National Crime Agency is 'on the ground': The law enforcement agency at the heart of Keir Starmer's plan to 'break the gangs' is losing more officers than it is recruiting

The National Crime Agency – at the heart of Keir Starmer’s plan to “break up the gangs” – is “on its knees” and losing more officers than it is recruiting.

A new report warns that the organization's performance is “hampered” in areas such as combating human traffickers and hostile states.

According to Spotlight on Corruption, an anti-corruption nonprofit, this is due to the large number of vacancies and a lack of investment that could have “potentially catastrophic” consequences.

The NCA is at the heart of the Prime Minister’s plans to “crush” people smugglers in the Channel.

The agency is currently conducting more than 70 investigations into the most successful human trafficking gangs, but the new report warns that its capacity is seriously limited.

The NCA is at the heart of the Prime Minister's plans to “crush people smugglers” in the English Channel. Archive image of an NCA official

The government's new Border Protection Command will be responsible for the anti-trafficking strategy, while the NCA will be responsible for much of the enforcement.

But according to The Times, in two of the three years examined by the report, the NCA lost more people than it hired.

In 2022-2023, it hired over 500 new officials, but its staff numbers still declined.

More than a quarter of managers leave the company every year and nine percent of advertised positions remain unfilled.

And the NCA's IT systems are “groaning,” the report warns, and the NCA will struggle to cope with ransomware attacks.

These problems are “exacerbated” by the government’s unwillingness to invest in the agency, the report said.

This resulted in the company spending £90 million on temporary staff and external consultants last year.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper will meet with law enforcement agencies and members of the NCA on 6 September

One of the main reasons for this is that morale and job satisfaction at the NCA are the lowest of all 105 government organizations surveyed.

Their employees receive lower wages than those in the public and private sectors – and also lower wages than those in the police force.

And this despite the fact that the investigations are often more complex and aim at a higher threat level.

The NCA is often referred to as the British FBI – but its budget of £894 million is tiny compared to the $11 billion of its American counterpart.

An NCA spokesman said it had achieved “significant and sustained successes” in its ten years of existence and was actively working to improve funding, pay, staffing and investment.

“Last year alone, our officers caused over 4,700 disturbances, more than ever before and over a dozen on any single day.”

“We want to work with the government to ensure the agency has the right structure and operating model and, crucially, is able to attract, retain and develop talented workers.”

“We know it is imperative that we deliver value for money whilst fulfilling our role of protecting the public from serious and organised crime now and in the future.”

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper at the headquarters of the National Crime Agency (NCA)

A Home Office spokesman added: “The National Crime Agency plays a critical role in tackling organised criminal gangs and this Government is committed to investing in the National Crime Agency and its staff to ensure it has the capacity and capabilities to tackle the growing threats.”

“Last month we announced the recruitment of 100 additional National Crime Agency officers who will work with partners across Europe to disrupt the criminal smuggling gangs who make dangerous small boat crossings. This number is in addition to the 50 per cent increase in NCA officers based at Europol.”

The NCA has previously been accused of having a “toxic male culture” in which sexism and bad behaviour are “swept under the carpet” and senior officials can escape sanctions.

Last year, some employees compared the organization to an “old boys’ network,” saying that “everyday sexism” was tolerated while “predatory sexual behavior” was treated with leniency.

In a report on the NCA's handling of corruption, inspectors warned: “Senior staff investigated for misconduct were treated differently from lower-ranking staff.”

“If sexual misconduct is suspected, subordinate officers are usually suspended immediately.”

“But we have found examples of officers who were higher in rank than their victims and against whom numerous allegations had been made being transferred to other departments.”

In some cases, those found guilty of misconduct have been allowed to return to their teams or to transfer to other government departments or police forces.

There have been examples of employees getting away with written warnings for “predatory sexual behavior.”

Inspectors said many employees believe that “bad behavior does not need to be reported because managers tolerate it.”

An employee survey found that 34 percent of victims who complained about biased or inappropriate behavior felt they had been punished for their comments.

“We were repeatedly made aware of 'toxic male cultures,'” the inspectors said. “We found that they were tolerated by women in the organization because women are in the minority and fear the stigma and consequences of speaking out.”

NCA Director General Graeme Biggar said NCA officers were “professional and our culture is generally positive and inclusive”.

NCA Director General Graeme Biggar said at the time: “The report finds that most of our officers are professional and our culture is generally positive and inclusive.”

“But it also shows that there are areas where misconduct and everyday sexism are evident, and that we have not shown the leadership needed to ensure that these areas are addressed.”

“I am deeply distressed by these findings and apologize to those officers, particularly female officers, whom we have failed through the conduct of their colleagues, our leadership or inconsistencies in our disciplinary actions.

“As Director General, I am committed to setting high standards and making clear that there is no place in the NCA for those who do not meet them. In particular, we will not tolerate harassment or discrimination and will stamp out unacceptable behaviour.

“We are taking comprehensive action to implement the report’s findings and have already implemented many of the recommendations.”