Government targets data sharing in fight against crime

The government has published a Serious Crime Bill that looks to improve data sharing within the public sector and between the private and public sectors.

The aim is to improve crime detection rates and make it harder for criminals to hang on to their assets.Up to now, the public sector has struggled to integrate different databases to enable information sharing.

The bill also proposes the introduction of civil serious crime prevention orders that can be used against individuals and organisations, and new offences to outlaw encouraging or assisting someone to commit an offence.

The government said the measures would make life more difficult for serious criminals by disrupting their activities "in both big and small ways, making it harder for them to cause damage or defraud innocent people".

Home Office minister Vernon Coaker said the bill would help law enforcement agencies stay one step ahead of organised crime syndicates and those who run them.

More information:

Serious Organised Crime and Police Bill

Experian integrates data to reduce fraud

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