Joint APCC leads have responded to a new Government Strategy to tackle Serious and Organised Crime
The Government has launched a new Serious Organised Crime strategy to reflect the current threats and its priorities for reducing crime.
Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) hold Chief Constables to account for their forces’ and Regional Organised Crime Units’ (ROCUs) performance in tackling Serious Organised Crime. This is recognised in the strategy: ‘PCCs play an important role, making sure that police forces are delivering an effective response in line with the threats described in the Strategic Policing Requirement.’
The Government also commits to continue to work at the local level with the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, which represents PCCs, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and the Local Government Association (LGA) to ensure that the local response to serious and organised crime is as coordinated and effective as possible.
In response, the joint APCC leads for the Serious Organised Crime portfolio for the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners have said the following:
Alison Hernandez, PCC for Devon and Cornwall: “Never before has our nation had such clarity on how to stop, disrupt and seek justice on organised crime gangs and the suffering that they bring to individuals, families, local communities and countries. Building on the efforts so far to work cross border and internationally will make it harder for criminals to exploit us all.
“The tools and techniques they use will hopefully be banned through legislation, the police will continue to create orders to stop them further committing offences, a continued targeting of countries that transport people and goods illegally and a recognition that fraud and corruption will not be tolerated.”
Kate Green, Deputy Mayor for Greater Manchester, said: “The Serious Organised Crime (SOC) strategy is vital in tackling a wide range of serious and organised crime, including anti-drug, human-trafficking, child sexual abuse, fraud, economic and cybercrime that combine to cost the UK an estimated £47 billion a year, and untold human suffering.
“A coordinated multi-agency response, which operates internationally, nationally and locally, will help bring to justice the organised criminal gangs responsible and our communities safer for everyone.
“The strategy includes targeted outcomes to measure and chart its effectiveness. But Police and crime Commissioners will be concerned that it does not contain any new funding.”
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