Extra £600,000 to fight growing cybercrime threat, says police chief

UP TO £600,000 will be invested by Hampshire police in the fight against cybercrime, amid a nearly 20% rise in such offences over the past year.

The announcement last month by police and crime commissioner (PCC) Michael Lane comes after an inspection of nine UK forces, including Hampshire, concluded that police provided a “generally good” response to cyber-crime but it could be “inconsistent”.

Mr Lane said he had approved the investment figure to deliver a “package of measures”, including adding digital media investigators and advisors, and training for officers in specialist areas – including crimes relating to crypto-currency.

A smartphone app will be released to provide advice and guidance to frontline officers, and the force will build on work with local universities to create a cybercrime academy and industry-accredited courses and qualifications for police officers and staff.

Mr Lane highlighted how last year there were 740 reported digital crimes in Hampshire, up nearly 20% on the year before, with a total of £821,000 lost by victims.

“Hampshire Constabulary is already leading nationally in this regard, and I am pleased that with my support they will now be investing an additional £600,000 this year in a package of measures to ensure all officers have the tools they need to fight cybercrime,” Mr Lane said.

The inspection by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) did not offer specific analysis force by force but a general overview of how the nine were performing.

It said they were “generally effective” at tackling cyber-dependent crime but there were “too many variations” in their response to a national threat. As a result it recommended all 43 forces in the UK share a joined-up, “coherent” response.

There were concerns raised about the financial sustainability of capability and capacity at all levels, and a “limited understanding” of demand at a local level. HMIC said some forces were not fully complying with initiatives to coordinate resources.

HMIC’s Matt Parr said cybercrime cost the UK economy £1.1bn per year, adding: “The police have had to find ways to combat this new threat.

“Our inspection found that many of these measures are successful in tackling these offences. We found that the response to cyber-dependent crimes was often of a good standard.

“We do, however, believe that the current 43-force model is not an effective way to tackle cyber-dependent crime. As such, we have recommended that the government consider the establishment of a national policing response with regards to cyber-dependent crime.”