NCJ Number
189260
Journal
Journal of Financial Crime Volume: 8 Issue: 3 Dated: February 2001 Pages: 207-217
Date Published
February 2001
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This article explores the issue of “the proceeds of crime community” in the United Kingdom, with particular reference to the field of financial investigation.
Abstract
The proceeds of crime community can be defined in two ways. First, it may be viewed as consisting of those whose work directly involves them in detecting and removing the proceeds of crime from criminals; a subset of the law enforcement community. Second, the proceeds of crime community consists of those for whom a significant part of their work is connected with, or affected by, the proceeds of crime legislation; including policy makers, academics, lawyers, and certain staff in financial institutions. It is clear that the proceeds of crime community does exist. However, it is not a single entity but rather an amorphous community composed of various communities of practice. It is therefore not amenable to management in the same way as a particular organizational unit. Properly managing knowledge in the proceeds of crime community is crucial to whether or not that community can effectively compete against those who seek to retain possession and use of their proceeds of crime. As the intellectual assets of law enforcement agencies become more complex, the ability to inspire staff to invest in knowledge will become more, not less, important. Criminals are continually learning new methods of concealing the proceeds of crime, and the law enforcement community must therefore be continually learning if it is to be effective in depriving them of their ill-gotten gains. Knowledge management increases the potential for innovation and continuous improvement. 66 references.