Legal Information Centre
16 September 2008 by Mary Heaney
Fraud not high on the police's list of priorities
The director of the Fraud Prosecution Service, David Kirk, has bemoaned the lack of resources directed towards tackling fraud.
The director of the Fraud Prosecution Service, David Kirk, has bemoaned the lack of resources directed towards tackling fraud.
Speaking to the BBC, Mr Kirk claimed that the police were failing to devote sufficient resources to investigating fraud despite an increase in the number of people faced with the problem of fraud.
“Police priority for fraud investigation is low – in fact it isn’t on their list of priorities,” Kirk said. “As an ordinary member of the public you would have to be quite lucky to get it investigated.”
The claims come as the credit crunch raises the risk of fraud. Scams such as identity theft and “boiler room” selling of worthless shares now pose a greater threat to members of the public. Mr Kirk was keen to praise the efforts operating fraud squads but highlighted the drop in such officers from 600 to 400 over the past ten years.
However, the government claims greater action is being taken. The Attorney General’s Fraud Review, published in 2006, allows for the recruitment of an additional 40 officers for the City of London Police’s fraud unit and the creation of a National Fraud Strategic Authority to decide on the national campaign.
Speaking to the BBC, Mr Kirk claimed that the police were failing to devote sufficient resources to investigating fraud despite an increase in the number of people faced with the problem of fraud.
“Police priority for fraud investigation is low – in fact it isn’t on their list of priorities,” Kirk said. “As an ordinary member of the public you would have to be quite lucky to get it investigated.”
The claims come as the credit crunch raises the risk of fraud. Scams such as identity theft and “boiler room” selling of worthless shares now pose a greater threat to members of the public. Mr Kirk was keen to praise the efforts operating fraud squads but highlighted the drop in such officers from 600 to 400 over the past ten years.
However, the government claims greater action is being taken. The Attorney General’s Fraud Review, published in 2006, allows for the recruitment of an additional 40 officers for the City of London Police’s fraud unit and the creation of a National Fraud Strategic Authority to decide on the national campaign.
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