Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency
Encyclopedia
The Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency (SCDEA) is a special police force in Scotland
responsible for disrupting and dismantling serious organised crime groups; by taking the profit
out of such crime and reducing the demand for such products. Despite its title, it is formally not a police agency but a police force, whose officers are constables having broadly the same powers as their territorial
police counterparts. It works alongside other Scottish police forces and is answerable to Scottish Ministers through the Scottish Police Services Authority
. The Director of the agency is responsible to Scottish Ministers and the Scottish Parliament
for financial
and administrative
matters. Some functions are shared with the UK national Serious Organised Crime Agency
(SOCA), but SOCA requires permission from the SCDEA or the Lord Advocate
to conduct certain operations.
form the core of the Policy Group (the Executive of the SCDEA.)
The Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2006 put the SDEA on a statutory footing and renamed it as the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency, funded through the Scottish Police Services Authority
.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
responsible for disrupting and dismantling serious organised crime groups; by taking the profit
Profit (economics)
In economics, the term profit has two related but distinct meanings. Normal profit represents the total opportunity costs of a venture to an entrepreneur or investor, whilst economic profit In economics, the term profit has two related but distinct meanings. Normal profit represents the total...
out of such crime and reducing the demand for such products. Despite its title, it is formally not a police agency but a police force, whose officers are constables having broadly the same powers as their territorial
Territorial police force
The phrase Territorial Police Force varies in precise meaning according to the country to which it is related, generally distinguishing a force whose area of responsibility is defined by sub-national boundaries from others which deal with the entire country or a restricted range of...
police counterparts. It works alongside other Scottish police forces and is answerable to Scottish Ministers through the Scottish Police Services Authority
Scottish Police Services Authority
The Scottish Police Services Authority is a Scottish public body of the Scottish Government responsible for certain central services for police forces in Scotland. It was established on the 1 April 2007, following the passing of the Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice Act 2006...
. The Director of the agency is responsible to Scottish Ministers and the Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
for financial
FINANCIAL
FINANCIAL is the weekly English-language newspaper with offices in Tbilisi, Georgia and Kiev, Ukraine. Published by Intelligence Group LLC, FINANCIAL is focused on opinion leaders and top business decision-makers; It's about world’s largest companies, investing, careers, and small business. It is...
and administrative
Public administration
Public Administration houses the implementation of government policy and an academic discipline that studies this implementation and that prepares civil servants for this work. As a "field of inquiry with a diverse scope" its "fundamental goal.....
matters. Some functions are shared with the UK national Serious Organised Crime Agency
Serious Organised Crime Agency
The Serious Organised Crime Agency is a non-departmental public body of the Government of the United Kingdom under Home Office sponsorship...
(SOCA), but SOCA requires permission from the SCDEA or the Lord Advocate
Lord Advocate
Her Majesty's Advocate , known as the Lord Advocate , is the chief legal officer of the Scottish Government and the Crown in Scotland for both civil and criminal matters that fall within the devolved powers of the Scottish Parliament...
to conduct certain operations.
Officials
The SCDEA is headed by a Director General and Deputy Director General, who as members of the Association of Chief Police Officers in ScotlandAssociation of Chief Police Officers in Scotland
The Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland is the collective organisation of Chief Constables, Deputy Chief Constables and Assistant Chief Constables from the eight Police forces in Scotland....
form the core of the Policy Group (the Executive of the SCDEA.)
Units
The SCDEA has created several units and officials responsible for expanding its role in preventing serious crime in Scotland:- Drugs Strategy Unit
- Scottish Money Laundering Unit
- Scottish Witness Protection Unit
- e-crime Unit (Scotland)
History
The Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency (SDEA) was established on 1 Apr 2001.The Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2006 put the SDEA on a statutory footing and renamed it as the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency, funded through the Scottish Police Services Authority
Scottish Police Services Authority
The Scottish Police Services Authority is a Scottish public body of the Scottish Government responsible for certain central services for police forces in Scotland. It was established on the 1 April 2007, following the passing of the Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice Act 2006...
.
See also
- Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal ServiceCrown Office and Procurator Fiscal ServiceThe Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service provides the independent public prosecution service for Scotland, and is a Ministerial Department of the Scottish Government. The department is headed by Her Majesty's Lord Advocate, who under the Scottish legal system is responsible for prosecution,...
- Serious Organised Crime AgencySerious Organised Crime AgencyThe Serious Organised Crime Agency is a non-departmental public body of the Government of the United Kingdom under Home Office sponsorship...
- HM Revenue and Customs
- Police IntelligencePolice IntelligencePolice intelligence refers to an element of the British police. Staffed by police officers and support staff, its purpose is to track and predict crime with a view to curbing it...