# A Preliminary Study on Information Sharing Practice Between Police and Private Security Companies in the United Arab Emirates

Abdulla Alhefeiti, Keiichi Nakata

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Abdulla Alhefeiti, Keiichi Nakata. A Preliminary Study on Information Sharing Practice Between Police and Private Security Companies in the United Arab Emirates. 17th International Conference on Informatics and Semiotics in Organisations (ICISO), Aug 2016, Campinas, Brazil. pp.231-233. hal-01646606

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Submitted on 23 Nov 2017

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# A Preliminary Study on Information Sharing Practice Between Police and Private Security Companies in the United Arab Emirates

Abdulla Alhefeiti and Keiichi Nakata

Informatics Research Centre, University of Reading, Reading, UK
a.alhefeiti@pgr.reading.ac.uk, k.nakata@reading.ac.uk

## 1 Introduction

The current security system in the private security companies' regulatory department (PSCRD) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) suffers from inconsistency and inefficiency in communication and information sharing with the private security companies (PSCs). These failings hinder collaborative policing. Therefore, this paper focuses on information sharing practice to support collaboration in policing with the help of PSCs for managing crime prevention and safety. The information sharing within various departments in police is studied in literatures and issues are identified. [1]. On the other hand, the empirical data shows that the mechanism of sharing information does not really work properly and it needs to be improved to fit with the requirements of the effectiveness of information sharing. This is according to S4 "The mechanism of information sharing is required to link all sources in one system while providing a precise context and there is need to have a central call control centre where all security information is coordinated."

## 2 Activity Theory

Activity theory helps to provide a broad conceptual framework in order to explain the complex development, context, and structure of computer-based activities. It also supports PSCRD and PSCs working on three tenets that ensure its effectiveness [2]. In the theory, there are aspects of modular actions, molar activity, and the components of the two [3]. As a result, it is important to intervene in socially situated practices for offering concrete solutions [3]. According to this theory, observing a realistic situation enables information gathering to identify the conditions of action and implementation [2]. For this reason, it comes out that using a conditioning tool will aid in acquiring this information for use. It provides the theoretical perspective of unification of the computer-human interaction.
## 3 Implications on the Design of Information Architecture to Support Information Sharing

The study highlights some obstacles to effective information sharing in the police in the UAE, and the mechanism of information sharing between the PSCRD and PSCs is generally considered ineffective. Therefor, designing Information Architecture (IA) is needed, with further study on the exact processes in sharing information. IA can be described as a collection of design artefacts appropriate for illustrating an object so that it can be produced to suit various requirements and be maintained over time during its useful life [4]. IA can be defined as established regulations that determine the manner, the form and the place where data will be gathered from, kept, processed, and shared and eventually how it will not only be presented but also used. From its definition, information architecture is an imperative for improving and classifying communication, particularly in cases where secrecy is deemed to be very central, such as in the police force control room [5].

The implication of this study is that it is necessary to design IA, which will improve the mechanism of information transference within the police and PSCs, while also supporting the information exchanged between PSCRD, and PSCs.

## 4 Limitations and Future Work

The attempt has been made to find a suitable method to be proposed and validated by conducting interviews with members of these stakeholders. Basically appropriate technology must be used depending on the need of each issue.

It is important that there are some limitations in this evaluation of the ineffective aspects of the information sharing mechanism within the police and PSCs. One variable is that both sectors have different motivation and purposes as they perform their activities. For example, the police mainly exist to serve the public security whereas PSCs exist for the profit motive in particular. Consequently, the subject of delegating rights to private security concerns that are motivated by profits is an area for future consideration and research. Furthermore, to evaluate how the findings from fieldwork substantiate the requirements of IA. This can help produce a prototype that illustrates how the given information ought to be transformed on a screen as the user proceeds while navigating through the task.

## References

1. Kitchen, V., Rygiel, K.: Privatizing security, securitizing policing: the case of the G20 in Toronto. Canada. Int. Polit. Sociol **8**, 201–217 (2014)

2. Engestrom, Y.: Objects, contradictions and collaboration in medical cognition: an activity theoretical perspective. Artif. Intell. Med. **7**, 395–412 (1995)

3. Avis, J.: Engeström's version of activity theory: a conservative praxis? J. Educ. Work. **20**, 161–177 (2007)
4. Buckl, S., Ernst, A.M., Matthes, F., Ramacher, R., Schweda, C.M. Using enterprise architecture management patterns to complement TOGAF. In: Proceedings of The 13th IEEE International Conference on Enterprise Distributed Object Computing (EDOC), pp. 34–41 (2009). doi:10.1109/EDOC.2009.30

5. Jonkers, H., et al.: Concepts for Modeling Enterprise Architectures. Int. J. Coop. Inf. Syst. 1 (3), 257–287 (2004)