UK: National Crime Squad
01 March 1996
At the Conservative Party Conference in 1995 the Prime Minister announced that the Security Service, MI5, was to have its powers extended to "support" the police in tackling serious crime (the Security Service Bill is going through parliament to effect this, see Statewatch vol 6 no 1). The other two measures planned were to give the National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) operational powers and to set up a National Crime Squad (NCS) and legislation is now being drafted.
It appears that it is intended to set up both the NSC and the NCIS on a statutory basis as "corporate bodies" (ie: agencies) each under a Chief Constable with operational independence and control over resources. Each would be staffed by a seconded police officer and directly employed civilian staff. The remit of both would be regional and national within the UK and international.
Questions of funding and accountability remains to be resolved. However, the Home Office is seeking to maintain the "tripartite" structure - Home Office, the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and local police authorities - so as to pass on much of the cost to local police authorities. Accountability is being phrased in terms of an "oversight" body with members from police, government, "independent members" and an "independent" chair (appointed by the government).
In a related move the Home Office is expected to create a new Directorate called "Organised and Inyernational Crime Directorate" covering terrorism and protection, security and links to the security service (especially on tapping), policng organised crime, drugs, international police cooperation and judicial cooperation.