UK’s battle against organised crime hampered by lack of collaboration, report warns
The fight against serious and organised crime is “severely constrained” and needs “sustained” extra investment to combat gangs that are costing the UK up to £37 billion a year, a major Government review has found.
The review by Sir Craig Mackey, a former deputy commissioner at Scotland Yard, said the police fight against organised gangs, led by the National Crime Agency (NCA), was being hampered by the lack of collaboration between forces.
He said this model of policing had failed to adapt to the “evolving nature of crime” which had become hi-tech, global and extended beyond traditional geographical boundaries. The system to combat serious and organised crime was therefore “not operating at its full potential” and needed a major overhaul.
NCA could become more like the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), with a bigger role in directing and leading the fight by police forces and agencies against organised crime gangs.
Sir Craig said the campus model would enable closer working between police as it would “break down the constraints imposed by traditional, geographically defined policing”.
He said this model of policing had failed to adapt to the “evolving nature of crime” which had become hi-tech, global and extended beyond traditional geographical boundaries. The system to combat serious and organised crime was therefore “not operating at its full potential” and needed a major overhaul.
NCA could become more like the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), with a bigger role in directing and leading the fight by police forces and agencies against organised crime gangs.
Sir Craig said the campus model would enable closer working between police as it would “break down the constraints imposed by traditional, geographically defined policing”.
