Serious and organised crime

Serious and organised crime (SOC) is planned and conducted by people working together on a ongoing basis. Their motivation is often, but not always, financial gain. Organised criminals working together on a particular criminal activity are called an organised crime group (OCG). SOC almost always involves the exploitation of vulnerable people. This can include children and adults who need safeguarding.

Serious and Organised Crime can include

• Organised supply and distribution of drugs (County Lines)
• Organised child sexual exploitation, including the sharing of indecent images of children online
• Human trafficking and modern slavery
• Sophisticated theft and robbery
• Fraud and other forms of financial crime
• Supply of firearms or other weapons and counterfeit goods
• Cyber crime and cyber-enabled crime including online grooming, harassment and stalking.

Local authorities already work in partnership with their law enforcement partners on a number of community safety priorities, but increasingly they are working together to disrupt SOC by:

• Raising awareness to increase intelligence gathering and understanding of SOC
• Sharing information about the use of properties to enable crime
• Tackling traders of illicit goods that may have links to other criminal activity
• Closing venues that permit the sale of illicit drugs
• Using anti social behaviour tools and powers to disrupt activity that may be linked to SOC