Page 18 - MONACO LAW REVIEW 2025-2

Police Cooperation
Laurent TOURNIER
Laurent TOURNIER
Principal Police Commander, Criminal Investigation Division
Principal Police Commander, Criminal Investigation Division
Generally speaking, public security rests on two
complementary pillars: intelligence and criminal
investigation. The former aims to prevent threats before they
materialise, while the latter seeks to establish the truth once an
offence has been committed. Long perceived as two separate
domains - one geared towards prevention and the other
towards enforcement - intelligence and investigation are now
increasingly interconnected. This growing complementarity,
although essential, raises issues of coordination, legality and
effectiveness.
Intelligence and Criminal Investigation:
Distinct but Complementary Functions
Intelligence refers to information assessed for its value and
relevance. It consists of all information collected, analysed
and exploited in order to anticipate threats.
When referring to the process of producing intelligence,
the term intelligence cycle is used. This cycle answers basic
questions: What intelligence is needed? What is the objective?
Where should intelligence be sought? Within which legal
and regulatory frameworks can the police collect it? How is
intelligence used? How is it disseminated?
The cycle generally comprises fi ve stages:
1) Identifying the intelligence requirement, defi ning what
needs to be obtained;
2) Collecting information, beginning with the search for
relevant sources.
3) Processing raw information, assessing it, grouping it and
cross-checking it against known data.
4) Conducting analysis, turning information into operational
intelligence.
5) Disseminating intelligence.
16
Query
Collection
Dissemination
Processing
Analysis
International
Cooperation
Open
sources
Registers
Police
Department
(DSP)
Public
sector
Databases
Private
sector
General
Prosecutor’s
Offi ce
Public
sector
Investigation
Police
Department
(DSP)
Private
sector
Offi ce for the
Management of Seized
and Confi scated Assets
(SGA)
Monegasque
Financial Security
Authority (AMSF)
The Monaco Police Department must nonetheless keep
in mind that the purpose of intelligence-gathering and the
development of these interaction mechanisms is to enhance
the overall system and to improve the effectiveness of AML/
CFT investigations.