foreword

I feel privileged to lead the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) and I am proud to have oversight of the UK Policing response for UK wildlife crime. The NWCU are here to help all police forces, we provide our service by consent so it’s vital we build and maintain relationships and partnerships that have our animals at the heart of what we do. One of our objectives is to give a voice to the voiceless.

I have dedicated my policing career (20 years) to tackling wildlife crime. For the last 3 years I have led the NWCU and during this time it has evidenced my fears as I see the impact and scale of wildlife crime nationally and internationally. As the policing response adapts and improves, the methods offenders use to persecute and exploit our animals also change too. In recent times I have seen wildlife crime transcend into the digital age and become cyber enabled across many priority areas. I have first-hand experience of organised crime groups who are exploiting animals and people to make ill-gotten financial gains by facilitating the illegal wildlife trade, and I have sadly seen the levels of cruelty and barbarity shown towards animals that far exceed my worst fears.

To give the best service we rely on relationships within policing. We also need the right partners and charities to help keep wildlife crime in the policing priorities. If it was down to policing alone then wildlife crime would not be recognised by world governments and enforcement bodies.

Wildlife crime and specifically the illegal wildlife trade is one of the few areas of society where there is a total unified voice. Never underestimate the power of your views and voice in this area.

Without your voice, the real voiceless would remain so.