The Crime Agents

In this week's Q&A episode, Andy and Neil debate the effectiveness of the IOPC: the Independent Office for Police Conduct. Last year, the watchdog controversially pushed for NX121 - the firearms officer who shot Chris Kaba in 2022 - to be charged with murder, only for a jury to return a "not guilty" verdict in near record time. So how does the IOPC work? And is it fit for purpose? Andy and Neil give their forthright views on the future of the organisation, and discuss the best way for police officers to be held to account for their actions.

They also look at whether a toxic culture still exists within the Met Police as a whole, in light of the recent Panorama documentary which exposed widespread misconduct at one of London's busiest police stations. Is this just a few bad apples? Or is policing still a "boys' club" and are the problems systemic?

Andy and Neil also talk about why there is less media attention given to stories about black children going missing, and whether this reflects more badly on the police, or on society as a whole.

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Last weekend, a gang of thieves made off with hundreds of millions of Euros' worth of jewellery from the Louvre in Paris - including some of France's Crown Jewels. But how did they plan a job like this? How could the world's most famous museum be such an easy target? And how will the police be trying to track the perpetrators down?

In this episode, Andy and Neil examine what we know so far about the biggest heist of the last few years - and explain how some of the thieves' mistakes could end up proving costly as the French police pull out the stops to catch the gang behind this crime.

They also discuss why the public often seem to side with the villains in cases like this - and Andy and Neil reflect on some of the other most famous heists in history, from Hatton Garden in 2015 to the Great Train Robbery of 1963.

Later, the pair reveal their top three favourite heist movies - and you won't want to miss Andy's Sean Connery impression.

In this Q&A episode, Andy and Neil debate what happened to TV presenter Jill Dando, who was murdered on her doorstep in 1999. Was she taken out by a professional hitman? Or was the Crimewatch presenter the victim of a random attack by a local criminal? Tune in to hear what Andy and Neil make of one of the nation's most notorious unsolved cases.

Later, Andy reveals whether his investigative journalism has ever put his personal safety at risk, and the pair discuss their past experiences with 'unscrupulous' journalists who would use illegal methods to obtain their stories.

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When three year-old Madeleine McCann went missing from a Portuguese holiday resort in 2007, it was a story which had the nation gripped for all the wrong reasons. 18 years on, the case remains unsolved - but the story still has the power to create headlines and dominate the news agenda.

In this episode, Andy and Neil look at the key mistakes that were made early in the investigation by the local police - and whether there is a realistic chance of this case ever being solved.

Neil also reveals how high profile murder and missing persons investigations are carried out in the UK, and why some 'cold cases' - such as the Stephen Lawrence murder - can eventually be solved many years later.

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Once upon a time, the police and journalists were friends and allies. But as the phone hacking scandal unfolded, and it became clear that many journalists had broken the law in their pursuit of stories, the close relationship between police and press was shattered. Scotland Yard was forced to investigate and prosecute many members of the media with whom they'd been friendly - and officers were later banned from speaking to journalists at all.

Andy explains exactly how the scandal came about, Neil talks about what it was like to run the Operation which investigated rogue reporters, and they discuss whether the fallout ended up going too far. They're joined by legendary crime journalist Martin Brunt, who uses the Nicola Bulley case as a prime example of why communication between police and the media is so important - and explains why that case could have been handled so much better.

Later, Andy and Neil look at the Manchester terror attack: they reveal what will be happening to the firearms officer who fatally shot a member of the public at a Synagogue last Friday, and how counter-terrorism police and the security services will be handling their investigation into the attacker.

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Today, Andy from The Crime Agents joined forces with fellow Global podcast The Crisis Room for a special episode to react to yesterday's terror attack at a synagogue in Manchester.

If you'd like to hear more from The Crisis Room, find episodes weekly on Global Player or wherever you get your podcasts.

What happens in the immediate aftermath of such an incident? Amber Rudd calls on her experience of responding to five terror attacks as Home Secretary in 2017 to explain what happens at COBRA, and what the security services do next to try and prevent any further attacks.

Plus - Mark Urban gives his personal response to the rising levels of anti-Semitism in the UK, while former CIA officer Marc Polymeropoulos describes the role the intelligence agencies will be playing in the investigation. The team also debate whether Pro-Palestinian protests planned for this weekend should be allowed to go ahead in light of the tragedy in Manchester.

In this emergency episode, Andy and Neil react to the shocking revelations in last night's Panorama, which exposed widespread racism, misogyny, and gratuitous use of violence within Charing Cross police station.

Two years after the Metropolitan Police was branded institutionally racist, sexist, and homophobic, this plunges the country's biggest police force into yet another major crisis.

Neil and Andy give their raw, personal responses to the undercover report and where it leaves the Met. They also discuss whether Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley can keep his job - as the Chief still continues to deny that his force's failings are institutional.

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It's the debate which won't go away: is stop and search a vital tool for making our streets safer? Or is it a blunt, overused tactic which unfairly targets ethnic minorities? In this episode, Andy and Neil unpack exactly how stop and search is meant to work, why it's so valued by police officers - and why it’s such a cause of tension between police and the black community in particular.

They're also joined by campaigner and activist Sayce Holmes-Lewis, who's been stopped by the police dozens of times and now works with the Met to improve the way the tactic is used. Sayce, Andy, and Neil debate what the future should be for stop and search - and whether more diversity in police forces would improve community relations.

Later, Andy speaks to Lewis Goodall from The News Agents to hear about his new Global Original podcast, Coining It.

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The UK is the biggest consumer of illegal drugs in Europe. From the British Pablo Escobar in the 1980s, to Albanian gangs taking over in the last decade, and a crack cocaine epidemic in between, Andy and Neil tell the story of how this shocking fact came to be a reality.

They're also joined by Tony Saggers - the man who, until recently, was the head of Drugs Threat at the National Crime Agency. Tony reveals the key role that pineapples and bananas play in drug smuggling, how the industry has changed since Brexit, and gives his theory on why Brits are so partial to illegal substances.

Later, Andy and Neil discuss whether characters like the notorious smuggler Howard Marks are responsible for glamourising the drugs trade - and debate whether it's still fair to describe cannabis as a 'gateway drug'.

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In this week's Q&A episode, Andy and Neil answer your questions on why the conviction rate for rape and other violence against women and girls is so low - and give their verdict on whether social media and the 'manosphere' is making it more dangerous than ever to be a woman. Neil also explains why he thinks the way rape is investigated in this country needs to be fundamentally changed.

They also answer questions on whether police rewards are ever actually paid out, if it's fair to say that the media is quicker to highlight violence at Notting Hill Carnival than at other major events, and how football hooligans are using social media to recruit members and organise fights.

Neil also opens up about why he feels he could and should have done more to call out institutional racism in policing while he was still in the job.

Have a question for a future episode? Email it to [email protected] or post it on social media: @thecrimeagents