New research by Spotlight on Corruption highlights the troubling state of the National Crime Agency (NCA) in Great Britain. The report titled “Is the British” FBI “on its Knees? How to Transform a National Crime Agency into a world-class organization” reveals significant challenges within the agency.
According to the study, without substantial reforms and investments, the NCA’s ability to combat threats such as corruption, money laundering, and organized crime could be compromised. The report found that employee morale is critically low, with officers leaving due to disparities in pay and limited opportunities for career advancement.
Since 2015, spending on temporary staff and consultants at the NCA has surged by 369%, increasing by 58% in the past three years alone. Currently, 9% of positions at the agency remain unfilled due to recruitment difficulties, exceeding the public sector average vacancy rate.
The real wages of NCA officers have declined by 16.3% since the agency’s inception in 2013. Despite a recent 7% salary increase, employees still earn 13.9% less in real terms compared to a decade ago.
The NCA is experiencing a significant “brain drain,” with a quarter of senior managers and a third of legal experts leaving annually. More than half of employees (59%) are stuck at lower career levels without the prospect of salary increases or promotions. Concerns are also raised about potential equal pay claims totaling around £200 million due to wage disparities.
An independent wage review body has urged consideration of changing the agency’s organizational structure and implementing urgent reforms to the compensation system. As a Civil Service entity within the Home Office, the NCA is especially vulnerable to hiring freezes and budget cuts compared to police forces, despite its crucial role in safeguarding society.
Spotlight on Corruption has called on the British Government to:
- Undertake an immediate review of the NCA’s organizational status to safeguard it from freezes and budget cuts.
- Allocate new funds to facilitate rapid and extensive wage reforms at the NCA.
- Provide necessary investments to enhance the agency’s technological capabilities.