Some 75 joint initiatives in the UK have been, in different ways, set up to tackle aspects of economic crime; and there’s enormous untapped potential in meaningful police engagement with key partners in tackling such crime. That’s from a report for the Dawes Trust by Prof Martin Gill’s consultancy Perpetuity Research, and the University of Portsmouth, titled ‘Enhancing police resources in the fight against economic crime cost effectively: harnessing the potential of the private and not-for-profit sectors’. The report mapped partnerships, such as for sharing data or supporting victims; as a reference resource for the police.
The authors interviewed those working in organisations that have partnered with others (including the police) to tackle economic crime, about challenges. These include aligning organisations with disparate goals towards a shared objective; recognising the importance of using a common language to aid effective communication and understanding among those taking part; and navigating data and intelligence sharing within the framework of data protection regulations. Other impediments are time constraints, skill deficiencies, and ‘entrenched silo mentalities’. The key to progress is to manage these barriers and that requires more focus, the report concluded. Examples in the report are Derbyshire Constabulary working with local banks; Sussex Police – supporting scam and romance fraud victims; National Hunter – sharing data and intelligence; Tenet Law – creating volunteer opportunities with students; and Regional Fraud Forums – uniting counter fraud professionals.
The researchers found that many in the private and charity sectors say that when they present case files to the police they are ignored. The result – which both sides recognise and lament – is ‘a high level of frustration and an enormous, wasted opportunity’, the report said.
Co-author, Prof Mark Button, Director of the Centre for Cybercrime and Economic Crime at Portsmouth, said: “Although there are some great examples of collaboration between the police and these sectors, most efforts have been limited to simple data sharing. This has left much of the potential for stronger, more meaningful partnerships untapped, making it harder for law enforcement to tackle the complex and changing nature of economic crime effectively.”
And Dr Janice Goldstraw-White, Lead Researcher for Economic Crime at Perpetuity Research, said: “It is clear that the police are facing an uphill battle against the rising tide of economic crime, while the private and not-for-profit sectors possess a vast reservoir of largely untapped resources. There exists significant potential for enhanced collaboration between these sectors. By not leveraging these resources, the police are missing a critical opportunity to strengthen their response to economic crime and better protect the public.”
Background
Economic crime has risen to epidemic levels, the police response to it has been under-resourced and slow, and the devastating impact on the country, communities, businesses and individuals are only slowly being fully recognised, the report stated. “Encouraging the government to draw on different sources of help – not least where costs may be minimal – has much to commend it. The Conservative Government’s Fraud Strategy, published in 2023, promoted the value of industry engagement to counter fraud (albeit with no account as to how this would be carried out). Although the new Labour Government has yet to outline in detail its plans, early indications are that it is committed to seeing the issue of fraud as a political priority.”
You can read the full report on the Perpetuity Research website.
