CEPOL Course 68/2017 Intelligence Led Policing – Intelligence Cycle

CEPOL training course (68/2017) “Intelligence Led Policing – Intelligence Cycle” was held on 02-04 October 2017, in Athens, Hellas. The course was organized due to the increasing interest for the E.U. Member States in the exploitation of technology and intelligence in order to tackle with serious & organized crime and terrorism.

The course was organized for the first time by the Hellenic Police Intelligence Division (HPiD) in cooperation with the Hellenic Police Academy, in conjunction with experts from the Europol, the National Crime Agency (NCA) of United Kingdom, the Criminal Intelligence Service (CIS) of Austria and the Hellenic Foundation for European & Foreign Policy (HFEFP).

The course was attended by 26 participants from 21 EU Member States, Switzerland and the European Organization FRONTEX. The trainees had an active role during the course as they presented how Intelligence – Led Policing is applied in their countries and transferred their knowledge and expertise during a session in the first day.

During the course, the experts from Europol developed the European Criminal Intelligence Model (ECIM) and presented case studies using modern intelligence analysis techniques (Analysis of Financial Data, Social Network Analysis).

The NCA expert talked about the Use of Technology and Analysis Tools and how to create an Effective Strategy against Crime, transferring the UK experience.

The experts from CIS presented Applications of Geospatial Technology in Combating Crime and Geographic Analysis for Decision Making.

The HFEFP researcher talked about the limits between the preservation of Public Security and the protection of Human Rights.

The trainers from the host agency (HPiD) informed the participants about the Hellenic National Criminal Intelligence Strategy and the Cooperation on Intelligence & Law Enforcement Field, presenting a case study.

Mr Christos Parthenis from Hellenic Police Intelligence Division participated as a trainer in the CEPOL activity and was very excited for this:

“It was an honour for me to participate in a CEPOL Course as a trainer. I appreciate the capabilities that HPiD has developed in order to organize such activities”.

Most of participants estimated deeply the organization and implementation of the course as well as the professionalism of the organizing team. According to Cristinel Fierbinteanu from Romania:

“I took part at the one of the best trainings that I ever participated and I have many other similar activities that I could compare with. First of all, it was the diversity and the interactivity of the group, participants, trainers and organizers, everybody was involved and shared with the others participants. Then the level of the knowledge provided, which it was also a high one and it covered many aspects of this complex activity, the intelligence led policing concept. The methods used for learning were also very good, as much as I understood from other participants, they found out many things about the ILP and the importance of the Intelligence cycle and about the way of approaching into the analysis work of the national police forces or customs within the EU. I would like also, to send many thanks to the organization team, composed by HPiD representatives, for their efforts in order to keep a great atmosphere of the group, to increase the interest for the training, through modern methods (games, dialogues, exercises, tests, etc.) and also the agenda was very well calibrated and adapted with the theme of the course”.

Also Carlos Alberto Olivares Vélez, a Spanish participant cited:

“I would like to highlight the extraordinary work carried out by the organizers of the course, not only for implementing the subject of study in a brilliant way, but also for establishing a cordial atmosphere among all the participants. I would like to congratulate all the HPiD staff for their professionalism”.

The Course Manager, Police Major Stefanos Leftheriotis highlighted after the end of the activity: “The successful organization of this course constituted a great challenge for Hellenic Police Intelligence Division (HPiD). The training course on Intelligence Led Policing – Intelligence Cycle was an opportunity for the participants to deepen their knowledge, as well as to exchange opinions with colleagues from other EU Member States. Courses like that are a great opportunity to inform professionals for the updated techniques and innovations in their working field, with the purpose to share best practices and increase cooperation between them. It also gave us the opportunity, as a new-founded Agency, to develop synergies in international level with counterpart Agencies and create information and best practices exchange networks”.

Hellenic Police Intelligence Division constitutes the Central Intelligence Hub of the Hellenic Police, focusing on combating all forms of crime, but mainly Serious & Organized Crime and Terrorism.

The mission of the HPiD includes intelligence support and analysis of data deriving from preliminary judicial procedures to all Hellenic Police Agencies as well as to other National Security Authorities, Law Enforcement Agencies and Judicial Authorities.

HPiD orientates its actions towards the prevention, identification or investigation of criminal activities, regarding serious and organized criminal behaviours inter-alia with cross border and trans-European dimensions.

HPiD cooperates with the Hellenic CEPOL Unit for the organization of the above course in educational and organizational level.