The government has published a report on its Serious and Organised Crime Strategy. The strategy, unveiled in 2013, lists the following crimes as priority areas for the UK government:

  • cyber crime
  • economic crime and money laundering
  • corruption
  • child sexual exploitation
  • immigration crime, human trafficking and modern slavery
  • drugs trafficking
  • criminal use of firearms; and
  • theft

The government’s approach is summarised in the following action points and the report offers a summary of progress which has been made under each goal up to December 2014.

PURSUE: Prosecuting and disrupting people engaged in serious and organised criminality.

Under this goal, the Government has invested in better capabilities to combat cyber-crime and strengthen Regional Organised Crime Units, introduced important new legislation through the Serious Crime Act 2015 and Modern Slavery Bill, and committed an extra £10 million to tackle online child sexual exploitation. These steps aim to improve law enforcement’s ability to identify, disrupt and prosecute serious and organised criminals.

PREVENT: Stopping people from engaging in serious and organised crime.

Under this goal, pilot projects have been launched to deter at-risk groups from being drawn into serious and organised crime, and a frontline team has been established to support local delivery of the Strategy.

PROTECT: Increasing protection against serious and organised crime.

Under this goal, the Government has ramped-up cooperation on economic crime through the Financial Sector Forum, and has published a new anti-corruption plan.

PREPARE: Reducing the impact of this criminality where it takes place.

Under this goal, the Government has established a new statutory Code of Practice for victims of crime setting out the information and services that victims are entitled to receive from criminal justice agencies, a new national Protected Persons Service, and a new exercise programme to test and improve our response to serious and organised crime incidents.

 

The full report can be viewed here:  https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/415753/soc_strategy_annual_report_for_2014.pdf