Food crime In this feature l role l structure l methods CONFERENCE 2015 Top of the food chain When Professor Chris Elliott wrote his report into Horsegate, his key recommendation was to create a national body to tackle food fraud at the highest level enter the new Food Crime Unit. rob Coston reports T he national Food Crime Unit is brand new and uses new methods its not an evolution of what the FoodStandards Agency [FSA] has tried to do in this arena before, said Nicola Bell, head of criminal intelligence with the unit. Speaking to a packed mini theatre at this years Conference, she focused on the roles, structure and methods of the FSAs new squad: Were going to provide additional capability in cases of serious regulatory non-compliance: where there is a serious risk to public safety; substantial gain to the offender or loss to the consumer; panregional or transnational offending; and issues of major public concern. Since the units creation was triggered by the horsemeat scandal, it is not surprising that addressing popular perceptions is a major goal. Something might come up that is not a food crime as such, but if there is widespread concern then we are going to take the lead in terms of dispelling myths and explaining to the public what they should and shouldnt be concerned about, she said. The key phrase here is take the lead. The Food Crime Unit isnt just about pulling together intelligence that local authorities can act on; analysis, identification and enforcement are also part of the brief. Although local authorities will still have primary responsibility for tackling food fraud at the local level, the unit can offer support and guidance, help in coordinating efforts between partner agencies, andeven take the lead on an investigation when appropriate. To offer these services, the team aims to: l Understand what the issues are by gathering strategic knowledge from a broad range of partners the main goal for 2015 l Find out who is involved in the individual crimes by developing thisintelligence l Identify tactical opportunities to address problems and decide whether to support, coordinate or take the lead on individualinvestigations l Follow this up by acting to deter and destroy crime l Learn from the entire process and conduct debriefs of officers and offenders to tackle problems better in future However, there is still much work to be done before the unit can achieve all its aims. Bell urged officers to be patient. A common concern is that the food fraud inbox is currently like a black hole regional intelligence officers provide intelligence, but they dont hear anything back and dont even get an email to say that weve received it, Bell said. I can offer assurances that it does get logged and is included in our strategic assessment. So were setting up a team dedicated to the receipt and storage of intelligence, then giving feedback to the people that submitted it. There are few staff in place, but we are recruiting to bring in the right skills and knowledge. Credits Published You might also like Rob Coston is a reporter for TS Today. Monday 3 August, 2015 After Elliott December 2014 Images: Cultura / Tim MacPherson / Getty Images To share this page, click on in the toolbar