Cumbria Police ‘requires improvement’ in tackling serious and organised crime

The regional report from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary Fire & Rescue Services found there was not enough analytical capacity in Cumbria Constabulary to fully understand and manage threats.

At the time of the inspection in March, the constabulary had not completed any serious organised crime local profiles and there was no head of intelligence analysis, it said.

The report also found there were not enough officers and staff in the economic crime unit to manage demand and that the force should look at how they record disruptions on the national database.

Cumbria Police acknowledged the outcome of the inspection and said they have now started to implement recommendations in order to improve their targeting of serious and organised crime in Cumbria.

In response they said officers and staff have seized drugs with an estimated street value of at least £6.4m in the last two years under the work carried out as part of Operation Alliance – the force’s response to protect the county against serious and organised crime.

A police spokesman for Cumbria Police said this calendar year they have seized suspected illegally-held cash worth a total of more than £3.3m and have investigated a total of more than £3.8m suspected criminal money.

They also said they have worked in economic crime which has supported more than 3,000 victims of fraud and recovered more than £1m taken from victims.

The spokesman said: “We’re proud of our success at Cumbria Constabulary in consistently catching and putting before the courts members of organised crime groups, with significant sentences handed out to those involved in this type of offending.

“Organised crime groups have been jailed, drugs taken out of circulation, online offenders have been sentenced and the disruption or dismantling of criminal enterprises continues.

“Inspectors state our officers and staff have achieved the highest proportion of prevent disruptions in the region."