Policing Hooliganism National Criminal intelligence Service

The National Criminal Intelligence Service

The National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) was set up in 1992 and is dedicated to providing leadership in criminal intelligence to combat serious and organised crime. It deals with a wide range of intelligence on matters including money laundering, drugs and hooliganism and also acts as the UK office for both Europol and Interpol. The Football Section was created as an independent body in 1989 as a response to the problems created by English hooliganism at home and abroad. It became part of NCIS when it was formed in 1992 and is a centre for the collation of police intelligence on serious and persistent hooliganism. The football section is made up of police and criminal intelligence officers and acts as a central co-ordinating point for football intelligence coming into NCIS from the 92 football intelligence officers based at league teams in England and Wales. One of the main jobs of the section is the planning and intelligence co-ordination at major sporting events, including World Cups and European Championships. To this end it provides intelligence on hooligans to agencies at home and abroad to stop hooligan activity. The NCIS model has been used by both Germany and Holland to set up similar football units. Football hooliganism is viewed as a serious problem by NCIS. They believe that despite the introduction of all-seater stadia, CCTV surveillance, better stewarding and increased intelligence, hooliganism still poses a major threat. Although there are clubs who have a specific problem with hooligans, hooligans who travel abroad to cause trouble come from all over the country. NCIS also believe that hooligans are also involved other areas of crime in particular drugs, credit card fraud and theft.

One way NCIS deals with football violence is through the use of a database. The football section's database contains the details of people involved or suspected of being involved in football related disorder. Anyone who is arrested abroad for football related offences will have their details passed on to NCIS where a decision is taken whether or not to include them on the database. The information stored in the database can be passed onto foreign police forces that may need to know anyone who has or is suspected of committing a football related offence. The database is also used to vet potential applicants to the Football Associaton's official members club. Intelligence is provided to other police forces on the basis of EU agreements. Under these agreements member states are required to provide each other with intelligence relating to those who are travelling to matches. This information is divided into three categories:

Another way NCIS can deal with hooliganism is by applying to courts to impose a domestic or international banning order. Hooligans who are subject to banning orders can have their passports taken off them and be required to attend police stations. In June 2000 there were 23 international banning orders.

Alongside European Union co-operation, NCIS maintains a number of bilateral agreements with European states under the 1989 Football Spectators Act. This means that anyone who commits a hooligan related offence in a country where there is an agreement can be subject to banning orders in England and Wales. There are bilateral agreements with Scotland, Sweden, Italy, The Republic of Ireland, Norway and France. The difficulty with these bilateral agreements is that they are not possible with some countries that have a vastly different legal system to England and Wales. There is also the problem that many countries choose to just deport football hooligans rather than prosecuting them, so no action can be taken when they return to the UK. NCIS is also responsible for upholding certain parts of the European Convention on Spectator Violence. They are responsible for prosecuting offenders who cause trouble in the UK.

	POLICING EUROPEAN FOOTBALL HOOLIGANISM
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	Policing Hooliganism The National Criminal Intelligence Service The National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) was set up in 1992 and is dedicated to providing leadership in criminal intelligence to combat serious and organised crime. It deals with a wide range of intelligence on matters including money laundering, drugs and hooliganism and also acts as the UK office for both Europol and Interpol. The Football Section was created as an independent body in 1989 as a response to the problems created by English hooliganism at home and abroad. It became part of NCIS when it was formed in 1992 and is a centre for the collation of police intelligence on serious and persistent hooliganism. The football section is made up of police and criminal intelligence officers and acts as a central co-ordinating point for football intelligence coming into NCIS from the 92 football intelligence officers based at league teams in England and Wales. One of the main jobs of the section is the planning and intelligence co-ordination at major sporting events, including World Cups and European Championships. To this end it provides intelligence on hooligans to agencies at home and abroad to stop hooligan activity. The NCIS model has been used by both Germany and Holland to set up similar football units. Football hooliganism is viewed as a serious problem by NCIS. They believe that despite the introduction of all-seater stadia, CCTV surveillance, better stewarding and increased intelligence, hooliganism still poses a major threat. Although there are clubs who have a specific problem with hooligans, hooligans who travel abroad to cause trouble come from all over the country. NCIS also believe that hooligans are also involved other areas of crime in particular drugs, credit card fraud and theft. One way NCIS deals with football violence is through the use of a database. The football section's database contains the details of people involved or suspected of being involved in football related disorder. Anyone who is arrested abroad for football related offences will have their details passed on to NCIS where a decision is taken whether or not to include them on the database. The information stored in the database can be passed onto foreign police forces that may need to know anyone who has or is suspected of committing a football related offence. The database is also used to vet potential applicants to the Football Associaton's official members club. Intelligence is provided to other police forces on the basis of EU agreements. Under these agreements member states are required to provide each other with intelligence relating to those who are travelling to matches. This information is divided into three categories: Category A: Peaceful, bona fide supporters Category B: Possible risk of disorder, especially alcohol related violence Category C: Violent supporters or organisers of violence Another way NCIS can deal with hooliganism is by applying to courts to impose a domestic or international banning order. Hooligans who are subject to banning orders can have their passports taken off them and be required to attend police stations. In June 2000 there were 23 international banning orders. Alongside European Union co-operation, NCIS maintains a number of bilateral agreements with European states under the 1989 Football Spectators Act. This means that anyone who commits a hooligan related offence in a country where there is an agreement can be subject to banning orders in England and Wales. There are bilateral agreements with Scotland, Sweden, Italy, The Republic of Ireland, Norway and France. The difficulty with these bilateral agreements is that they are not possible with some countries that have a vastly different legal system to England and Wales. There is also the problem that many countries choose to just deport football hooligans rather than prosecuting them, so no action can be taken when they return to the UK. NCIS is also responsible for upholding certain parts of the European Convention on Spectator Violence. They are responsible for prosecuting offenders who cause trouble in the UK.
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	Created by James Rowlands on Dreamweaver for The Politics of Policing Transnational Crime, University of Exeter 2001. E-mail J.P.Rowlands@exeter.ac.uk