Current, accurate information is crucial to effective law enforcement. It enables valuable resources to be targeted effectively against current challenges and emerging trends. It ensures law enforcement can disrupt and dismantle organized crime and other serious threats at the earliest stages possible. It allows for a clear picture of the complex networks, relationships and criminal activities relating to organized crime groups in Canada.

Strategic co-ordination, commitment to intelligence and timely communication are all integral to our collective fight against organized crime. Integrated approaches are essential to take full advantage of the available resources of the entire law enforcement community and its partners. CISC’s greatest strength is in the wide scope of its partners — law enforcement, private sector, academic and public organizations — and its ability to facilitate the coordination and dissemination of the intelligence developed by this community.

As a national leader in combating organized crime, CISC recognizes the importance of educating and informing the public regarding the level and scope of illicit activities of criminal organizations in Canada. CISC acknowledges the public as an important and valued partner in the effort to detect and deter organized crime. Law enforcement must also be accountable to the public in its efforts. Part of this accountability is reflected in reports like the Annual Report on Organized Crime.

The CISC 2003 Annual Report on Organized Crime emphasizes the effectiveness of multi-agency and multi-jurisdictional approaches to combating organized crime. It is an excellent example of the value of sharing information with relevant partners at the municipal, provincial, national and international levels, and it reinforces CISC’s commitment to communication with and accountability to the Canadian public.