Instead uniformed police resources will increasingly be focused on providing an emergency response service and dealing with new types of crime such as cybercrime, online fraud, child sexual abuse and financial fraud, which demand different kinds of skills.
In August the Metropolitan Police set up FALCON, a unit to respond to cybercrime and fraud in London.
Commissioned by the Study of Financial Innovation (CSFI), the survey found that criminality is now ranked second globally, because of the alarming rise in cybercrime and fraud.
The cases do not include other major categories of cybercrime, like Internet fraud or child pornography.
All the while, criminal groups have increased their wealth and power – certainly from drugs, but also from economic fraud, cybercrime, trafficking natural resources, people, weapons, oil and cigarettes.
The report points to "the rapidly growing emergence of the Internet as a key facilitator for criminal activity," and not just in areas like cybercrime, credit-card fraud, distribution of pornography and audiovisual piracy.
The Office for National Statistics said last month that one in 10 adults have been victims of cybercrime and online fraud over the previous year in the first official estimate of the scale of scams, virus attacks, thefts of bank details and other offences.
In an era of cybercrime and complex fraud, a higher calibre of recruit is needed, he argues in his report.
As cybercrime and online fraud has increased on the web, 41st Parameter has seen growth in usage of its product.
It is important that the police invests in a timely and efficient manner in the technology and expertise necessary to deal with cybercrime, whether involving fraud or other kinds of offending".
