NCJ Number
123543
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 38 Issue: 4 Dated: (April 1990) Pages: 51-54
Date Published
1990
Length
4 pages
Annotation
The Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police in London is proposing the formation of a central law enforcement body to coordinate law enforcement activities.
Abstract
London is one of the world's largest cities and is policed by the 28,000 member Metropolitan Police. Heading the Metropolitan Police is the Commissioner who is studying the feasibility of forming a law enforcement body which would coordinate law enforcement activities when criminal activity takes on national, international, or organized crime aspects. At present, each of the 43 police agencies in England and Wales operate on its own with no real interlocking agency or body to coordinate investigations. A national operational arm would let the police service retain its systems at the community level, while developing accountable and effective response to policing which requires a different approach. At present, the nation's Serious Fraud Office operates along these lines, investigating major fraud cases, coordinating intelligence, and collecting evidence. Due to the pending 1992 establishment of a unified internal European "common market" and the rapid expansion of international crime, international terrorism, international drug trafficking, and international fraud, adequate and professional response to these new demands will be of great concern to the 43 police agencies.