Police and council link to save taxpayers thousands

Lambeth Council has announced that the decision to have a police officer working in the council is expected to save taxpayers hundreds of thousands of pounds in the first year alone.

Officers are expecting the presence of DC Simon Baker will save the council at least £300,000, compared to the £50,000 the scheme is costing the council per year. And the council is confident that in future years there will be even greater as the scheme beds in.

As well as being able to share intelligence with council officers, the police officer has powers of search and arrest, which the council officers do not have. Being in the building also means council staff, including those working in Housing Benefits or Council Tax, can call him down if they are presented with a document they suspect might be counterfeit.

The officer has already been involved in a case that has involved the council taking possession of a council home. Given the shortage of suitable council housing in the borough, as well as saving the council cash it will free up a home.

Councillor Jim Dickson, Cabinet member for finance, said: “In the past I think there has been a perception that Lambeth has been a soft touch when it comes to fraud, and we want to get the message out that this is not true.

The reality is that people involved in fraud in Lambeth are likely to be caught and could face jail. The fact that we are one of the first councils in London to have a police officer working inside the council shows how serious we are about taking a zero-tolerance approach to fraud.

“It is important that we treat this issue seriously, because every penny we pay out to a fraudster is money we cannot spend on frontline services.”

Det Supt Russell Day, Head of Economic and eCrime for the Metropolitan Police Service, said: “I congratulate Lambeth Council, and the five other Local Authorities who have had the foresight and enthusiasm to be involved in this scheme and I thank them for their support.

“The purpose of our officer is to serve the communities of Lambeth, by combating fraud being perpetrated against the council and the public purse. He will have access to the full resources of the MPS Fraud Squad and if the case merits it we will deploy additional resources at our disposal.

“My message to Fraudsters is simple and blunt: if you are thinking of defrauding Lambeth Council then you had better equally think long and hard about the consequences of being arrested and your assets forfeited. Lambeth Council’s intention needs to be heard loud and clear by the fraudsters that they will take a zero-tolerance approach to fraud.”