APCC Blog
On a regular basis we intend to invite leading figures from policing to contribute to this forum so that PCC candidates can gain a better understanding of the wide range of relationships they will need to build once elected. Our aim, as always, is to help you to achieve your objectives and we hope that the topics chosen will reflect your interests and requirements. If they don't let us know and we will do what we can to keep you better informed either through this blog or by other means.
SOCA to work with PCCs to tackle organised crime 12.11.12
The Serious Organised Crime Agency tackles organised crime that affects the UK and our citizens. This includes drug trafficking, organised immigration crime, firearms, fraud, computer crime and money laundering.
Organised crime is entrepreneurial, agile and resilient. It does not respect regional, national or international boundaries, and often exploits the joins between jurisdictions. It ruins lives and targets the most vulnerable individuals, communities and businesses, and the public purse: and it is directly or indirectly responsible for much of the crime we see on our streets. Through, for instance, drug dealing, email scams, human trafficking, and destabilisation of business and brands organised criminals cause misery to individuals and impact on communities and businesses.
Muggings and burglaries to feed a habit, gang violence to protect a drugs market - these are issues of great local concern about which people demand action and on which they will look to you for leadership. In 2009/10, 26% of adults considered drug usage and dealing to be a problem in their area.
The Home Secretary's strategic priorities for SOCA include working to develop effective relationships with Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) in explaining the organised crime threat and SOCA's response. We will be working with forces, and PCCs, for around a year before the National Crime Agency (NCA) becomes fully operational at end of 2013.
We also work closely with other law enforcement partners, the intelligence community, the public, private and third sectors, at home and overseas to combat the threat of organised crime. There is daily routine joint working between SOCA and forces, delivering operational activity and criminal casework against significant organised criminals. The approach includes civil, administrative, and regulatory measures aimed at those that enable organised crime and ensuring crime doesn't pay and that it is harder to commit. SOCA has a wide range of tools and legislation to target criminals with including the ability to recover assets through to Serious Crime Prevention Orders which undermine the ability of organised criminals to operate their businesses and decrease their standing in communities. More information on this can be found on our website.
SOCA also provides a range of specialist services to forces to assist them in addressing local priorities. For example, in 2011/12:
- SOCA provided support to partners in 535 instances, meeting over 90% of requests.
- There were 87 firearm support deployments by SOCA.
- There were 43 threats to life referrals to SOCA by forces
- SOCA provided covert operational support in corruption cases on 13 occasions and tactical advice and/or support in corruption cases on 17 occasions.
- SOCA provided services such as access to bureaux functions including Suspicious Activity Reports, Interpol and Europol; and access to its international network.
Sir Ian Andrews CBE TD
Chairman, Serious Organised Crime Agency