Organised crime units' performance 'inconsistent'

The unit investigates and disrupts the activities of organised criminal groups

Five police forces must make improvements to how they work together to tackle serious and organised crime, an inspectorate has ruled.

The South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU) works closely with the local police forces to share information and coordinate complex investigations.

His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) found issues with recruitment meant the unit had hired staff with "little experience".

It also cited inconsistences among the performance of regional police, poorly-connected IT across forces, and a failure to conduct formal threat assessments.

Created in 2010, the SWROCU covers the five force areas of Avon and Somerset Police, Gloucestershire Constabulary, Devon and Cornwall Police, Dorset Police, and Wiltshire Police.

The unit was graded as 'adequate' overall, but it was determined four of the individual forces 'require improvement', while Gloucestershire Constabulary was deemed 'inadequate'.

Assistant chief constable Rich Ocone said he was "disappointed with the findings", but added Gloucestershire Constabulary had been "working hard over the past year to improve areas the inspectors highlighted".

"There is always room for improvement but we are confident we have the necessary leadership in place, and that throughout the organisation there's a solid grasp of the risks associated with serious organised crimes and how to address them," he said.

Avon and Somerset Police welcomed the report and said it was heartening the inspectors recognised their efforts to improve how they respond to serious organised crime.

Ch Supt Jane Wigmore, head of crime, said: "We are committed to protecting our communities from the effects of organised crime, especially keeping vulnerable people safe from exploitation.

"We've already invested in personnel, IT, training and support but recognise there is more to be done.

"We continue to build on our positive working relationships with colleagues in the other four local forces and the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit," she added.

Threat assessments

Devon and Cornwall Assistant Chief Constable Jim Pearce said: "We are committed to building upon our strengths and addressing these recommendations to further enhance our effectiveness in disrupting criminal networks and protecting the public.

"We will continue to build on our positive working relationships with our colleagues across the region, in the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit, and from the independent charity Crime-Stoppers, to work together to support our communities against serious organised crime."

Across the region, inspectors found examples of forces undertaking investigations involving serious organised crime groups, despite them not being formally threat assessed.

It added the unit and its regional forces were "not assessing their serious and organised crime threats consistently" due to a lack of personnel.

While the vacancy rate had reduced in the 12 months prior to the inspection, HMICFRS said that to address resource problems, the unit had recruited staff with little experience of investigating serious and organised crime.

'Troubling to hear'

His Majesty's chief inspector of constabulary, Sir Andy Cooke, said: "It was positive to see [the unit] effectively manages support requests from forces and other agencies, and appoints senior officers to lead on regional priorities.

"But the unit and its regional forces need to improve how they assess threats and how they work together to tackle serious and organised crime.

"It was troubling to hear about the recruitment issues faced by forces, meaning personnel are not always as experienced as they should be.

"And IT across forces isn't well connected, making it harder for personnel to do their jobs.

"We will be working closely with the unit and monitoring its progress against our recommendations."