CEOP and NCA

I see that with the introduction of the new National Crime Agency (whose name sounds more like a criminal organisation, similar to Murder, Inc., than a law-enforcement one – you’d have thought National Crime Prevention Agency would’ve been a better choice) they’ve also wrapped up CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection) into it as well.

I’ve always had my doubts about the use of CEOP as anything except propaganda. (and I’ve said so before)  I don’t doubt that there is such a thing as child pornography, nor that abuse happens, that it’s more prevalent (or at least more reported on) now, and that t’internet has made things easier for paedophiles and abusers to both find victims and distribute those images.  (And on a related subject, I also just read this story from the Guardian, and Bloody Hell)

But – ah, but – I do doubt that the methods for distribution of those images include things like Facebook and Twitter. I do doubt that ‘abuse’ on social media is as prevalent as CEOP makes out. The stats they release every quarter always make me think that they’re more about justifying their own existence, as do most of their stories, press releases and news soundbites.  Yes, there should be an area of Policing and/or Law Enforcement that deals with these issues – but in my opinion it should be a part of standard policing, similar to New York’s Special Victims Unit (yes, it’s real, not just part of a TV Series mythology)

I’d rather see specialists per force – with the ability to communicate and operate between forces – than an agency that works so hard to justify its own existence.

Or of course, I could be being wholly cynical and uninformed about the entire thing. Who knows?