Understanding the police response to fraud: the challenges in configuring a response to a low-priority crime on the rise

Previous research has demonstrated the comparative lack of priority fraud receives from government and law enforcement in the UK compared to other serious offences, as well as shortcomings in the overall approach to investigation. This paper examines the current state of affairs in the light of changes aimed at addressing these limitations. It incorporates findings from a national survey of police forces, as well as a local survey of police personnel in three forces supplemented by interviews. The findings suggest that the situation has become more complicated. Many police officers interviewed did not feel that the police response in their own area was effective, and that their colleagues often lacked the appropriate skill sets needed. Moreover, forces were not confident they were recruiting the right people to tackle fraud. The paper has important lessons for policing internationally.The authors provide a review of current police structures, resource and their effectiveness in tackling fraud, one grounded in empirical evidence collected at the national, regional and local level. The paper contextualizes the local police response within national response systems and identifies the key gaps in existing strategies, highlighting the challenges to tackling fraud within the established police structures and resource configuration. A number of key areas of policy and practice that might be developed are discussed, which have relevance to policy-makers and practitioners working nationally and in local jurisdictions.