EMSOU ‘inadequate’ at tackling organised crime, report finds

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) said the unit was “overly focused on traditional SOC threats” such as drugs and firearms rather than new criminal threats, including organised immigration crime.

In its report published on Thursday (March 2), HMICFRS said the unit, a partnership of five regional police forces, needed to do more to disrupt modern slavery, human trafficking and child sexual exploitation (CSE) in the region.

“Analysis of disruption data for the year ending May 31, 2022, shows that 128 (24 per cent) of the disruptions that EMSOU led were against threats of drugs and firearms,” HMICFRS said.

“However, the disruption of threats such as CSE and abuse, and modern slavery and human trafficking, are low; it led 14 disruptions against these threats in the same period.”

Inspectors reviewed EMSOU’s “highest priority” operation against organised immigration crime and found it “had not progressed enough” in the 18 months it had been running, with no disruptions recorded in the year to May 31, 2022.

Officers and staff from EMSOU told inspectors there were several reasons why senior investigators and staff had gravitated towards firearm and drug investigations. These included lack of experience and skills; lack of training in investigating certain types of crime, such as organised immigration crime; lack of an effective tasking and co-ordinating process; and lack of intelligence and referrals by forces.

And inspectors found forces continue to refer ‘traditional’ investigations, rather than investigations of the highest threat.

In September 2021, EMSOU identified fraud as the highest priority threat to the region, but HMICFRS said at the time of its inspection there was just one part-time post dedicated to tackling fraud, with this lack of resources leading to “a regional gap in fraud capability”.

Inspectors also raised concerns that the process of updating intelligence was “slow and time-consuming”, with a case management system that was not linked to any regional or force intelligence system.

There were also concerns about barriers to sharing sensitive intelligence with organisations such as the National Crime Agency, HM Revenue and Customs, Border Force and the Department of Work and Pensions.

The report also said EMSOU did not have enough specialist undercover officers and underused undercover tactics.

Inspectors found the chief constables of the units five forces – Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire – had been unable to agree a three-year EMSOU funding deal, as requested by HM Treasury, leaving its senior management with uncertainty of their annual budgets.

However, HMICFRS said EMSOU was “driving innovations in a number of areas to improve efficiency” and had been “very successful” in providing support to major crime investigations. It was tackling serious organised criminals in the East Midlands’ 15 prisons. but needed more support from partners and constituent forces.

HMICRFS also reviewed the way each East Midlands force was tackling serious organised crime.

Leicestershire Police was judged ‘outstanding’ while Derbyshire Constabulary, Nottinghamshire Police and Northamptonshire Police were rated ‘adequate’

Inspectors found Lincolnshire Police ‘requires improvement’ and said it did not adequately understand the threat and scale posed by SOC because it did not have the necessary resources, processes or information systems to assess intelligence effectively.

EMSOU said it welcomed the scrutiny but being found ‘inadequate’ was “not a badge they wish to wear any longer than is necessary”.

Regional Assistant Chief Constable Nikki Mayo said: “We welcome the scrutiny afforded by the HMICFRS and, taking into consideration the recommendations of this most recent inspection, we continue to work with our five constituent forces to ensure we nurture the most efficient and effective collaboration in the fight against serious and organised crime.

“Being found ‘inadequate’ at tackling serious and organised crime is of course not a badge we wish to wear any longer than is necessary, as it is not reflective of the high standard of work that our officers and staff deliver, rather a comment on the way we are funded and resourced.

“The inspection was undertaken in spring, last year, and since then we have made significant in-roads in resolving many of the recommendations contained in the subsequent report, by reviewing our various collaboration agreements and funding model.”

She added: “Our chief constables and police and crime commissioner (PCCs) are currently finalising the financial provision for the coming year (2023/24), which includes a request for a three-year funding settlement for EMSOU. This would be a positive step towards improving the stability of the collaboration going forward.

“Finally, I’d like to acknowledge the innovation, good practice and operational delivery at EMSOU, that was also highlighted in the report.

“We are extremely proud of the work our officers and staff do on a daily basis to protect the public from the scourge of organised crime. The excellent results we achieve speak volumes of the dedication and skill that exists at EMSOU in tackling those individuals and networks posing the highest threats of harm across the East Midlands.”

Nottinghamshire PCC Caroline Henry has recently taken over as regional lead for SOC with EMSOU, as part of a drive to enhance partnership working in the region.

She said: “Working collaboratively has a range of advantages. When five forces work together as one team it allows each of those forces to access a much wider pool of skills, experience and expertise. It also provides resilience and consistency across the region in tackling some of the most serious and complex crime types.

“As part of my new role, I will be helping to strengthen those partnership commitments and relationships that help us tackle SOC effectively.

“I am really pleased to see the report’s recognition of EMSOU’s good operational outcomes and its practice on data analytics. From talking to senior leaders in forces and fellow PCCs across the region it is clear to me there is a real commitment to driving continued improvement in the service EMSOU provides. I aim to ensure we all keep pulling together in the right direction.

“However, it is important to recognise the areas for improvement that have been identified. I accept progress needs to be made to make this collaboration work to its full potential, which I will seek assurance on with my regional PCC colleagues.

Ms Henry added: “I am encouraged by the fact that things have already moved forward rapidly in each of the areas of recommended improvement since the inspection took place a year ago.

“Following an operating model review, a three-year funding settlement for EMSOU is now in the final stages of being agreed and there has already been a big increase in staffing in the last 12 months, thanks to the Police Uplift programme, with further recruitment being planned.

“The partnership will continue to get stronger and we will work together, innovatively, to protect the communities of the East Midlands.”