PCC warns Government: protect local policing, not centralise it

A new £30 million High Street Organised Crime Unit has been announced by the Government.

The unit will be led by the National Crime Agency and will run for three years.

Under the Government’s plans:

• £20 million will go to the NCA, including funding for 75 new police officers deployed across three hotspot regions: Greater Manchester, West Midlands, and Essex/Kent.
• £6 million will be allocated to trading standards to support enforcement activity.
• The remaining £3.75 million will be shared between immigration enforcement, HMRC, and the central running of the new unit.
• Police and trading standards teams will carry out raids, closures and cash seizures as part of the national operation.

In response to this announcement, Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion has raised concerns.

The PCC said: “I hear regularly from the public about the impact illegal businesses and shoplifting are having on local communities. In West Mercia, we’re playing our part to address organised crime and have seen a 6% fall in shoplifting, compared with 1% nationally, because decisions are made locally and policing is targeted where communities need it.

"The Government’s plan for centrally‑run High Street Crime Unit is yet another decision that strips away the local ability to tackle the issue with hotspots set in Whitehall. And this is not new funding – it is top‑sliced policing money, taken from already‑stretched forces. That’s money that should be supporting local officers and local priorities.

"The public expect visible, effective policing on their high streets. This approach doesn’t set policing up to meet that expectation. The Government need to strengthen local policing, not weaken it with gimmicks.”