Dean Blackbourn

Uncovering the hidden cost of staff fraud: an assessment of 45 cases in the UK

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide evidence on the additional costs of dealing with staff fraud, beyond the initial fraud loss, based on 45 cases of staff fraud. Design/methodology/approach – The research began with a “brainstorming” session with counter fraud professionals to map all potential costs in a staff fraud. It then utilised a twin-track approach of a survey and interviews. A survey was distributed using a number of methods yielding 28 usable cases. Interviews were also sought with organisations willing to discuss staff fraud, which secured a further 17 cases. Both the survey and interview used the same questionnaire, although the latter enabled a deeper questioning of participants. Findings – This study examined 45 cases of staff fraud from a wide range of sectors drawn predominantly from larger organisations. From each of these cases detailed, estimates of the costs of dealing with the fraud were identified. Major additional costs included the costs of investigation, staff suspe...

Gay rights in the police service: is the enemy still within?

Dean Blackbourn argues that the Gay Police Association has made progress in promoting tolerance within the police force, but says there is still some way to go.

“The Higher You Fly, the Further You Fall”: White-Collar Criminals, “Special Sensitivity” and the Impact of Conviction in the United Kingdom

ABSTRACT The resilience of some high-profile white-collar criminals in the media gaze after prison may lead some to conclude, particularly as some research also supports this notion, that this group of offenders generally manages well after conviction. Research in this area is, however, small and largely American. The authors seek to add to this small body of research by offering findings on the impact of conviction on 17 UK convicted white-collar criminals after completion of their sentence. It provides a unique insight into the consequences of conviction, showing that although there were some offenders who did experience limited impact and coped well, there was also a significant group who suffered a decline in status, financial losses, negative media coverage, and relationship and mental health problems, to name some. The authors argue more research is needed on this group and their needs as they are often neglected by the criminal justice system.

Community safety and homophobic crime

This article considers the impact of the Crime And Disorder Act (1998) on the issue of ‘homophobic crime’ in England and Wales. It considers research and survey work conducted by local authorities into ‘hidden crime’, specifically the problem of homophobic crime. The article identifies and analyses a number of local authority reports, crime audits and crime strategies. It speculates as to why greater salience is accorded to certain ‘types’ of hidden crime particularly that of domestic violence and racist crime rather than homophobic crime. Finally it looks at the police response to ‘homophobic crime’ and recent initiatives in this field undertaken by some police forces.