| Last fortnight, Michael O'Keefe warned Indian companies that are expanding globally that they should realise that they face a high risk of hiring fraudsters and getting infiltrated by members of organised crime. |
| Those coming to the UK should sign up for a partnership under the Sterling, Grafton and Quadrant programme and share information, he argued. |
| "We want to help companies in their recruitment policies so that they minimise risks. We have a fraud alert web site," says O'Keefe, giving details of how New Scotland Yard was reinventing itself to fight crime in the 21st century. |
| "Organised crime has adapted to the latest technology in its operations and the police around the world has to be one step ahead if they hope to fight crime. That is one of our biggest challenges," he says. |
| The chief detective at the specialist crime directorate at the metropolitan police in Scotland Yard cites an example of the benefit of partnerships: "After the programme was started in the Heathrow airport area, the crime rate dropped significantly, leading to huge savings for insurance companies in particular. As a result they have invested $2 million in Scotland Yard's initiatives." |
| "South East Asians were involved in about 25 per cent of the serious economic crimes investigated by us last year. London is a gateway to world economic activity and crime comes along with it. We are working to minimise money laundering, identity fraud and cyber crime by keeping a watch on cash rich businesses and communities which have low business standards," O'Keefe says. |
| O'Keefe also cites some startling figures. The annual cost of economic crimes in London alone is estimated to be £28 billion, or £1,600 (Rs 1,34,000) for every household in London. Police need to work out these numbers with businesses to evolve serious partnerships, he says. |
| O'Keefe should know what he is talking about ""he has 28 years of experience in one of the best police forces in the world (he has high regard for the Canadian Royal police and ranks it at the top, apart from Scotland Yard, when it comes to solving crime). He moved into his present job about 18 months ago. Before that he headed a crack team of homicide detectives for five years. |
| Quick to defend Scotland Yard's 100 per cent track record in solving kidnap cases, O'Keefe says, "Last year's case in India does not count as that was essentially dealt with by the Indian police." |
| The hard-nosed investigator rues the fact that last year when a UK citizen was kidnapped in India Scotland Yard did not get adequate co-operation from the Indian police. |
| "Scotland Yard and the Indian police should be able to pick up the phone and work together. That level of confidence and co-operation is not yet there," he says. |
| "We want to share our expertise with the police here, whether in training or in processes," he adds. His visit is a prelude to signing a memorandum with the Indian government on closer police interaction. |
| Building ground-level intelligence across the world is also high on Scotland Yard's agenda, with terrorism threats increasing significantly in recent years. "We are looking at that," O'Keefe says, sidestepping a question on Scotland Yard's network in India. |
| On the police in the UK, he says: "We are putting the emphasis back on the beat constable. With cops mostly driving around in cars, ground level interaction had been reduced." |
| Unlike in India where people can join the police force directly as officers, every cop in Scotland Yard starts out as a constable. Even those who come in with higher qualifications start as beat constables, although they are put on an accelerated track. |
| O'Keefe is a rugby buff. The 48-year-old father of four children (the eldest is 16) loves to go for walks with his family. He is looking forward to special assignments after he retires in about 18 months from now -- "special assignments other than joining organised crime," he adds with a twinkle in his eyes. |
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