5 Serious and Organized Crime and Operation
Tarian
98. Whilst Serious and Organized Crime was one of
the terms of reference for our inquiry, (as it was one of the
priorities identified in all of the National Policing Plans),
it is very much an issue that is dealt with at the England and
Wales level. Therefore, we focused on Operation Tarian,
the all-Wales Regional Task Force set up to combat level two or
cross border crime in Wales.[140]
99. Operation
Tarian was initially created in 2002 to
provide intelligence led, joined up law enforcement by integrating
the services of three Welsh police forces, to tackle drugs crime.
In addition to Dyfed-Powys, South Wales and Gwent police forces
the operation included partnerships with the National Criminal
Intelligence Service (NCIS), and the Regional Asset Recovery Team.[141]
On the 22nd March 2004, Operation
Tarian+, based at the South Wales police
headquarters in Bridgend, was launched to co-ordinate the response
to serious and organised crime in Wales. Tarian+
represented an enhanced version of the original operation and
included financial support from the Welsh Assembly Government
for the non-enforcement aspects of that operation. It now boasts
a unique set up, that not only continues to tackle organised crime
groups and Class A drugs, but also
targets drug abuse, crime, and those who have accumulated wealth
through criminal activity. Tarian+
also includes three additional strands in tackling drugs: families,
treatment and education.[142]
Stephen Rimmer, Director of Policing Policy at the Home Office,
told us that the Home Office strongly supported its "multi-pronged
strategy" which was enforcement-oriented, but also took account
of education and prevention.[143]
100. Despite the fact that Operation
Tarian had only been fully operational
since the 1st January 2004, it has been described as
being at "the cutting edge of the fight against organised
crime",[144] and
has been welcomed as a success. Chief Constable Barbara Wilding
told us, "I am able to cite very clearly that Operation
Tarian has been highly successful in stopping
the spread of gun crime coming into the cities of Wales as a whole,
particularly in South Wales. We have not seen the drive-by shootings,
we have not seen the activities that Nottingham has seen, Bristol
has seen, Birmingham has seen, Manchester has seen, yet we have
dealers coming from each of those areas into our area".[145]
Furthermore she added that Operation
Tarian outstripped each of its targets
for both seizures and asset recovery, which she estimated had
resulted in 17 less deaths from drugs in the South Wales force
area.[146]
101. Operation
Tarian
is an example of successful co-operation between the Home Office
and the National Assembly for Wales in delivering police services
in Wales, and successfully combines enforcement with education,
which is essential in tackling drugs crime.[147]
For example, the Welsh Assembly Government has funded extra police
and seconded teachers to the project, and dedicated three years
funding for the treatment programme.[148]
However, there is current uncertainty with regard to the future
of funding for Operation
Tarian.[149]
Stephen Rimmer told us that the future
of Tarian would have to be considered within the context
of the creation of the new Serious and Organized Crime Agency.[150]
102. We welcome the objectives and achievements
of Operation Tarian in tackling drugs crime in Wales. We
further welcome the joined up approach the UK Government and the
Welsh Assembly Government have taken in tackling both the enforcement
and prevention aspects of organised crime in Wales. We recommend
that the Home Office commits to the long-term funding of Operation
Tarian in Wales.
140 Force level crime is categorised as Level One crime;
cross border (Force) crime categorised as level two crime and
national or international crime categorised as level three crime. Back
141
There was also close cooperation with Avon and Somerset police
force. Back
142
Ev 288 Back
143
Q 270 Back
144
Detective Superintendent Des James, www.south-wales.police.uk. Back
145
Q 124 Back
146
Q 124 Back
147
Q 242 Back
148
The funding started in August 2002. Back
149
Q 708 Back
150
Q 271 Back
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