The impact of serious and organised crime on local neighbourhoods

The impacts of serious and organised crime (SOC) in local communities can make residents feel unsafe and affect confidence in policing. SOC covers a range of crimes, including child sexual exploitation and abuse; illegal drugs trafficking; fraud; money laundering; organised immigration crime; modern slavery and human trafficking and cybercrime. Annually, SOC is estimated to cost … Show more

The impacts of serious and organised crime (SOC) in local communities can make residents feel unsafe and affect confidence in policing. SOC covers a range of crimes, including child sexual exploitation and abuse; illegal drugs trafficking; fraud; money laundering; organised immigration crime; modern slavery and human trafficking and cybercrime. Annually, SOC is estimated to cost the UK at least £47 billion. There are estimated to be over 75 organisations involved in protecting the public and tackling SOC, including law enforcement and criminal justice bodies; the UK intelligence community; Government departments; local authorities; regulatory and professional bodies; and overseas law enforcement agencies. In January 2026 the Government published a White Paper on police reform: From Local to National: A New Model for Policing . In it, the Government commits to “ensur[ing] that local police forces are equipped to make their local communities safer” while “introducing a new approach to national policing that protects us all.” Key proposals outlined include a new national police force - the National Police Service (NPS). This will incorporate the National Crime Agency, which currently leads on SOC, and include new Regional Crime Hubs. The White Paper also proposes the reorganisation of existing forces into fewer regional forces and the introduction of Local Policing Areas (LPAs) with responsibility for neighbourhood policing. This inquiry will examine the extent of the linkage between SOC and neighbourhood crime and explore the capacity of neighbourhood policing to support the wider police response to SOC. It will investigate the extent to which the new structures outlined in the White Paper will support the role of neighbourhood policing in tackling SOC on high streets and in local communities, with the aim of ensuring that local, regional and national approaches to SOC work together effectively and are resourced appropriately. Individual cases In line with the general practice of select committees the Home Affairs Committee is not able to take up individual cases; nor will it investigate individual police forces. The IOPC is independent of the police, government and interest groups, and is able to investigate the most sensitive allegations involving the police in England and Wales. The IOPC can be contacted at: We are the Independent Office for Police Conduct | Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) . Legal cases We can’t publish submissions that mention ongoing legal cases. Please do not include details of an ongoing case, or details that are likely to be the subject of future proceedings, in your submission. Safeguarding If your evidence raises any safeguarding concerns about you, or other people, then the Committee has a responsibility to raise these with the appropriate safeguarding authority. If you have immediate safeguarding concerns about yourself or someone else, please contact the Police on 999. Signposting We understand that the issues raised in this work may be sensitive or upsetting. Victim Support provides independent, free and confidential advice for people who need help after crime. Report Fraud is the place to tell the police about cyber crime and fraud. Show less