed opportunities to add to organisational knowledge capital. This study was undertaken to determine whether there was a more effective way to manage and disseminate operational information and intelligence to police using Knowledge Management design principles that enhance the capacity to capture, manage and reuse knowledge to leverage organisational advantage by improving the efficient and effective application of resources and increasing officer safety. Findings suggest that whilst QPS email remains an effective means of communication, the management and dissemination of operational information and intelligence to police can be enhanced using Knowledge Management design principles.

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