INTRODUCTION

The use of information, intelligence and security risk management models (SRMMs) are certainly not new to law enforcement and the security industry. Researchers often refer to Chinese strategist Sun Tzu and his military treatise, The Art of War, written 2000 years ago, with references to spies, information, intelligence and security risks (Newburn et al., 2008). Information, intelligence gathering and risk assessments have also been used by many leaders over the centuries to maintain control over their political enemies and business competitors. This chapter introduces some of the different crime information, intelligence and SRMMs and motivates for a theoretical framework for security information management. Although there are many models available within the policing and security environments, these models were specifically chosen for this study, because of their similarities and their common thread to security information management. This chapter discusses the problem-oriented policing model, Compstat model, intelligence-led policing model and the security risk management model (South Africa) currently being used by law enforcement and the security industry and concludes his discussion with the need for a theoretical framework for security information management.

INFORMATION/INTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY RISK MANAGEMENT MODELS

Advances in information management in law enforcement in the 1970s gave rise to modern intelligence practices for law enforcement, to manage crime better in society. The Chiefs of Police from England and Wales in the Baumber Report, made it clear that, “intelligence” has to be understood as something more than simply information. It was also noted that “intelligence” as a modern police concept required that all collected information be put together with others and that analysis be performed in order to produce intelligence. Intelligence has since been accepted in policing as the end product of a process often complex, sometimes physical, and always intellectual, derived from information that has been collated, analysed and evaluated in order to prevent crime or secure the apprehension of offenders (Newburn et al., 2008). The demand for risk-based information is elevating law enforcement to the status of primary producers of crime information.