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Call for a national crime squad

01 May 1994

The national coordinator of the police regional crime squads, Neil Dickens, has called for the creation of a national crime squad. In a speech to the spring conference of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) he said that the six regional crime squads in England and Wales and the Scottish Crime Squad should be amalgamated into a "single corporate body, a National Crime Squad". This squad would be accountable to a committee of Chief Constables for operational activities and a standing committee consisting of Home Office and local authority representatives for finance and "public accountability". England, Wales and Scotland would be divided into six regions each with a director - the same structure at the National Criminal Intelligence System (NCIS). The regional director would manage the operational work of the existing crime squads and the existing NCIS regional intelligence offices. Ultimately the NCIS and this new National Crime Squad would merge into one national body undertaking intelligence and operations.

Mr Dickens argues that "major criminals know no boundaries" and that "there is no such thing as a regional criminal". Moreover, he says, the "international element of crime has increased considerably in recent years". More and more regional crime squad officers are being sent abroad: "The range of reasons include routine investigation, interviewing prisoners, handling informants, undercover deployment or surveillance on controlled deliveries."

Mr Taylor, chair of ACPO's Crime Committee, told the Home Affairs Select Committee in April that the NCIS should be able to undertake a more proactive intelligence-gathering role by carrying out "mobile surveillance of suspects", although this might involve them in making arrests which they are currently barred from doing.

Police Review 18.3.94 & 8.4.94.