Efforts to tackle organised crime see more than 1,200 arrested

Innovative efforts to clampdown on the detrimental impact of organised crime have seen more than 1,200 people arrested and sentenced to 438 years.   

This month members of the Home Affairs Select Committee (HASC) visited Northumbria Police, West Yorkshire Police and the Metropolitan Police Service, as well as Tackling Organised Exploitation (TOEX) as part of their ongoing inquiry into Serious and Organised Crime (SOC) in the community.  

The visits come after NPCC SOC Lead, Deputy Chief Constable Wendy Gunney and NPCC Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee programme lead, Deputy Chief Constable Catherine Akehurst, updated MPs about the scale of this criminality - and how forces are using Clear Hold Build (CHB) to stop it. 

CHB was rolled out nationally in 2024 and gives forces a blueprint they can adapt locally and use to transform an area. 

In the last year, CHB has accomplished:  

• 1,254 people arrested  

• 331 people charged 

• Offenders sentenced to more than 438 years 

• Reduced drugs offences by 36%  

• Reduced acquisitive crime by 23%  

• Reduced violence by 17%   

The model is simple – first police and partners clear an area through targeted action like warrants, seizures, and other enforcement activity. It is held through sustained activity like visible patrols and further arrests being made to prevent other criminals from moving in. And finally, the build phase sees grassroots organisations and charities take over to deliver new services and ensure an area becomes a thriving community.   

Deputy Chief Constable Gunney, National Serious Organised Crime (SOC) lead said: 

“We know the symptoms of SOC can manifest in a number of different ways from spikes in ASB to rises in theft and reports of violence. 

“Historically these crimes have been seen in isolation and not as symptoms of wider organised criminality like drug trafficking and money laundering.  What CHB has done, is connect specialist SOC officers to neighbourhood teams so escalating behaviours and patterns can be viewed and investigated through a different lens.  

“These sites are real success stories where change hasn’t happened overnight but has been as a result of the hard work, determination and specialist skills of all involved. 

“I hope members have a broader understanding of the complexities we face when it comes to recognising, tackling and preventing organised crime in all its forms. Law enforcement faces many challenges in this area and while CHB is just one mechanism we are using to deliver real change, it is encouraging to see it transforming people's lives for the better and I hope forces continue their great work.”