http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8018209.stm
Police are failing to tackle the rising threat of criminal gangs in England and Wales, a report has warned.
The scale of organised crime is much higher than previously thought, with some 2,800 gangs active, said the HM Inspectorate of Constabulary report.
The report, Getting Organised, called for a more co-ordinated response from police forces.
Organised crime, such as drug and sex trafficking, is thought to cost the economy an estimated £20bn a year
'Tentacles of criminality'
Other activities engaged in by crime gangs include crimes such as trading in contraband goods such as alcohol and tobacco, as well as kidnapping and fraud.
The report suggested some 67% of the criminal gangs made money from a variety of activities, while some 60% dealt in drugs.
"Wherever there is money to be made, the tentacles of criminality will spread if not resisted," the report said.
"The drug distribution network in particular is not confined to major urban centres but has spread to town centres large and small, and is linked directly to an increase in the use of serious violence.
"Indeed, what characterises this level of criminality is not just its illegality but the ever-present willingness to use extreme violence to secure and protect profits."
The report was written last September, but the information was only made public after a Freedom of Information request from The Times newspaper.
It found the biggest concentration of criminal groups was in London and the north-west of England, with other groups spread throughout England and Wales.
According to the report, London, Liverpool and Birmingham act as hubs for the distribution of illegal drugs.
'Full range of criminality'
The inspectorate said police forces knew more than they ever had about the gangs thanks to information sharing between police forces.
But it added: "Worryingly though, this increased knowledge has highlighted the need for a more effective response by the police and other agencies."
It said the survey showed the 2,800 gangs were "covering the full range of criminality, from local teams of criminals engaged in drug dealing and acquisitive crime through to international gangs committing acts of large-scale importation, kidnap, fraud and corruption".
It said: "The conclusion is that, despite evidence of impressive results achieved by a few individual forces and some collaborative efforts, the national response overall is blighted by the lack of a unifying strategic direction, inadequate covert capacity and under-investment in intelligence gathering, analysis and proactive capability."
Home Office minister Vernon Croaker said an extra £3m was being invested in areas named in the report.
It's the final line that says everything to me. Criminal gangs are on the rise in the UK and the Labour Government's answer is to throw a bit of cash at the areas named. No organised Government strategy, just throw some cash at it - typical Labour. Still, only a year left.
