Organised crime is a real problem that affects real people. It’s estimated that this brand of criminal activity costs the UK something between GB pound 20 billion and GB pound 40 billion every year, while its impact is felt by the state, businesses, communities, families and individuals alike.
Serious organised crime is also on the increase in UK plc. There are now around 38,000 organised criminals operating on home shores, and around 6,000 active organised crime groups.
Against that backdrop, this morning the Government launched its new strategy for taking the fight to the organised criminals by publishing ‘Local to Global: Reducing the Risk from Organised Crime’.
Within this strategy, the Government has set clear out proposals for bringing together – for the very first time – the work of those in the UK who have a responsibility for tackling organised crime.
New Government actions targeted in the report include:
Preventing involvement, promoting awareness
Crime and security minister James Brokenshire commented: “This strategy places an emphasis on preventing people from becoming involved in organised crime, and also promotes awareness to enable the public to protect themselves. It provides a more co-ordinated approach to prosecution and disruption activity.”
Brokenshire continued: “The strategy will pave the way for the National Crime Agency, galvanising the efforts of all those with a role to play in tackling organised crime. We need to address the threat at the local, national and international levels in order to make a lasting impact.”
Back on 8 June, of course, the Government published its plan for the creation of the aforementioned National Crime Agency. When established in 2013, this will result in a step change in fighting organised crime by creating the right structure at a national level to combat the threat.
The ‘Local to global’ document outlines how central Government will oversee improvements before the establishment of the Agency and then on through to 2015, and how the work of the police service, the Serious Organised Crime Agency, HM Revenue & Customs, the UK Border Agency and the intelligence agencies will become increasingly co-ordinated, more effective and more efficient.
“We have to take strong measures,” insisted Brokenshire. “This strategy sets out how UK law enforcement will work harder at rooting out the problem at the earliest stage.”
Reducing vulnerabilities and criminal opportunities
The overall aim of the organised crime strategy, then, is to reduce the risk to the UK and its interests from this particular form of criminality by ameliorating the threat from organised criminals and reducing both vulnerabilities and criminal opportunities
The strategy emphasises how the public has a key part to play, and how communities will be supported to play a greater role in ensuring that organised criminals cannot keep themselves – and their criminal assets – out of the reach of law enforcement.
“We will also put in place clear accountability arrangements and a transparent set of indicators so the public can judge success,” added the minister.
Overall implementation of the organised crime strategy will be overseen by the National Security Council, with physical implementation co’ordinated by the strategic centre for organised crime located within the Home Office.
To read the full report ‘Local to Global: Reducing the Risk from Organised Crime’ click the dedicated web link at the foot of this page
