Rephonic
Artwork for The Crime Agents

The Crime Agents

Global
Policing
Criminal Justice System
Public Safety
Metropolitan Police
Counter-Terrorism Policing
Knife Crime
Shoplifting
Drug Trafficking
Counter-Terrorism
Violence
London
Crown Prosecution Service
Organized Crime
Public Trust In Police
Cocaine
Notting Hill Carnival
Terrorism
Youth Violence
Curtis Warren
999 Calls

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... more

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes79Foundeda year ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Society & CultureTrue Crime

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for The Crime Agents

Latest Episodes

A series of arson attacks on synagogues and Jewish ambulances in the space of just a few weeks. Two terrorist attacks barely seven months apart: one in Manchester and then, last week, another in Golders Green, North London. In this episode, Andy & Ne... more

YouTube

As the number of antisemitic attacks on British Jews continues to rise, in this Q&A episode Neil explains some of the reasons why this type of hatred has become so commonplace on our streets, and how it has changed since his days as a police officer ... more

Britain was changed forever by the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence in South East London in April 1993. What followed was a story of police incompetence, institutional racism and, eventually, a cold case that was cracked and which led to murder conv... more

In this week's Q&A episode, Andy & Neil discuss some of the recent attacks on synagogues and other Jewish sites in London. They explain who and what determines whether or not these incidents are declared as terror attacks, and Neil opens up on what i... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

Recent Guests

Clive Driscoll
Detective Chief Inspector, leading the DCI on the Steven Lawrence investigation
Metropolitan Police
Episode: Cold case: how the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence was solved
Scott Hamer
Senior protection officer who protected Prince Andrew and the now-king for five years
Metropolitan Police / Royalty Protection Unit
Episode: Exclusive: Royal Protection Officer opens up on Andrew & Epstein
Matt Middleditch
Head of Counter Terrorism Policing's bomb disposal unit in London
Metropolitan Police Service
Episode: Terror attacks & warzones: life as a bomb disposal expert
Paul McCrory
Director of Map Adventures; ex-military
Map Adventures
Episode: Special Investigation: Inside Britain’s illegal care home crisis
Tom Wall
Fellow reporter; Bureau of Investigative Journalism collaborator
Bureau of Investigative Journalism
Episode: Special Investigation: Inside Britain’s illegal care home crisis
Neil Lancaster
Former detective, specialist in undercover surveillance, and best-selling crime author
Author, former detective
Episode: Levi Bellfield: catching a serial killer
Neil Basu
Host/participant
The Crime Agents
Episode: Levi Bellfield: catching a serial killer
Victoria Baines
Professor of cyber security and online safety; former law enforcement professional
University/Former law enforcement
Episode: The manosphere: how dangerous are these toxic influencers?
Vanessa Frake
Former governor of Wyrmwood Scrubs, veteran prison service
Prison Service
Episode: Ian Huntley killed in prison attack: how and why?

Hosts

Andy Hughes
Crime journalist and co-host with frontline policing insight; has served as a correspondent exposing criminal underworlds and investigative work.
Neil Basu
Former Head of UK Counter-Terrorism Policing and high-level crime/policing expert; brings strategic and operational experience to discussions.

Reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars from 215 ratings
  • Excellent podcast

    I am loving this podcast. Interesting topics, well presented with some great guests.

    Remind me, who’s Jeremy Hunt!!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Rainey 467
    United Kingdom2 months ago
  • Jeremy Hunt - Really

    Really Jeremy Hunt - commenting on NHS - is he really the best you could do. He helped break the NHS.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    jac-scot
    United Kingdom3 months ago
  • Rubbish

    Such poor low quality info and research - it’s basically made up

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    app user 1234455566
    United Kingdom4 months ago
  • Top podcast

