No escape for SOCA

27 July 2010

Following hot on the heels of the proposed shake-up in financial regulation and the prosecution of economic crime affecting both the FSA and the SFO come proposals from the Home Office for a National Crime Agency (NCA) which will replace the relatively recently formed SOCA.

In wide ranging document covering proposals for "Policing in the 21st Century" comes the proposal for the creation of an NCA which will "harness and build on the intelligence, analytical and enforcement capabilities of the existing Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) and the Child Exploitation and OnlineProtection Centre " and will "better connect these capabilities to those within the police service, HM Revenue and Customs, the UK Border Agency and a range of other criminal justice partners" with a focus on organised crime and border issues.

The full text of the consultation document can be read here