A case of arrested development? Delivering the UK National Fraud Strategy within competing policing policy priorities

Abstract

The UK government has been developing strategy on fraud since 2006 looking at its cost to the nation, as well as its presence in many other areas of criminality, from identity theft to organized crime. This article focuses on the police dimension of the UK's fraud strategy, and its assimilation and implementation in the context of other policies and priorities. To avoid being arrested before it achieves anything, the fresh impetus sought by the last of the strategy reviews must take account of the ‘facts on the ground’, such as diminished police fraud investigation resources resulting from financial cutbacks and other, competing, priorities for these reduced resources.

Keywords:

• Fraud
• management
• police
• priorities
• strategy

Notes

^* OCGM has been in existence since 2005 and now involves all UK law enforcement agencies. It focuses on serious crime that causes ‘significant harm’ through financial profit and loss, impact on community safety or well-being, serious violence, corruption and exercise of control. It maps and indexes the presence and methods of those involved in designated organized crime through agency intelligence, arrests, open sources, and then assesses them according to their judged intent and capability.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Alan Doig

Alan Doig is Visiting Professor, Centre for Public Services Management, Liverpool Business School, Liverpool John Moores University, UK.

Michael Levi

Michael Levi is Professor of Criminology, School of Social Sciences, Cardiff University, UK.