The Crime Agents

‘Britain’s FBI’: how will it work?

As part of the biggest reform to policing in the UK for 200 years, the government has announced a 'British FBI': a new body which will focus on counter-terrorism and tackling organised crime. But what will it actually look like? Is this all just a money-saving exercise? Should Britain really be trying to copy American law-enforcement agencies? And will the reforms ever actually be seen through, given the plans will take many years to implement?These are some of the questions that Andy & Neil put to Policing Minister Sarah Jones in this special bonus episode, while Neil gives his own reaction to the announcements.Plus, Andy & Neil unpick Andy's exclusive interview with Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, the UK's head of counter-terrorism policing, and discuss whether we are more or less vulnerable to terror attacks now than we were 10 years ago.Follow us on social media: @thecrimeagentsEXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thecrimeagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

Exclusive: inside Britain’s counter terrorism HQ

In 2017, a series of terror attacks hit Britain, claiming dozens of lives - including children's - and sending a wave of fear across the country. The state's response? To build a brand new counter-terrorism operations centre (CTOC), a space where all the key security agencies: counter-terror police, MI5, MI6, GCHQ, the military, and the emergency services - could work together to prevent attacks, and respond to any that slip through the net.In this episode, Andy becomes the first journalist to see inside the operations room at CTOC, and he sits down for an exclusive interview with the new head of Counter-Terrorism Policing, Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, who speaks publicly for the first time since taking on the role.AC Taylor explains the level of threat the UK faces from ISIS, who have been responsible for terror attacks in Manchester and Sydney in the past few months, whether the heavily-criticised Prevent scheme is fit for purpose, and if it's time for tech bosses such as Elon Musk to face greater consequences for allowing hateful material to flourish on their platforms.Follow us on social media: @thecrimeagentsEXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thecrimeagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

Are the police still institutionally homophobic?

When Stephen Port - a serial killer who murdered four gay men - was finally brought to justice, the Metropolitan Police admitted that basic mistakes in their investigations had potentially cost some of the victims their lives. In 2023, the Casey Review described policing as 'institutionally homophobic'. In this episode, Andy & Neil ask: has anything really changed?They speak to Miriam Blythe, the mother of Edward Cornes, a student who was found dead in a London hotel room aged just 19 in 2021. She describes the litany of police failings that blighted the investigation into his death, and explains why she believes that officers treated Edward differently because he was gay.Neil also describes some of the problematic, homophobic behaviour he saw from colleagues during his three decades in the police, and he and Andy discuss whether this form of discrimination can ever be stamped out of policing.Follow us on social media: @thecrimeagentsEXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thecrimeagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

Q&A: Should Musk be prosecuted over Grok & racism on The Traitors?

On this week's wide-ranging Q&A, Andy and Neil address the controversy over Grok, Elon Musk's AI tool which is widely used on X, and discuss whether the billionaire can be prosecuted over the way the tool has allowed users to undress women and young girls without their consent.They also explain whether it's realistic for police ever to go after the head honchos of drug syndicates and organised crime gangs, and how the so-called 'top boys' can realistically be brought to justice. Plus they respond to questions about whether a former detective showed racial bias on The Traitors, and what makes Blue Lights the most realistic cop drama on TV for a long time. Have a question for a future Q&A episode? Send it on email to thecrimeagents@global.com or follow us on social media: @thecrimeagents EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thecrimeagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

The secrets of undercover policing

You've seen it in the movies, but what does undercover policing really involve? What makes an effective covert officer, and just how brutal is it for the men and women who are brave enough to go incognito? And do you get paid more for crossing the thin blue line and infiltrating the very people you're trying to convict?In this episode, Andy and Neil explain the realities of undercover policing, with Neil drawing on his vast experience of deploying covert units throughout his career, and answering the key questions about what he describes as 'one of the most difficult jobs in policing'. They also speak to James Bannon, a former Met officer who went undercover in the 1980s with Millwall's notorious football firm - and whose story was later turned into the cult film, 'I.D'.Later, Andy speaks to Alice Levine about her new podcast 'Explosive Lies' - part of Global's 'Unmissables' series.Follow us on social media: @thecrimeagentsEXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal -> https://nordvpn.com/thecrimeagents Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee