Cooperation Between Agencies
How agencies work together and share information.
Cooperation
Agencies should work together on requests that are lawful, necessary and within each agency's role.
No forced assistance
A state or local agency cannot be forced to carry out federal enforcement, and a federal agency cannot order a state or local agency to act. Cooperation is by request or agreement. A state or local agency may decline a request that is outside its role, and may not use that refusal to obstruct a lawful federal action.
Sharing information
Information may be shared between agencies for a lawful purpose. It must not be shared outside the agencies, and must not be used for personal reasons. Unauthorised access to law enforcement records is an offence.
Joint operations
In a joint operation, the agencies agree on a lead before the operation starts. The lead agency directs the operation, and officers follow its lawful orders while it lasts.