ABSTRACT

This chapter considers the structure of the police and how they respond to cybercrimes. The police and related law enforcement agencies are the most obvious enforcers of the law. The structure of policing in the UK is somewhat complicated. The Police and Crime Commissioner develop, in consultation with the chief constable, a Police and Crime Plan that will typically cover the duration of their elected term of office. In 2010, police forces began to establish Regional Organised Crime Units (ROCU). These are units that are formed through the seconding of officers from different police forces. Cybercrime investigations are one of the capabilities that ROCUs were created to assist. As with traditional law enforcement, ROCUs exist not only to investigate crime, but they also have a responsibility for crime prevention and awareness of cybercrime. Alongside the police, some law enforcement agencies operate at a national level.