Crime and Policing

Criminals are exploiting advances in technology to drive serious and organised crime, the NCA says in the 2021 National Strategic Assessment – with increased online usage leading to a rise in offending.

https://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/news/online-is-the-new-frontline-in-fight-against-organised-crime-says-national-crime-agency-on-publication-of-annual-threat-assessment

The newly elected Police and Crime Commissioner for the West Midlands, Simon Foster, is calling for members of the public and organisations to let him know what their priorities are for policing in the West Midlands.

https://www.westmidlands-pcc.gov.uk/your-new-police-and-crime-plan/

The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has ended a criminal investigation into individuals associated with Airbus, after it agreed to a record €3.6bn global settlement 16 months ago.

https://www.cityam.com/serious-fraud-office-ends-investigation-into-airbus-individuals/

A former Serco executive who was cleared of defrauding taxpayers by hiding millions of pounds in profits has called for the abolition of the white collar crime agency that pursued him.

https://www.cityam.com/former-serco-boss-calls-for-abolition-of-serious-fraud-office/

The Labour candidate beat the Conservatives' Jay Singh-Sohal in the second round of results

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/labours-simon-foster-declared-new-20556608

A significant High Court judgment that brokers took bribes to push allegedly ruinous loans to farmers has fuelled campaigners’ demands for a change in approach to financial crime in our region.

https://thebristolcable.org/2021/05/nowhere-is-action-needed-more-than-in-bristol-calls-for-avon-and-somersets-next-police-and-crime-commissioner-to-get-tough-on-financial-crime/

Scammers will continue to thrive across the West Midlands unless there is an immediate overhaul in the national response to dealing with fraud, a police chief has said.

https://www.expressandstar.com/news/crime/2021/04/29/scammers-will-thrive-unless-response-is-overhauled-warns-police-and-crime-commissioner/

(Reuters) -Britain's fraud watchdog's bid for a criminal trial of two former Serco executives over prisoner-tagging contracts collapsed on Monday when a court threw out the case on procedural grounds.

https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/british-fraud-offices-case-against-122058758.html?soc_src=social-sh&soc_trk=tw&tsrc=twtr&guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly90LmNvLw&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAE6wmziAHHJ3DDup5-kNQDgZHL9mIq-y_hgzsHuJ3YIKgYN3cP9zNxgDSNJFKlItRWVWqMWSimaRR9--JnUqL1GJTieSk1mmy2hDVYWdQiz-JIz-XNrXrhexwRJP50BmRBhMfbviyRhyArUvDtSeAOEUUBDF6kSpFNlY0WKTOyKC

The SFO is investigating suspected fraud in relation to the activities of the Raedex Consortium, including the companies Buy2Let Cars, PayGo Cars, Raedex trading as Wheels4Sure and Rent2Own Cars.

SFO announces investigation into the Raedex Consortium group of companies - Serious Fraud Office

In the UK, fraud accounts for more than 50% of reported crime; yet less than 1% of police time is spent investigating it.

UK Fraud Epidemic is Everybody’s Problem but Nobody’s Priority (finextra.com)