About us
The Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency (SDEA) was formally established on 1 April 2001.
In May 2006, the Agency adopted the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency (SCDEA) name as designated in the Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2006. The new name better reflects a commitment to tackling serious organised crime in all its forms. Crucially, in a departure from the SDEA's collaborative agreement status under section 12 of the Police (Scotland) Act 1967, the Act places the SCDEA on a clear statutory footing. This is in line with a promise previously made by the Scottish Executive and will allow the Agency to expand and develop to meet the growing threat from serious organised crime.
The SCDEA is part of the Scottish Police Services Authority (SPSA). Established as a non-departmental public body (NDPB) in April 2007, the SPSA was created to promote the efficiency and effectiveness of the police in Scotland by providing police support services and maintaining the SCDEA. The primary functions of the Agency, as laid down in the Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2006, are to:
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prevent and detect serious organised crime;
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contribute to the reduction of such crimes in other ways and to the mitigation of its consequences; and
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gather, store and analyse information relative to -
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the prevention, detection, investigation or prosecution of offences; or
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the reduction of crime in other ways or the mitigation of its consequences.
Through intelligence-led operational activity and the application of innovative interventions tactics, the Agency targets those organised criminals who have the capacity and resources to cause the most damage to Scotland's economy and communities. Dismantling the 'business' of organised crime is complex and challenging and requires close collaboration at home and abroad. The SCDEA is at the forefront of this collaborative working and continually seeks out new partnerships, not only with law enforcement, but across the public, private and voluntary sectors, in order to ensure that Scotland becomes an increasingly hostile environment for organised criminals to operate.
At an operational level, SCDEA personnel are in regular contact with all Scottish police forces. The Director General regularly consults with other Scottish chief police officers on a wide variety of issues through his membership of the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS). The Deputy Director General, through membership of ACPOS Crime Business Area, also initiates, reports and enters into debate on the many strategic and tactical issues that affect the Agency's role, responsibilities and future development.
SCDEA Headquarters are located at the Osprey House Complex, Paisley, which also accommodates the Serious and Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) Scotland and Northern Ireland Office and HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC). It is a unique arrangement in terms of law enforcement in the UK and one, which not only assists in fostering good working relationships and co-operation between these organisations, but demonstrates a genuine and visible partnership approach to drug enforcement and the investigation of serious and organised crime in Scotland.
Since its establishment in 2001, the Agency has been a catalyst for change and has become a significant driving force within law enforcement in Scotland, introducing systems, practices and procedures; and an enhanced spirit of co-operation, resulting in a marked change in the way Scottish police forces and other law enforcement agencies approach the prevention and investigation of serious and organised crime.
Drug enforcement and tackling other forms of serious and organised crime represents a global challenge. The SCDEA fosters and continually builds close working relationships with Scottish and other UK police forces, SOCA, HMRC and a wide variety of other domestic and foreign law enforcement and intelligence agencies. Indeed the increasing ease and speed of international travel and trade means that it is likely that larger numbers of organised crime groups in Scotland will continue to collaborate with foreign criminals and operate on an international level.
Criminal activity overseas will increasingly impact on Scottish communities as foreign criminals seek to expand their influence and power base. The development of European Union joint investigation teams means that in cases where a protracted, multi-national investigation of serious crime is planned it is possible for the Member States concerned to form a joint investigation team, involving police officers and other law enforcement officials from one or more countries. The development of joint investigation teams also provides for consistency in planning law enforcement operations and deployments across the European Union.
The SCDEA does, however, recognise that enforcement alone will not eradicate serious and organised crime, and drug misuse in particular. The Agency is active in co-ordinating the Scottish police forces response to non-enforcement aspects of drug work. Central to this role is SCDEA Interventions and the National Drugs Co-ordinator.
Since its establishment the SCDEA has continued to develop and expand its scope of operations in a number of areas. These include:-