Police win share of crime proceeds

Jan 3 2008 Vicky Anderson Liverpool Daily Post

MERSEYSIDE police have received the second-largest handout of seized criminals’ assets in a new Government initiative allowing forces to keep half of what they recover.

Only London’s Metropolitan Police were given more of the £4.4m that has been split between the 43 constabularies in England and Wales under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

The cash comes from assets seized nationwide between July and September last year.

Merseyside Police received £385,417.43 – second only to the Met which got £1,055,485.97.

Home Office Minister for Crime Reduction, Vernon Coaker, who helped launch the initiative last year, said: “This is a double-win for policing.

“Seizing money from criminals takes the profit out of crime and a share of it goes straight back to the police force that confiscated it to be spent on local crime fighting priorities.

“In just three months the police and other agencies have recovered £30m from criminals.”

“This is a tremendous achievement and I am grateful to the police and other partners for their hard work in confiscating criminal assets and disrupting criminal gangs.”

He announced £15m would be shared between police, prosecutors, customs officers and other public agencies.

Since the Proceeds of Crime Act came into effect in 2003, some £360m has been seized.

Last year, police in England and Wales received £3.8m from the incentive scheme for assets recovered between April and June.

Merseyside Police attributes its success to the work of its criminal enterprises team, which targets those using seemingly legitimate businesses as a front for their criminality, including activities such as brothel-running, fraud or organised immigration crime.

The team aims to dismantle organised crime groups and ensure that criminals do not profit from their illegal activities, by seize goods, ing the trappings of their criminal lifestyle including cars, cash or even houses.

Between April 2006 and March 2007, the total value of forfeitures and confiscation orders obtained by the Force was more than £6.5m.

Detective Chief Superintendent Peter Currie, head of Merseyside Police's Force Crime Operations Unit said: "We are committed to staying one step ahead of those who commit serious crime.

“We will do everything in our power to crack down on those who operate in Merseyside.”

Chief Constable Mick Creedon, the Association of Chief Police Officers’ lead on Asset Recovery, said:“We are taking more cash by way of cash seizure and forfeiture, and also confiscating more criminal assets after conviction.”