"When agencies work as one, the public is safe. When they work in silos, the gaps become vulnerabilities."
Inter-Agency Information Sharing
Professor Sele: Information hoarding is a survival instinct in competitive environments. In public safety, it is a threat. The information your agency keeps to itself may be the piece that another agency needed to prevent an incident.
7.1 Why Information Sharing Matters
Each agency collects a fragment of the overall security picture. No single agency sees the complete picture. Effective inter-agency information sharing assembles those fragments into actionable intelligence.
Common barriers include institutional culture of secrecy, different classification systems, source protection concerns, inter-agency competition, and the absence of agreed information-sharing protocols.
7.2 Information Sharing Frameworks
Effective frameworks answer four questions: What can be shared? With whom? In what format? Through what channel? Standardised reporting formats and secure channels are essential.
7.3 The Traffic Light Protocol (TLP)
The TLP is a widely used information-sharing standard that classifies information by distribution scope. SafeHaven intelligence products should be labelled with the appropriate TLP level before sharing with partner agencies.
| Label | Meaning |
|---|---|
| TLP:RED 🔴 | Shared only with specific named recipients — not for further distribution |
| TLP:AMBER 🟡 | Limited to recipient organisation and its direct partners on a need-to-know basis |
| TLP:GREEN 🟢 | Shareable within the community of practice — not for public release |
| TLP:CLEAR ⚪ | Unrestricted — can be shared publicly |
7.4 Information vs. Intelligence
Information is raw, unprocessed data — a guard's observation, a sensor alert, a report. Intelligence is processed, analysed, contextualised information that supports a decision. When receiving information from partner agencies, always apply your own analysis before acting on it.
- •Information sharing assembles the fragmented security picture each agency holds separately
- •The TLP (Traffic Light Protocol) classifies how widely information can be distributed
- •Agreed sharing protocols — what, with whom, in what format, through what channel — must be established before operations
- •Distinguish between raw information and intelligence: always analyse before acting
"During a large planned operation, SafeHaven received TLP:AMBER information from an LNP liaison about a potential protest movement converging on an event venue. The information was shared under the condition it not be passed to media. SafeHaven adjusted its crowd management posture — additional staff at two entry points, liaison with the LNP rapid response team — without disclosing the source. Respecting classification protocols is what builds the trust that makes future information sharing possible."
Under the Traffic Light Protocol, what does a TLP:AMBER classification mean?