Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005

3 Functions of SOCA as to information relating to crime

(1) SOCA has the function of gathering, storing, analysing and disseminating information relevant to—

(a) the prevention, detection, investigation or prosecution of offences, or

(b) the reduction of crime in other ways or the mitigation of its consequences.

(2) SOCA may disseminate such information to—

(a) police forces within subsection (3),

(b) special police forces,

(c) law enforcement agencies, or

(d) such other persons as it considers appropriate in connection with any of the matters mentioned in subsection (1)(a) or (b).

(3) The police forces within this subsection are—

(a) police forces in the United Kingdom, and

(b) the States of Jersey Police Force, the salaried police force of the Island of Guernsey and the Isle of Man Constabulary.

(4) In this section “law enforcement agency” means—

(a) the Commissioners or any other government department,

(b) the Scottish Administration,

(c) any other person who is charged with the duty of investigating offences or charging offenders, or

(d) any other person who is engaged outside the United Kingdom in the carrying on of activities similar to any carried on by SOCA or a police force.

(5) In this Chapter “special police force” means—

(a) the Ministry of Defence Police,

(b) the British Transport Police Force,

(c) the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, or

(d) the Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency.