The future of policing cybercrime: Reflections on the Strategic Review of Policing in England and Wales

This presentation will reflect on the future of policing cybercrime following the publication of the ‘Strategic Review of Policing in England and Wales’, chaired by Sir Michael Barber and carried out by the Police Foundation. The report states over 40% of all fraud offences in 2021 were cyber-based but the policing of this is still largely stuck in the past requiring a strategic rethink. There are skills shortages in in areas such as financial investigation, data science, and digital forensics that must be addressed. These skills shortages could lead to a lack of confidence in the police that could lead to victims and their families engaging professionals as cyber-vigilantes to act on their behalf where policing has failed them. The report makes several recommendations to address these issues and this presentation will explore these considering their potential impact.