NCJ Number
212847
Date Published
2003
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This chapter examines the relationship of academic research on organized crime to the nature of policy responses by the police in England and Wales.
Abstract
It is shown that the majority of organized crime in England and Wales occurs at a level where it is visible to local police forces. The extent of policing activity against organized crime at the local level lends support to those who argue that transnational organized crime (TOC) consists predominantly of local criminals taking advantage of the opportunities created by increased globalization. The implication is that the present structure for policing organized crime in England and Wales, where the National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) and the National Crime Squad (NCS) take the lead and focus on a small number of top tier organized criminals while local police forces address the bulk of organized crime at the lower levels, is appropriate. This is appropriate because it ensures that strategies are developed that take local conditions, including community views, into account and are in conjunction with local partner agencies. The author advocates encompassing strategies for reducing organized crime with local partnerships for crime and disorder reduction. Notes, references