Ethical Hacking News
The UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) has been criticized for its lack of effectiveness in tackling serious organized crime (SOC). A prominent think tank has accused both the government and NCA of failing to adequately invest in equipment and address issues such as recruitment and retention. However, the agency has responded by highlighting its own achievements and emphasizing the need for a comprehensive approach to SOC.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) has been criticized for its effectiveness in tackling serious organized crime (SOC), with a think tank finding it nearly three times less efficient than the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The Social Market Foundation's report highlighted issues with the NCA's approach to SOC, including recruitment, retention, and inadequate investment in equipment. The UK ranks poorly in terms of its SOC problem compared to other developed countries like the US, Germany, and Singapore. The government is urged to revamp its national strategy to prioritize SOC as a major threat and increase funding for the NCA to improve recruitment and retention strategies.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) of the United Kingdom has been under intense scrutiny lately, with a prominent think tank criticizing its effectiveness in tackling serious organized crime (SOC). The Social Market Foundation, a UK-based research organization, released a report that found the NCA to be nearly three times less efficient than its US counterpart, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The report's authors used a "crude proxy" comparison, which involved extrapolating the number of arrests made by NCA officers in 2023-2024 based on the FBI's productivity rates. According to this method, if NCA officers had been as productive as their US counterparts, they would have made an additional 1,900 arrests during that period.
However, the NCA spokesperson took issue with this comparison, stating that "arrest figures alone are not an authoritative measure of impact" and that the remits of the NCA and FBI are "substantially different." The NCA is primarily focused on tackling SOC, whereas the FBI has a broader mandate that includes investigating crimes such as murders and armed robberies.
Despite this criticism, the Social Market Foundation's report highlighted various issues with the NCA's approach to SOC. These included concerns over recruitment, retention, and pay packages lagging behind those of the police force. The think tank also accused both the UK government and the NCA of failing to adequately invest in the equipment required to handle increasingly sophisticated SOC cases.
Furthermore, the report noted that the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime ranks the UK poorly in terms of its SOC problem, which has worsened considerably in recent years. As of 2023, the UK was deemed to be worse off than other developed countries such as the US, Germany, and Singapore.
To combat this growing threat, the Social Market Foundation urged the UK government to revamp its national strategy to typify SOC as the most pervasive national security threat to the country. It also called for increased funding for the NCA, with the aim of improving its recruitment and retention strategies.
The NCA has responded to these criticisms by emphasizing its own achievements in tackling SOC. According to its spokesperson, the agency has had a "biggest ever impact" on serious organized crime, tangibly degrading or eradicating a criminal threat more than 12 times every day. However, this does not necessarily address the underlying issues highlighted by the Social Market Foundation's report.
The NCA is also working closely with policing partners and government to scope how the entire policing and law enforcement system can best protect the public from SOC at local, regional, and national levels.
In conclusion, the UK's National Crime Agency faces significant challenges in tackling serious organized crime. While it has made efforts to improve its approach, more needs to be done to address the root causes of this issue. A comprehensive review of the NCA's strategy and a renewed commitment to funding and resources are essential if the agency is to effectively combat SOC.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/The-UKs-National-Crime-Agency-Under-Fire-A-Critique-of-its-Efficacy-and-a-Call-for-Reform-ehn.shtml
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2025/07/14/nca_fbi_claims/
Published: Mon Jul 14 04:02:39 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
