4P approach to dismantling serious organised crime

The aims of the 4P approach are to:

• lead the response in disrupting organised crime groups (OCGs) within Lancashire
• provide support to senior responsible officers
• identify and consult with stakeholder 
• capture and report the outcomes of the plan
• identify intelligence gaps
• ensure learning is captured and recycled 

The intended outcomes of the 4P approach are to:

• improve public confidence 
• increase understanding of how OCGs operate
• reduce the number of OCGs operating within Lancashire 

The 4P plan consists of:

• pursuing offenders through prosecution and disruption
• preventing people from engaging in SOC
• protecting individuals from SOC groups
• preparing for when SOC occurs and mitigate the impact

The 4P response runs alongside the force’s SOC management plan.

Lancashire Constabulary’s OCG coordinators ensure that each OCG is mapped on the agency partnership management information system (APMIS) which provide performance data for each OCG and SOC thematic area. Each OCG that is mapped is linked with the 4P response and has a 1-4 tier operational response allocated.

• Tier 1 OCGs are managed by investigation teams such as targeted crime units, target teams, serious crime team and exploitation teams.
• Tier 2 OCGs are assigned to neighbourhood policing resources, which can include taskforce and tactical operation targeting.
• Tier 3 OCGs are managed by the intelligence units, to proactively develop intelligence.
• Tier 4 OCGs are also managed by the intelligence units, who regularly assess the intelligence for any opportunities.

Each OCG should have an appropriate level of governance and an appropriate lead responsible officer (LRO) allocated.

Lead responsible officer 

An LRO is identified per basic command unit (BCU) by the senior leadership team (SLT). Lancashire's LRO's are best placed to manage the allocated OCG and the tasking process within their immediate and wider teams. Regular LRO meetings take place to establish whether additional support and resources are required to monitor the OCG. Bi-weekly meeting take place in each BCU where the LRO updates the senior response officer (SRO) with the activity and tasking undertaken to disrupt their allocated OCGs.

An LRO’s responsibilities include:

• capturing and reporting from the impact and the outcomes of the 4P response
• ensuring compliance to local, regional and national standard operating procedures
• ensuring all decisions are documented to provide transparency and accountability
• conducting regular operational reviews to ensure plans remain commensurate the level of threat and strategic objectives

Senior responsible officer

An SRO has overall responsibility for overseeing the force’s response in dismantling OCGs. The LRO officer will report to the SRO and be held to account for their 4P response. The SRO is responsible for reporting into the force governance board outlining current and emerging threats and how OCG harm has been reduced. Their role consists of the following objectives linked to the 4P response: 

• persistent disruption and targeted action against the highest harm

• building the highest levels of defence and resilience in vulnerable people, communities, businesses, and systems (Prepare and Protect)
• stopping the problem at source, identifying and supporting those at risk of engaging in criminality (Prevent)
• establishing a single, whole-system approach (Pursue, Prevent, Protect & Prepare)

Dismantling OCGs

Once OCG’s are identified, they are assessed and managed through the BCUs and force governance board which occurs monthly. This is chaired by the head of crime and specialist capabilities and is attended by the BCU risk and threat detective chief inspectors, crime departments and Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU).

The aim of the meeting is to establish and manage the threat, risk and harm presented by OCGs in Lancashire. The intelligence case is assessed, and the objectives and resourcing agreed for the next four weeks.

Within each BCU, meetings are held every two weeks and underpin the governance and accountability of OCG targeting. The risk and threat of the OCG alongside the capacity and capability to deal with the issue is managed through these SOC tasking meetings. These meetings are chaired by the risk and threat detective chief inspectors. All divisional OCG’s are discussed, and the management tier of response is agreed. A weekly covert meeting runs alongside the tasking meetings to ensure a timely response to any sensitive intelligence received. 

Debriefs are continuously conducted and the learning is shared through force governance boards.

Working with stakeholders

The following key stakeholders have been identified and consulted to support the dismantling of OCGS.

• Community Safety Partnerships
• Department for Work and Pensions
• Probation
• Border Force 
• Crown Prosecution Service

• Several OCG groups have been targeted and dismantled due to the 4P response. 
• Officers and staff feel more confident in approaching OCGs.
• Informal feedback from the public has shown an increase in feeling safer in the community. 

• It is essential to identify the most appropriate officer to be an LRO for an OCG.
• The force reported that some LROs found it difficult to fit the 4P into their responsibilities.
• It is important that the mapping of information on APMIS is regularly reviewed and updated.