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108 episodes

Q&A: PC Andrew Harper's killers, funeral director horror & why cops don't report their own
06/08/2026 | 29 mins.
Two of PC Andrew Harper's killers will soon be eligible for early release. They were convicted of manslaughter after dragging a police officer to his death - and under the government's early release scheme, they could soon walk free at the halfway point of their sentences. Andy and Neil ask what this means for justice, for public trust, and for every officer putting themselves in danger on duty.
Plus: after funeral director Robert Bush was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his crimes, they discuss how he got away with it, and whether this is the tip of the iceberg in an industry built on trust.
And why does it so often take undercover journalists to expose police misconduct, rather than the officers working alongside it? After the Charing Cross scandal, Andy and Neil dig into why the culture of silence endures and what it would actually take to break it.
Have a question for a future Q&A? Send it via email to thecrimeagents@global.com or follow us on social media: @thecrimeagents
The Crime Agents is a Global production, available every Monday and Thursday on Global Player, YouTube or wherever you get your shows. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode.
Mark Duggan: the shooting that sparked nationwide riots
03/08/2026 | 56 mins.
When a specialist firearms officer fired the shot that killed Mark Duggan in August 2011, no one could have predicted what would follow. Within days, a community protest in Tottenham had erupted into disorder across London - and then into the worst rioting Britain had seen in a generation.
Was Duggan lawfully killed, or the victim of police brutality? How did the police lose control of the streets? And was it always inevitable that this shooting would escalate into something far bigger?
Andy unpacks the long history of tension between police and Duggan's North London community, while Neil takes us inside the Met at the moment London descended into chaos. 15 years on, are we still living with the consequences?
Follow us on social media: @thecrimeagents
The Crime Agents is a Global production, available every Monday and Thursday on Global Player, YouTube or wherever you get your shows. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode.
Q&A: Prison early release scheme, domestic abuse & how did Russia find the Skripals?
30/07/2026 | 30 mins.
Killers and sex offenders were being lined up for early release later this year - until new PM Andy Burnham paused the scheme. Was that the right call? Can letting people convicted of serious offences out after half their sentence ever be justified? Andy & Neil debate the government's options as it scrambles for a short-term fix to Britain's never-ending prisons crisis.
They also ask what police can realistically do about the depressing spike in domestic abuse that accompanies every major football tournament, and Neil explains how Russian spies tracked down Sergei Skripal in Salisbury, even though neither police nor MI5 knew where he was living.
Plus: can having a criminal parent stop you joining the police? And Andy shares tips for young reporters trying to build trusted law enforcement sources.
Have a question for a future Q&A? Send it via email to thecrimeagents@global.com or follow us on social media: @thecrimeagents
The Crime Agents is a Global production, available every Monday and Thursday on Global Player, YouTube or wherever you get your shows. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode.
‘Are you ready to save a life?’ The reality of hostage negotiation
27/07/2026 | 42 mins.
You've seen the Hollywood movies - but what is hostage negotiation really like?
John Sutherland spent decades as one of the Met Police's most accomplished crisis negotiators. In this episode, he gives Andy and Neil the inside track: how it feels to have a life in your hands, what you actually say in those moments, and how he coped when things didn't go to plan.
From talking down hostage-takers armed with suicide vests and flamethrowers, to helping ordinary people through the worst day of their lives, John reveals the reality behind the role most of us only know from the big screen.
Later, he also explains how the job almost broke him, and how he rebuilt his life as a Sunday Times best-selling author and novelist.
Follow us on social media: @thecrimeagents
The Crime Agents is a Global production, available every Monday and Thursday on Global Player, YouTube or wherever you get your shows. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode.
Q&A: Child terror suspects, Hillsborough Law & how long do police keep fingerprints on record?
23/07/2026 | 27 mins.
A 14-year-old boy was recently charged with terrorism offences. Were Andy and Neil surprised? Less than you might think. They explain what's behind the trend in terror suspects getting younger and why it should worry us.
They also take on the new Hillsborough Law, which legally compels institutions to tell the truth in public inquiries. What does it say about policing and public bodies that the government felt this law was necessary? Neil has his say.
They also discuss why the World Cup saw so little hooliganism and why Trump's ICE agents kept such a low profile during the tournament.
Plus, they reveal how long police keep your fingerprints on record, and they look at whether the Met is right to force experienced, specialist officers back onto the beat; is this another move that will damage morale in the ranks?
Have a question for a future Q&A? Send it via email to thecrimeagents@global.com or follow us on social media: @thecrimeagents
The Crime Agents is a Global production, available every Monday and Thursday on Global Player, YouTube or wherever you get your shows. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode.

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About The Crime Agents

If you want to understand what’s really happening on Britain’s streets, you need to hear this. The Crime Agents, the new podcast from the makers of The News Agents, goes beyond the headlines to uncover the truth behind crime that affects all of us. Why is violence rising? Why is public trust in the police collapsing? And what’s really driving young people to kill each other? Hosted by two insiders who have spent their lives chasing the answers, this is your front-row seat to the realities of crime today. Neil Basu, the former Head of UK Counter-Terrorism Policing, brings unparalleled experience from the front lines of law enforcement. Andy Hughes, LBC’s Crime Correspondent, has spent two decades exposing the criminal underworld as an award-winning investigative journalist. Each week, The Crime Agents dives deep into the stories you think you know - from foiled terror plots and unsolved murders, to gang culture, far-right extremism, and the tactics police use to crack the toughest cases. With over 50 years of combined experience, Neil and Andy don’t just report on crime - they’ve lived it. The Crime Agents is a Global production, available every Monday and Thursday on Global Player, YouTube or wherever you get your shows. Make sure you subscribe so you never miss an episode. For advertising opportunities on this podcast, email: GlobalStudiosSales@global.com

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