In our December 2001 print edition Una Riley talked to Roy Penrose, the former head of the National Crime Squad, now a consultant and member of the Guild of Security Professionals.
Over the past few years Security has been in the vanguard of private sector industries expanding into areas previously dealt with by public services. A consequence has been the emergence in the security industry of high profile figures who have moved across from the police and other law enforcement agencies, bringing with them unique expertise in specialist fields. This month I caught up with one such individual – Roy Penrose OBE QPM, who after a distinguished career in the Metropolitan Police became an independent consultant on crime and security. He was also appointed a member of the Gaming Board of Great Britain in August. RP, as he is known to his friends, joined the police in April 1961 rising through the ranks from constable and serving as a detective at divisional stations within the Metropolis and in specialist branches at New Scotland Yard. His investigative experience ranges through complex fraud, domestic and international organised crime, police corruption and day to day criminal investigations. He has travelled widely on both operational and representative duties and as an active member of ACPO (Association of Chief Police Officers) held portfolios for undercover policing, the use and management of intelligence, and all aspects of physical and technical surveillance. He also led for the police service on the arrangements for the implementation of the intrusive and directed surveillance provisions of the Police Act 1997 and the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. Amongst his papers I also spotted a letter from the Prime Minister, thanking him for a presentation to the G8 countries Law Enforcement Group (the Lyon Group) on transnational organised crime. Roy was a founder UK member of the group at its inception in 1995 and regular contributor to meetings. Before moving on to discuss his current work I wanted to know about the National Crime Squad, frequently referred to in the media as Britain’s FBI. ‘I headed the National Crime Squad Project and was also on the Home Office Project Board and a member of both the Home Office and ACPO steering groups. Subsequently when the NCS came into being on April 1, 1998, I was appointed its first Director General.’ I wanted to know more but when Roy described the squad as ‘not a secret organisation, but an organisation with secrets’ I took the hint and asked him about his current client base. Although he was understandably not prepared to divulge names he spoke openly about aspects of his work including work in connection with the EU pertaining to the arrangements where the 12 accession countries are trying to come up to the standard demanded of them for entry. ‘Some of these nations are quite low in their ability to deal with such things as strategic plans and transparency issues. I have recently returned from Rumania and left people out there to deal with such areas. The former Eastern bloc which was once totalitarian but now working towards the democratic way of doing things is having to learn new ways.’ I asked how long it would be before the entire 27 countries are included within the EU. ‘About another seven years, but that is only my personal opinion. It is difficult to be accurate as there is still a lot of ground to be covered.’ What about other projects’ I asked. ‘I have just done a bit of work for the Office of Fair Trading on the ‘Criminalisation of Cartels’. There is a DTI white paper saying amongst other things to look at the procedures of investigating criminal activities as opposed to civil activities. Our report is complete and I understand that John Vickers, the Director General of Fair Trading, is intent on publishing it. That was an intense yet very interesting piece of work. As far as possible I tend to take on short consultancies as my wife Hanni constantly reminds me that when I retired from the police I promised to spend quality time with her! However, these projects are immensely interesting and can be time-consuming. Take for instance moving the Gaming Board to the Gambling Commission and giving it a wider remit to include all on and off course betting such as bingo, gaming machines and all lotteries except the National Lottery. We are regularly sitting as a regulator and issuing licences. This is just another sphere of public activity.’ Having discussed the fact that he can now select his work, I ventured to ask about leisure and hobbies. ‘Reduce my handicap at golf! I suppose the ambition is to have a variety of issues that you know you can add value to. Previously I was running an organisation where it came through the door thick and fast and there was no time to pick and choose, but now I can be selective and being able to add value is of paramount importance.’ I went on to ask: ‘If you could focus on an area that you have not yet had time to get involved in what would it be” ‘I am helping a guy trying to set up some international conferences where the subject matter is important in the law enforcement sphere. The thrust of the conferences is to bring the private and public sector together in the various ways you can go forward regarding the chemicals used in the manufacture of drugs internationally and domestically. The other area is one of cybercrime and we have just been talking to the new Cyber Crime Unit of the National Crime Squad. The aim must be to come out with meaningful objectives otherwise there is no point. It’s no good people coming away from a conference saying ‘oh, that was a good conference’ if the content is going to be merely forgotten as soon as they get back to their workload. Nowadays, clients want more out of these events and they have to be able to measure the response and benefits.’ Finally I asked what it felt like moving ‘out of the blue’ and into the commercial world’ ‘I love it … love the difference and the change. I had a great time and finished after setting up a new National Crime Squad without manuals telling you how to do it. With the help of a lot of good people we got the organisation of the ground and now it is time for others to take it on and develop it.’ I have no doubt that the NCS will continue to develop. Having had such a strong foundation, how could it not’
