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Serious and Organised Crime Tackling Serious and Organised Crime

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Serious and Organised Crime Tackling Serious and Organised Crime Have you got what it takes? Tackling serious and organised crime Tackling serious and organised crime The aim of our Serious and Organised Crime Important facts Background Strategy is to substantially reduce the level of serious and organised crime affecting the The UK Serious and Organised Crime ‘Organised crime’ is serious crime that is UK and its interests. Strategy planned, coordinated and conducted by people working together on a continuing basis. It is The Strategy uses the framework developed Serious and organised crime poses a threat to usually but not always motivated by financial for our counter-terrorist work and has four main the UK’s national security. Its effects are felt by gain. ‘Serious crimes’ are those that are serious objectives: individuals, communities, and businesses on enough to require a national response. a daily basis. To tackle it effectively, we need • PURSUE: prosecuting and disrupting people a strategic, coordinated response operating at Organised crime costs the United Kingdom at engaged in serious and organised criminality; every level from community policing through to least £24 billion each year, leads to loss of life international partnership. and can deprive people of their security and • PREVENT: preventing people from engaging prosperity. Organised Crime Groups intimidate in serious and organised crime; The Serious and Organised Crime Strategy people and can have a corrosive impact on sets out the Government’s plan for tackling our communities. Cyber crime undermines • PROTECT: increasing protection against serious and organised crime. Like other threats confidence in our communications technology serious and organised crime; and to our national security, it requires a coordinated and online economy. Financial crime undermines response across the whole of government, close the integrity and stability of our financial markets • PREPARE: reducing the impact of this collaboration with the public and with the private and institutions. Organised immigration crime criminality where it takes place. sector and with many other countries. threatens the security of our borders and human trafficking is a pernicious form of modern slavery. The Strategy sets out how we will take action Overseas, organised crime undermines good at every opportunity to prevent people getting governance and the stability of countries of involved in serious and organised crime; to strategic importance to our national security. strengthen our protection against and responses Organised Crime Groups overseas can facilitate to it; and, most importantly, to pursue the or engage in terrorism. criminals behind it, prosecuting them and disrupting their activities. UK law enforcement agencies estimate that there are around 5,800 organised crime groups Serious and organised crime requires a response – comprising some 40,600 individuals – causing across the whole of government, and close harm to the UK. collaboration with the public, the private sector and with many other countries. It demands a coordinated national approach across Government, law enforcement, security and serious and organised crime. The NCA’s this threat. The focus of local partnerships is intelligence agencies. 2015 National Strategic Assessment identifies shaped by new serious and organised crime the most significant threats as:cyber-crime, local profiles. Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) child sexual exploitation and abuse, have a leading role to play in galvanising firearms, organised immigration crime, At the regional level there are currently ten police local partners into action and embedding a drugs trafficking, economic crime and Regional Organised Crime Units (ROCUs) in multi-agency response into local decision money laundering. England and Wales, which provide capability to making structures. investigate serious and organised crime across What is different about the NCA? police force boundaries in an efficient and effective way. They are an essential part of the More information The NCA is an operational law enforcement law enforcement system approach to serious and agency which leads the UK’s fight to cut organised crime and are the primary interface What is the National Crime Agency (NCA) serious and organised crime. It differs from between the National Crime Agency (NCA) and its predecessor in three key ways: all 43 police forces of England and Wales. The NCA leads the UK’s response to serious and organised crime in uniting local, national • It has a broader remit to cover the full range The Government has invested nearly £100m and international law enforcement with private of serious and organised crime threats; in ROCUs over the last three years in order to sector partnership approaches. The NCA is increase and sustain the specialist capabilities an integral part of the policing landscape, • It produces a comprehensive picture of required in law enforcement to respond to but it is not a police force. It is a non- the risk – how serious and organised crime serious and organised crime. PCCs have also Ministerial Department headed by a Director threats affects the UK and its interests; and invested heavily in ROCUs, in recognition of the General (DG) who is appointed by the Home role they have in tackling serious and organised Secretary. The Home Secretary recently • It has a legal mandate to lead and coordinate crime on a regional basis across force borders appointed Lynne Owens, former Chief Constable the law enforcement response to serious and and their continued investment will be key to of Surrey Police, as the NCA’s second DG, organised crime including, in extremis, the the efficient and effective delivery of serious and following the retirement of its first, Keith Bristow, power to directly task a response through organised crime capabilities, which can enable in January 2016. Chief Constables in England and Wales. reduction of duplication at force level. The Crime and Courts Act 2013 sets out the If you want to find out more information about Serious and organised crime is referenced NCA’s functions and powers (including the the NCA, please contact NCA.Strategy@ as a national threat in the Strategic Policing two way tasking arrangements and the NCA’s nca.x.gsi.gov.uk Requirement (SPR), alongside terrorism, a unique ability to directly task police forces). national cyber security incident, public order, While operationally independent, the NCA’s What role do police forces have in civil emergencies and child sexual abuse. PCCs and Chief Constables are expected to plan Director General is accountable to the Home tackling organised crime? Secretary and, through the Home Secretary, and prepare, together or in support of national arrangements, to address these threats. The SPR to Parliament. Local police forces conduct most law references the role of ROCUs in tackling that enforcement work on serious and organised threat. Their importance is also acknowledged On behalf of UK law enforcement the NCA crime. They are supported by local organised by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary produces an annual National Strategic crime partnership boards, including local (HMIC) in their recent inspection report. Assessment (NSA), which is a comprehensive authorities and agencies to ensure all available assessment of the current threat from information and powers are used against Who is responsible for protecting people, communication and businesses from organised crime? We all have a collective responsibility to take steps to ensure we reduce our vulnerability to organised crime. This is happening already. The Government wants to encourage more of this by improving knowledge of the threat and fostering better cooperation between law enforcement and communities, voluntary organisations and businesses. How do we measure our performance in tackling organised crime? A range of performance indicators determine how effectively the Government is tackling organised crime. As set out in the Serious and Organised Crime Strategy 2013, performance assessments are based on a number of indicators including (but not only) prosecutions, other disruption activity, assets and goods seized, recidivism and removal of foreign national offenders. PCCs have a role to play in assessing performance against organised crime as they are expected to scrutinise force performance in all areas, including their performance tackling the serious and organised crime threats they face. A detailed assessment of progress tackling serious and organised crime is provided in the Serious and Organised Crime Strategy Annual Report 2014 and the National Crime Agency Annual Report 2014, both published in 2015..
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