During her visit to West Yorkshire police operations’ support division in Wakefield, Home Secretary Theresa May saw Automatic Number Plate Recognition technology in action. This crime-fighting tool allows officers to catch criminals by using cameras to scan car registration plates.
The Home Secretary also spoke to police officers present about how West Yorkshire’s groundbreaking work in responding to serious crime will fit in with the new National Crime Agency.
Announced last week on SAMT Online, the powerful new organisation will spearhead the UK’s fight against serious and organised crime (which costs us between GB pound 20 billion and GB pound 40 billion each year). It will also strengthen policing at the border and ensure local policing effectively links to the work of national agencies and action overseas.
Theresa May commented: ‘The impact of serious and organised crime is felt across the UK in the everyday lives of people and neighbourhoods. UK policing will play a vital role in the new National Crime Agency, and this division of West Yorkshire Police is an excellent example of how cutting-edge technology can be used in the fight against serious and organised crime.”
May added: “The National Crime Agency will work in partnership with the police, law enforcement agencies, businesses and the public to ensure those who commit serious and organised crime are tracked down, pursued and brought to justice and that their ill-gotten gains are stripped away.”
National Crime Agency: some key facts
The National Crime Agency will answer to the Home Secretary and will be made up of four distinct crime teams: organised crime, border policing, economic crime and the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre.
It will employ investigators, enforcement officers, intelligence analysts and technical, financial and operational specialists.
Trained officers will have police, customs and immigration powers and use the latest technology and tools to tackle criminal activity.
Subject to legislation, the all-new National Crime Agency willl commence operations by December 2013.
Stayng safe online: protecting our youngsters
Mobile phone companies, social networking providers and children’s charities are joining the Government in showing their commitment towards helping children stay safe online.
At the UK Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS) Summit, Dixons Retail plc also announced its commitment to support the FGovernment’s Click Clever, Click Safe Campaign trough issuing flyers and featuring messages on receipt wallets.
Think about what you say
This will help spread messages about how children can avoid common risks online. These are:
- Zip it: keep your personal stuff private and think about what you say and do online
- Block it: block people who send nasty messages and don’t open unknown links and attachments
- Flag it: flag up with someone you trust if anything upsets you or if someone asks to meet you offline
Inappropriate content
Recent research from Ofcom’s media literacy tracker 2010 shows one third of 8 to12-year-old home Internet users say they have a profile on social networking sites intended for those aged over 13.
Of those children who use the internet at home:
- 22% of 12-15 year olds say that they would be happy to give out their e-mail address online
- 12% of 8-15 year olds say they forget about the safety rules when online
- 10% of 8-15 year olds say that they wouldn’t tell anyone if they saw something worrying, nasty or offensive online
Overriding need for working together
Minister for crime prevention and security and co-chair of the UKCCIS, James Brokenshire said closer work between industry, parents and Government is key to making improvements in this area.
“We want children and young people to enjoy the Internet but we know they can also be vulnerable to harmful or inappropriate content,” he said.
“We want to help protect children from abuse and harm online, but it isn’t something we can do on our own.”
The minister concluded: “I would like to thank UKCCIS for all the work already underway and encourage members and their organisations to work together to look at what more we can do to help develop the information and tools that are needed to move on to the next stage. If we can achieve this together, we will have made great strides towards improving the protection of children on the Internet.”
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