The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission

The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) is a Commonwealth statutory authority that comprises investigative, research, and information delivery functions. In pursuit of the aim to “make Australia safer”, ACIC works to: collect, correlate, analyse and disseminate criminal information and intelligence. One of the unique contributions that the ACIC brings to its work with partner agencies is the capacity to compel witnesses to attend a legal hearing, on matters that are the subject of interest or investigation. The ACIC draws on its “specialist capabilities, information and intelligence holdings, and research capability” to regularly provide unclassified submissions to Parliament and government inquiries. The government’s rationale for the merger was to combine “the resources of the Australian Institute of Criminology and the Australian Crime Commission to provide Australian law enforcement agencies with central access to a consolidated and comprehensive criminal research and intelligence resource”.