CEOP chief: National Crime Agency would be bad for children

Jim Gamble – the outgoing head of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection agency (CEOP) – has been speaking for the first time about the reasons behind his surprise resignation last week.

Giving evidence to a Parliamentary committee, Mr Gamble said he was worried about “the direction of travel” of government plans to merge CEOP into a National Crime Agency.

“I have resigned because I think it is not best for children,” he told MPs.

‘Lack of consultation’
He attacked the way the government had drawn up the plans, saying he felt that consultation was not being done.

“I applaud any government that builds policy on an evidence basis,” he said. “This was presented to Parliament without any consultation with major figures in the field.”

CEOP, which is tasked with tackling child sex abuse, employs 122 people and has a budget of £12m with around three-quarters of that coming from the taxpayer. It says it has helped save more than 700 children and has caught more than 1,300 offenders.

“I have resigned because I think this plan is not best for children.” Jim Gamble

Mr Gamble hinted that some of the agency’s budget could be at risk if it were swallowed up because some of its external funders could withdraw their help.

“I have a letter from Microsoft saying they may not continue their philanthropic support of CEOP,” he said.

Resignation
Mr Gamble tendered his resignation to the Home Secretary Theresa May last week but has so far refused to reveal the specific reasons behind his decision. He denied he was leaving the post because he had had “another big job” lined up. On the move to integrate CEOP into a new crime agency, he said: “Making us fit in is going to cost the country money, add layers of bureaucracy.”

He added that he wouldn’t be, “leaving this area, a job I love, with people I admire and respect,” unless it was on an important issue.

Mr Gamble was formerly head of the Anti-Terrorism Intelligence Unit in Northern Ireland and was deputy director of the National Crime Squad.

The government’s consultation on integrating CEOP into a new National Crime Agency has attracted widespread criticism. Sarah Payne, the mother of the murdered schoolgirl Sara Payne, said she was “disgusted” by the plan.

The Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) said it was “in firm support” of CEOP remaining as a stand-alone agency. at the time of Mr Gamble’s resignation, the former Shadow Home Secretary and now Shadow Chancellor Alan Johnson said the government’s plans “will harm child safety networks”.

“Their lack of consultation has led to the resignation of Mr Gamble, who is highly respected within and outside of the organisation he served so well. His expertise will be badly missed,” he said.

Mr Gamble is due to leave his post early next year.