Police forces rarely give the analysis of suspicious activity reports (SARs) a high priority, a review of asset recovery since the introduction of the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) 2002 has revealed.


The review - conducted by the chief inspectors for the Constabulary, the Crown Prosecution Service and the Magistrates Court Service - also found 'significant variations' in the handling of SARs.



Police officers interviewed for the report pointed to the volume of SARs - some 90,000 were generated in 2003/4 - and suggested that 'many have little obvious investigative merit'.



As a result of this volume, the processing of SARs is seen as time-consuming and resource-intensive. Compliance with the requirement to provide feedback to the National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) was also found to be 'variable'.



The report maintained that the requirement to report suspicious activity is 'a powerful and potentially effective tool' and that there were 'pockets of excellence'. It also suggested that SARs intelligence can take time to produce results.



However, it conceded that complying with POCA is laborious and expensive for financial sector bodies, 'which unsurprisingly seek reassurance that law enforcement agencies are fully exploiting the information provided.'



The inspectors called on NCIS to issue guidance to police forces on the most effective means of capitalising on SARs' intelligence.



In a 'wake-up call' to criminal justice agencies, the report also said that improvement was needed in areas such as awareness levels, the use of intelligence and enforcement.



'The provisions of the Act remain a mystery to many at executive level within criminal justice agencies, and in particular within the police,' it said.



Roger Aldridge, deputy chief constable of Warwickshire Police and spokesman for the Association of Chief Police Officers, said: 'POCA is a detailed piece of legislation which needs significant training to achieve full integration into mainstream policing. The Police Service is committed to using the Act to its full capacity.'



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