Enabling Collaboration and Communication Across Law Enforcement Jurisdictions: Data Sharing in a Multiagency Partnership

• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/08874034211066756
• Published date: 01 August 2022
• Date: 01 August 2022
• Subject Matter: Articles

https://doi.org/10.1177/08874034211066756

Criminal Justice Policy Review

2022, Vol. 33(7) 732 –755

© The Author(s) 2021

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DOI: 10.1177/08874034211066756

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Article

Enabling Collaboration and

Communication Across Law

Enforcement Jurisdictions:

Data Sharing in a Multiagency

Partnership

Jordan C. Pickering1 and Andrew M. Fox2

Abstract

Offenders do not always operate within jurisdictional boundaries and, as such,

neighboring law enforcement agencies can benefit from sharing crime data and other

investigation-related information with one another, with the shared goal of reducing

crime throughout their region. In 2016, one such partnership was formed with seven

law enforcement agencies, the District Attorney’s Office, and public health officials in

King County, Washington. As part of a larger evaluation of this regional collaboration,

the authors assessed the data and intelligence-sharing behaviors of key personnel

from each participating agency over an 18-month period. This was done through a

series of interviews with key personnel and the use of social network analysis. Results

suggest that, although data-sharing networks increased in size and project personnel

were able to identify benefits to sharing crime data with one another (e.g., seeing

the “bigger picture” regarding crime in their region, using shared crime data to track

and combat violent crime), they also identified a number of obstacles associated

with cross-jurisdictional data sharing. Findings from this evaluation contribute to

the collective understanding and implementation of a regional approach to crime

control. If criminal justice agencies plan to work together to reduce crime, data and

information sharing are essential. Therefore, it is imperative that agencies are aware

of the positive outcomes associated with regional data sharing and the challenges that

can arise throughout this collaborative effort.

1California State University, Fresno, USA

2Washington State Department of Children, Youth & Families, Olympia, USA

Corresponding Author:

Jordan C. Pickering, California State University, Fresno, 2576 East San Ramon Avenue, M/S ST104,

Fresno, CA 93740, USA.

Email: jpickering@csufresno.edu

1066756CJPXXX10.1177/08874034211066756Criminal Justice Policy ReviewPickering and Fox

research-article2021

Pickering and Fox 733

Keywords

violent crime, data sharing, multi-jurisdiction collaboration, evaluation

Introduction

Local criminal justice agencies, such as police and prosecutors, often work together to

curb crime in their region, both reactively and proactively. The former requires law

enforcement officials to respond to crime, identify offenders, and collect evidence that

will then be passed to prosecutors with the goal of charging and trying said offenders.

The latter requires a commitment from both parties to pinpoint regional crime issues

and collaborate on a response with the goal of preventing crime before it occurs.

Regardless of which approach these agencies decide to take, communication between

agencies is key. Prosecutors rely on police to collect crime data and identify crime

trends so that they can determine which type of criminal cases need their attention,

which can then lead to the use of targeted prosecutorial strategies. Police rely on pros-

ecutors to charge, try, and successfully convict the offenders they have identified and

apprehended, leading to a reduction in local crime through either deterrence or

incapacitation.

Prior research findings have demonstrated that offenders do not operate within

jurisdictional boundaries (Fox et al., 2020; Lammers & Bernasco, 2013; Porter, 1996).

In fact, it is shown that the probability of arrest declines as geographical dispersion of

offenses increases (Lammers & Bernasco, 2013). That is, offenders can easily move

from area to area committing a series of crimes and this patterned behavior may go

unnoticed if police within a single jurisdiction treat such crimes as isolated incidents

within their area. Therefore, if a particular region, such as a county, has an increase in

crime, it may be beneficial for law enforcement, prosecutors, and other relevant per-

sonnel to take a data-driven, collaborative approach to crime control in the area.

We have seen a rise in multi-jurisdictional partnerships between law enforcement

and other criminal justice agencies in the United States in recent years. Such partner-

ships can occur when local, state, and federal law enforcement work together to com-

bat crime on a national scale, as is the case with fusion centers designed to combat

domestic terrorism post-September 11 (International Association of Chiefs of Police,

2002; National Institute of Justice, 2003). Others have taken a more regional approach,

with local law enforcement agencies collaborating with county prosecutors and com-

munity stakeholders to effectively address local crime issues, such as rising homicide

rates, gun-related crimes, or violent crimes more generally (Moore, 2018; San

Francisco District Attorney’s Office, 2020; Tallon et al., 2016). The aforementioned

collaborations are grounded in good intentions and thought-out plans to facilitate data

and intelligence sharing across multiple agencies to achieve a common goal, but the

reality of such a partnership may not be so simple (Sheptycki, 2004). Therefore, it is

important for scholars to empirically assess these partnership efforts to follow how

these agencies come together and collaborate in real time and under real-world condi-

tions to identify what works and what does not work when it comes to building a

multiagency regional collaboration (Sanders & Henderson, 2013).