ADVERTORIAL
by 20 per cent year over year (ONS, 2025). The high incidence of these crimes has a direct and significant impact on public trust and confidence. One way to address this would be to leverage the Pareto Principle (80/20 Rule), which posits that a small cohort of prolific offenders commit the vast majority of crime. Therefore, success hinges on the ability to proactively identify patterns, trends, and characteristics of organised crime groups. A focused, proactive response based on this analysis should result in a large reduction in volume crime, thereby rebuilding public confidence. Public confidence in policing is continually strained by media coverage of volume crime, exemplified by reports (Sky, 2024) suggesting police attend fewer than one in four incidents of shop theft. However, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) countered this narrative in February 2024, citing early positive impacts from the Retail Crime Action Plan 2023 including 100 per cent attendance in a sample of incidents involving violence. This national, unified strategy prioritises high-harm incidents and takes an intelligence-led approach to focus investigative resources. By actively targeting prolific and repeat offenders, the plan aims to strategically reduce overall crime volume, thereby directly addressing the core issues impacting public trust. Facilitated by globalisation and the
digital age, economic crime has become one of the fastest-growing crimes in the UK (Economic Crime Plan, 2023). This surge is dominated by Fraud, which accounted for over 42 per cent of all reported crime in England and Wales in 2024 (ONS, 2025). The sheer volume of these offences makes it challenging for investigators to quickly determine
whether an incident of theft or fraud involves an individual offender or an organised crime group. To navigate this complexity, investigative bodies must increasingly rely on Intelligence and Crime Pattern Analysis (CPA). This intelligence-led approach is crucial for identifying key patterns, trends, and relationships, thereby providing the necessary foundation for understanding and tackling the problem effectively. The importance of academic research in effectively responding to key policing challenges cannot be overstated. Foundational concepts quoted by police leaders today such as ‘Broken Windows’, ‘Intelligence-Led’, and ‘Problem-Oriented Approach’ are decades old, yet still serve as effective guides. Given the rapidly changing landscape, it is possible these models require updating or replaced with strategies better suited for modern challenges. Academic research and education are key to driving this evolution. By effectively integrating operational practice with academia, we can shape and guide the future police response and equip leaders to tackle the shifting demands of contemporary policing. While an undergraduate or Master’s degree is not a standard requirement within the National Police Promotion Framework (NPPF), academic education and research are demonstrably vital for strengthening operational policing and providing strategic support to leadership roles. Recognising the demand for specialised expertise, LCAPS offers a focused suite of Master’s programmes in Policing, Intelligence, Financial Crime, Cybercrime, Terrorism, and Security. Crucially, these programmes are delivered entirely online and part- time, utilising recorded lectures and downloadable materials to ensure they
seamlessly fit the demanding schedules of working professionals.
For more information you can download a 2026 prospectus of our available courses linked here.
REFERENCES Navigating Policing – Lance Valcour (better information sharing)
www.youtube.com/ watch?v=BRZz20NJmAU
Retail Crime Action Plan
cdn.prgloo.com/media/d4a1807f18af 44a0b982e3b7f2b83d96.pdf
NPCC News Alert
news.npcc.police.uk/releases/policing- retail-crime-action-plan-shows-early- impact
Sky News Report
news.sky.com/story/more-action- promised-after-police-attend- fewer-than-one-in-four-shoplifting- incidents-13276254
ONS 2025
Crime in England and Wales - Office for National Statistics
His Majesties Government (2023) Economic Crime Plan 2 Economic Crime Plan 2 2023-26 (
publishing.service.gov.uk)
NPPF
www.college.police.uk/career-learning/ national-police-promotion-framework
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41 | POLICE | DECEMBER | 2025
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