Criminal Intelligence Service Canada

Established in 1970, Criminal Intelligence Service Canada (CISC) unites the Canadian criminal intelligence community by providing leadership and expertise to CISC member agencies in their integrated efforts to detect, reduce and prevent organized and serious crime affecting Canada. CISC consists of a Central Bureau in Ottawa that liaises with and collects information and intelligence from nine Provincial Bureaux. The Provincial Bureaux, which operate independently while maintaining common service delivery standards, are located in each province with the exception of Prince Edward Island whose interests are served by Criminal Intelligence Service Nova Scotia. The Yukon Territory is served by Criminal Intelligence Service British Columbia, while the Northwest Territories and Nunavut are represented by Criminal Intelligence Service Alberta and Criminal Intelligence Service Ontario, respectively.

Locations of the Central and Provincial Bureaux

The intelligence and specialized units of these law enforcement agencies supply their Provincial Bureaux with criminal intelligence and raw data related to organized and serious crime issues affecting Canada for further analysis and dissemination.

The CISC Executive Committee is the governing body for CISC. It is chaired by the Commissioner of the RCMP and comprised of 22 leaders from Canada’s law enforcement community. This Committee meets twice annually to review the operation of CISC and to decide on goals, national intelligence priorities and monitored issues. The Director General of CISC, who heads the Central Bureau, is secretary to the CISC Executive Committee and coordinates the efforts of all Provincial Bureaux in the production and delivery of national strategic criminal intelligence products and services. The Directors of the Provincial Bureaux meet twice annually with the Director General of CISC to discuss organized crime issues and forward recommendations and resolutions to the Executive Committee.

The staff of the Central Bureau consists of RCMP employees and secondments from other police departments and government agencies. Secondments at the Central Bureau currently include: Canada Border Services Agency, Correctional Services Canada, Department of National Defence, Ontario Provincial Police, Ottawa Police Service, Service de Police de la Ville de Montréal and the Sûreté du Québec. CISC’s Central Bureau receives administrative and financial support from the RCMP through its National Police Services.¹

CISC Priorities

CISC monitors and reports on the national intelligence priorities set by the CISC Executive Committee. The 2004 national intelligence priorities are: Asian-based, Eastern European-based and Traditional (Italian-based) organized crime groups, organized crime at marine ports, airports and land border areas and outlaw motorcycle gangs. CISC also monitors serious crime issues adopted by its Executive Committee. The monitored issues for 2004 are: Aboriginal-based organized crime groups, organized crime and the diamond industry, the illicit movement of firearms, the sexual exploitation of children, street gangs and technology and crime.

CISC recognizes that other criminal organizations operate in Canada at regional and/or national levels and that there are other serious crime issues that are of concern to law enforcement and the public. CISC is mandated to monitor and exchange intelligence on its national intelligence priorities and monitored issues, as well as to monitor and exchange intelligence on emerging organized crime and other serious crime issues.

ACIIS

CISC’s member agencies collaborate in the collection, collation, evaluation, analysis and dissemination of criminal intelligence by contributing to the Automated Criminal Intelligence Information System (ACIIS), an on-line computer database. ACIIS is CISC’s national repository for criminal intelligence and information on organized and serious crime. The Central Bureau is the custodian of ACIIS and manages it on behalf of, and in consultation with, all CISC member agencies.

About this report

The CISC Annual Report on Organized Crime in Canada is published to inform and educate the public. The activities and workings of criminal organizations are often complex and can be hidden from the everyday world. With this report, CISC seeks to make the negative socio-economic effects of organized crime visible and of concern to every community and region in Canada. One of the keys to success in the fight against organized crime is partnerships between law enforcement agencies as well as with policy makers and the public. Organized crime is a threat to public safety and to all Canadians.

Information related to national intelligence priorities and monitored issues has been verified through intelligence and investigation reports from Canadian and international law enforcement agencies received by CISC throughout the year. In particular, CISC relies on its member agencies across Canada to provide valuable information on organized crime trends and activities in Canada.

The report covers information from the previous year up to June 23, 2004.

¹ Under the stewardship of the RCMP, the National Police Services provides essential, front-line support services to the law enforcement community in Canada and abroad, in particular, forensic analyses of criminal evidence; criminal records, information and identification services; enhanced learning opportunities, and coordination of criminal information and intelligence.