Police must do more to tackle cyber crime, says PCC candidate

Date: 18/05/2012. Story submitted by: Gael Stigant

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A candidate for the Labour nomination for Police and Crime Commissioner has urged police to up their game in relation to cyber crime which is affecting ordinary households and small businesses.

Dr Alan Billings, who lives in Crookes, said that if he were elected as Police and Crime Commissioner in South Yorkshire, he would ensure that the region was in the vanguard of taking the issue seriously and finding innovative responses to the challenge.

He said: “Every day, thousands of families and businesses in South Yorkshire are the subject of attempted cyber crime.

"At its very simplest, this takes the form of a phone-call purporting to be from Microsoft or an ISP, claiming that they have identified malware on your computer which needs to be fixed. Of course, the purpose of the call is to take control of your computer either to introduce the caller’s own malware, for which they will charge a fortune to purport to remove, or to steal information to enable other crimes. The very fact that thousands of calls are being made each day simply goes to prove how profitable this crime is.”

Dr Billings said that whilst the government now seems to be responding to cyber-fraud against businesses, there is little evidence of a serious response to cyber-crime affecting ordinary households and small businesses.

He added: “Cyber-criminals are not going to be tracked and caught by traditionally recruited police officers whose skills and training are suited to neighbourhood policing, vehicle crime or the investigation of physical offences. We need specialists who know the cyber-world.”

Dr Billings is one of four people short-listed by the Labour Party as a possible candidate for Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC). Following a husting in Sheffield, former Sheffield Central MP Richard Caborn has announced that he is backing him in the nominations. He is also backed by Brightside and Hillsborough MP David Blunkett.

Labour Party members will choose their candidate in a local ballot, with the result to be announced mid-June. The election for South Yorkshire PCC will be held in November.

Additional info

Address: Crookes Sheffield S10 1UD

Tags: South Yorkshire Police, Police and Crime Commissioner, Labour Party

Web link: http://alan4sypcc.blogspot.co.uk/