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National Crime Agency hailed by Home Secretary Theresa May National Crime Agency hailed by Home Secretary Theresa May
(34 minutes later)
The UK's new National Crime Agency will "relentlessly pursue organised criminals", Home Secretary Theresa May has told the BBC.The UK's new National Crime Agency will "relentlessly pursue organised criminals", Home Secretary Theresa May has told the BBC.
She said the body, to launch on Monday, would focus on dealing with organised crime, economic crime, border policing, child protection and cybercrime.She said the body, to launch on Monday, would focus on dealing with organised crime, economic crime, border policing, child protection and cybercrime.
The NCA will have 4,500 officers and aims to adopt a more visible, joined-up approach than was previously the case. The new agency will replace the Serious Organised Crime Agency, known as Soca.
It will replace the Serious Organised Crime Agency, known as Soca. Labour called the move a "rebranding exercise", and warned the NCA was "not strong enough" for future challenges.
Labour has previously suggested that the NCA would be under-resourced, since it would have access to less money than Soca.
But Mrs May told the BBC she was happy that the NCA was "going to be well-resourced".
It is the third time since 1998 that an organised crime body has been set up.It is the third time since 1998 that an organised crime body has been set up.
The National Crime Squad was set up 15 years ago, only to be replaced eight years later by Soca - which is now being scrapped.The National Crime Squad was set up 15 years ago, only to be replaced eight years later by Soca - which is now being scrapped.
The NCA will work with each of the regional police forces in the UK and similar organisations abroad.The NCA will work with each of the regional police forces in the UK and similar organisations abroad.
The agency will have 4,500 officers and aims to adopt a more visible, joined-up approach than was previously the case.
It has significant powers to compel police forces in England and Wales to provide assistance and carry out policing operations.It has significant powers to compel police forces in England and Wales to provide assistance and carry out policing operations.
Mrs May told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show that the new agency was "designed to be a relentless crime-fighting body which will relentlessly pursue organised criminals".Mrs May told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show that the new agency was "designed to be a relentless crime-fighting body which will relentlessly pursue organised criminals".
The home secretary said: "Crime is falling in this country, but we can't be complacent - and particularly on organised crime. I don't think the last government put enough emphasis on this. The home secretary said: "Crime is falling in this country, but we can't be complacent - and particularly on organised crime. I don't think the last government put enough emphasis on this."
'Increased responsibilities''Increased responsibilities'
"At the core of the NCA will be intelligence. It will work at local level and regionally across government, not just the police. It will work internationally as well." "At the core of the NCA will be intelligence. It will work at local level and regionally across government, not just the police. It will work internationally as well," she said.
When plans for the NCA were first unveiled, Labour's shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said the cost of creating the new agency would be expensive at a time when thousands of policing jobs were being cut. But shadow policing minister David Hanson said the NCA "doesn't match the government's hype".
And last January she told the House of Commons: "The new National Crime Agency faces increased responsibilities with a budget 20% lower than that of the Serious Organised Crime Agency. "Most of the NCA is just the rebranding of existing organisations such as the Serious Organised Crime Agency, but with a substantial 20% cut imposed by the Home Office on their overall budget," he said.
"It will supposedly do everything that Soca did while picking up new responsibilities from the National Policing Improvement Agency, doing extra work at Britain's borders and expanding work on tackling cybercrime, economic and financial crime." Mr Hanson added: "The new organisation is not strong enough to deal with the exponential growth of economic and online crime. It will simply absorb the existing National Cyber Crime but with fewer resources.
"It is right to have stronger national action on organised crime with the NCA, on child exploitation and on intelligence - but the government has to support this effort and not simply use this as a rebranding exercise to hide substantial policing cuts."
However, Mrs May told the BBC she was satisfied that the NCA was "going to be well-resourced".
British FBI?British FBI?
The home secretary said changes across policing had shown that it is possible to fight crime while being "careful with the budgets that are available" as part of the government-wide commitment to "deal with the deficit". She said changes across policing had shown it was possible to fight crime while being "careful with the budgets that are available", as part of the government-wide commitment to "deal with the deficit".
And she rejected comparisons with the US, amid suggestions that an organised crime agency was essentially a British version of the FBI.And she rejected comparisons with the US, amid suggestions that an organised crime agency was essentially a British version of the FBI.
"It is a British approach to dealing with an issue that we face," she said."It is a British approach to dealing with an issue that we face," she said.
Each police force in the UK has territorial responsibility for its particular area. Crimes that are carried out across more than one county or area usually involve officers from both areas.Each police force in the UK has territorial responsibility for its particular area. Crimes that are carried out across more than one county or area usually involve officers from both areas.
The new body will have a strategic role in which it will attempt to look at the bigger picture of organised crime in the UK, how it operates and how it can be disrupted.The new body will have a strategic role in which it will attempt to look at the bigger picture of organised crime in the UK, how it operates and how it can be disrupted.
The NCA will answer directly to the home secretary and will have the same powers in Scotland as it does in England and Wales.The NCA will answer directly to the home secretary and will have the same powers in Scotland as it does in England and Wales.
The situation will be different in Northern Ireland, where the agency will carry out its border and customs functions, but not other crime-fighting roles.The situation will be different in Northern Ireland, where the agency will carry out its border and customs functions, but not other crime-fighting roles.