Martin Partington: Spotlight on the Justice System

The long awaited launch of the National Crime Agency occurred on Monday 7 October 2013. It brings together, in a single body, four formerly separate activities under four Command heads. These are:

Border Control Command, designed to increase security at border entry points.

Economic Crime Command covering a range of crimes including:

• Fraud
• Intellectual property crime
• Identity crime
• Counterfeit currency

Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) Command which aims to protect children from sexual exploitation on the internet.

Organised Crime Command (OCC)  which leads, supports and co-ordinates the national effort to identify, pursue and disrupt serious and organised criminals.

The Agency also contains the National Cyber Crime Agency, which aims to provide a joined-up national response to cyber and cyber-enabled crime.

Critics of this new initiative argue that this is largely a ‘re-branding’ exercise for pre-existing bodies with a rather underwhelming track  record, which is also likely to struggle because it has had its funding cut. My view is that it is far to early to assume that this will be the case. The Agency has to have some time to establish itself before we can determine whether it is delivering the benefits planned for it.

There is quite a lot of information about the agency available on-line. Go to http://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/ and follow the various and varied links.