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See other news storiesFighting back against electronic crime
30 September 2008
A new police unit dedicated to tackling electronic crime and internet fraud will kick off in 2009.
Dubbed the Police Central e-crime Unit (PCeU), the team will provide advanced training for those investigating internet crime. It will also oversee initiatives designed to crack down on on-line offences.
Based with the Met
Based in the Metropolitan Police, the PCeU will receive £3.5m of government funding, and £3.9m from the Metropolitan Police Service over three years. It is expected to be operational in spring 2009.
The Met will run the PCeU as a national resource, working with the National Fraud Reporting Centre and the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau, both of which are also currently being developed.
Together they can support police responses to e-crime across the country.
A vital role to play
Home Office Minister Vernon Coaker said the new unit will play a vital role in helping forces across the country crack down on electronic crime.
'It is important that we stay one step ahead of criminals, who increasingly use sophisticated computer networks and the internet to commit and facilitate crime,' he said.
Attorney General Baroness Scotland said, e-crime is 'the most rapidly expanding form of criminality', in part because 'it knows no borders'.
