Tackling Serious and Organised Crime in the UK: Exploring innovative approaches to a growing problem
Online
19th Feb 2026 to 19th Feb 2026
Date of Event: Thursday, February 19th 2026
Time of Event: 9:30 AM — 1:00 PM GMT
Place of Event: Webinar
Key Speaker
Professor John Coxhead, Professor of Policing Practice at De Montfort University Business School
Serious and Organised Crime in the UK is a growing and evolving threat, driven by online connectivity and global instability, with a significant impact on the economy and communities. The National Crime Agency (NCA) estimating a minimum of 59,000 individuals are involved in organised crime in the UK, though the overall threat is growing, largely driven by online connectivity and illicit drug supply. The cost is estimated to be around £47 billion annually, primarily impacting drug supply, economic crime, and modern slavery. While some threats remain steady, others, especially those related to illicit drugs and online activity, have increased. The largest components of the cost are spent tackling drug supply (£26 billion), economic crime (£11 billion), and modern slavery (£3 billion).
The UK government and law enforcement are tackling organised crime through a multi-agency approach focused on disrupting criminal networks, enhancing capabilities, and targeting specific threats. Key initiatives include increased funding for programmes like the County Lines Programme, investment in the NCA, strengthening cross-border cooperation via the Joint International Crime Centre, and using technology to tackle online and economic crime. Local and regional forces are also being empowered, and new legislation is being introduced to combat specific crimes like knife crime.
Key challenges in tackling organised crime in the UK include the transnational nature of crime, which complicates cooperation between countries with different laws, and the sophistication of criminal methods, such as money laundering and cybercrime, which require constant adaptation from law enforcement. The growing threat from organised crime groups and the need to disrupt their business models rather than just individual crimes are significant hurdles. The increasing use of technology means that organised crime is becoming more complex. Law enforcement must adapt to a global context for issues that are often defined at a national level.
This timely symposium will offer police officers, community safety partnerships, local safeguarding boards and other key stakeholders, with a timely and invaluable opportunity to exchange ideas, share best practice and develop innovative strategies to effectively respond to the growing risks associated with serious and organised crime.
Programme
- Learn about current developments in organised crime, and emerging challenges facing law enforcement in the UK
- Evaluate existing government policy aimed at tackling organised crime and explore avenues for improvement
- Formulate improvements to multi-agency approaches to disrupting criminal networks
- Promote innovations in cross-border cooperation in tackling organised crime
- Design initiatives to prevent young people being drawn into organised crime
- Exchange views on how law enforcement must adapt to the increasingly globalised nature of organised crime
- Examine innovative approaches to tackling organised drug crime
- Understand the challenges and opportunities that technology bring to tackling organised crime
Who Should Attend?
- Regional Organised Crime Units
- Serious and Organised Crime Local Partnerships
- Police Service
- Police and Crime Commissioners
- Serious and Organised Crime Officers and Advisers
- Community Safety Partnerships
- Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships
- Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hubs
- Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences
- Offender Management Services
- Fraud Prevention Teams
- Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Teams
- E-crime Teams
- Local Criminal Justice Boards
- Prison and Probation Services
- Crown Prosecution Service
- Criminal Justice Practitioners
- Victim Support Services
- Victim Care/Advocacy Organisations
- Neighbourhood Policing Teams
- Youth Offending Teams
- Youth Justice Boards
- Health and Wellbeing Board
- Local Safeguarding Boards
- Immigration Enforcement Teams
- Human Trafficking Teams
- Troubled Families Teams
- Local Safeguarding Children Boards
- Community Cohesion Officers
- Community Engagement Officers
- Third Sector Practitioners
- Academics, Analysts and Researchers