    Really insightful podcast about crime by people who know their stuff.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    @josephhug
    United Kingdom5 months ago
  • One sided podcast

    left wing opinions throughout

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Nickname@100
    United Kingdom8 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Insightful, well-reasoned discussions with expert guests.
Great depth from two insiders; high credibility on complex topics.
Balanced yet critical take on policing and policy, not just sensational crime.
Excellent balance of journalism and law-enforcement insight.
Polarizing at times, but provides thoughtful analysis.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#245
United Kingdom/Top Podcasts
Apple Podcasts
#24
United Kingdom/True Crime
Apple Podcasts
#105
Ireland/True Crime
Apple Podcasts
#154
Hong Kong/True Crime
Apple Podcasts
#163
Singapore/True Crime
Apple Podcasts
#163
Brazil/True Crime

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Q&A: Who declares terror attacks, what Louis Theroux missed & arson attacks on synagogues
Q: What terror attacks have you called?
The hosts note that all the terror attacks in 2017 were declared as such, and they discuss the process of declaring a terrorist attack, including the roles of counter-terrorism policing and the lead counterterrorism unit, as well as the difficulty in making a formal declaration until the investigation confirms the criteria.
Q&A: Who declares terror attacks, what Louis Theroux missed & arson attacks on synagogues
Q: What determines whether an incident is classified as terrorism?
The discussion explains that a terrorist act requires the act to be violence or serious violence, with a motivation tied to political, social, racial, or ideological aims, and ideally to intimidate a government or a community; if explosives or firearms are used, the act can be considered terrorism even without explicit ideological proof, making the threshold about impact and intention as well as the perpetrator's motive.
Terror attacks & warzones: life as a bomb disposal expert
Q: What drew you to a line of work that involves walking toward potentially deadly devices?
Matt Middleditch explains it was a mix of circumstance and a passion for the trade, with a strong sense of duty and the unique career path offered by the Royal Logistic Corps leading into explosive ordnance disposal and CT policing.
Q&A: Drugs in prisons & who should pay for policing football?
Q: Do you think football clubs should be paying more for policing on match days, or should clubs be going more down the route of stewarding their own matches?
Clubs can afford more funding for policing given the large TV revenue and audience reach; the police deserve higher pay for match day duties, and the financial burden should be shifted so taxpayers are not bearing the majority of policing costs for football matches.
Q&A: Drugs in prisons & who should pay for policing football?
Q: How are so many children being sent to illegal care homes given all the safeguarding regulations we have in this country?
The system is overwhelmed because local authorities lack capacity to cope with high demand for children in care, leading to placement in unregistered and unregulated care homes; oversight bodies like Ofsted have failed to prosecute many such operators, and sentences are often limited, which weakens deterrence.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About The Crime Agents

What is The Crime Agents about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show centers on crime, policing, and public safety from the perspective of two insiders with frontline experience. Across episodes, topics span counter-terrorism, gang violence, high-profile investigations, reform debates, and the interplay between policy, media scrutiny, and community impact. The format blends practical policing insights with investigative journalism, often featuring guests from law enforcement, policy, journalism, and violence-reduction initiatives. Notable strengths include a hands-on, experience-forward approach and a willingness to tackle controversial issues with nuance, making it useful for listeners who want actionable context behind headlines.

A standout aspect is the direct, first-hand framing—two hosts who ... more

Where can I find podcast stats for The Crime Agents?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The Crime Agents. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to The Crime Agents and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does The Crime Agents get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for The Crime Agents, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for The Crime Agents?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for The Crime Agents, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does The Crime Agents have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The Crime Agents has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to The Crime Agents?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Crime Agents:

1. The News Agents - USA
2. The News Agents
3. The Rest Is Politics
4. Full Disclosure with James O'Brien
5. The Rest Is Politics: Leading

How many episodes of The Crime Agents are there?

The Crime Agents launched a year ago and published 79 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Crime Agents?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for The Crime Agents?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The Crime Agents from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for The Crime Agents?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of The Crime Agents. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on The Crime Agents?

Recent guests on The Crime Agents include:

1. Clive Driscoll
2. Scott Hamer
3. Matt Middleditch
4. Paul McCrory
5. Tom Wall
6. Neil Lancaster
7. Neil Basu
8. Victoria Baines

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days