Specialist Operations
Specialist Operations is a directorate of the Metropolitan Police. At its peak, SO was a group of twenty specialist units, which were formed to give the Metropolitan Police a specialist policing capability. The SO designation was implemented in 1986 as part of Sir Kenneth Newman's restructuring of the Metropolitan Police Service. Most of the units designated SO units were already in existence, many of them as departments of C Division and its branches, and all were presided over by an Assistant Commissioner of Special Operations (ACSO).
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[edit] Current structure
Specialist Operations is made up of three Commands commanded by Assistant Commissioner Cressida Dick.
[edit] Protection Command
Protection Command is split into three branches:
- Specialist Protection (SO1)
- Provides armed personal protection services for ministers and public officials at threat from terrorism, including visiting heads of government and other public figures.
- Royalty Protection (SO14)
- Provides protection of the Monarch and other members of the Royal Family. The OCU is divided into Residential Protection, Personal and Close Protection and the Special Escort Group (SEG) who provide mobile protection.
- Provides protection for foreign missions in London, including protecting embassies, and the residences of visiting heads of state, heads of government and ministers.
[edit] Counter Terrorism Command (SO15)
The Counter Terrorism Command, formerly the Anti-Terrorist Branch and Special Branch aims to protect London and the UK from the threat of terrorism. The CT Command brings together intelligence gathering, analysis and development with investigation and operational support activity.
[edit] Protective Security Command (SO2)
Incorporates financial, resources and HR support for the SO Business Group, including Assistant Commissioner Yates's private office. It also provides additional security and counter-terrorism co-ordination for London and strategic engagement with communities to counteract terrorism.
[edit] Historical structure
Due to continual restructuring of the Metropolitan Police, only a few of the original SO units still exist in their original form and still use the SO designation. These are marked in bold. Where possible, the current name or organisation of the former SO unit is listed in italics. Where the SO designation has been reassigned to another unit, the units are listed in order
- SO1 – Specialist Protection (Merged with SO14, forming the Protection Command)
- SO2 – Crime Support Branch/Department Support Group
- SO3 – Scenes of Crime Branch/Directorate of Forensic Services (Now part of the Specialist Crime Directorate as SCD4 Forensic Services)
- SO4 – National Identification Service
- SO5 – Miscellaneous Force Indexes/Child Protection (now SCD5 Child Abuse Investigation Team)
- SO6 – Fraud Squad (now SCD6 Economic and Specialist Crime)
- SO7 – Serious and Organised Crime (Renamed to Serious and Organised Crime Group, SCD7)
- SO8 – Forensic Science Laboratory
- SO9 – Flying Squad (Now in SCD7, but retains same name and role).
- SO10 – Crime Operations Group (now SCD10 Covert Policing)
- SO11 – Criminal Intelligence Branch (Renamed to Public Order Operational Command Unit, CO11)
- SO12 – Special Branch (Merged with SO13 to create the Counter Terrorism Command)
- SO13 – Anti-Terrorism Branch (Merged with SO12)
- SO14 – Royalty Protection Branch (Merged with SO1)
- SO15 – Counter Terrorism Command
- SO16 – Diplomatic Protection Group (Now within the Protection Command).
- SO17 – PNC Bureau (now the Police Information Technology Organisation)
- SO18 – Aviation Security/Airport Policing (Now Aviation Security Operational Command Unit, CO18 within Central Operations)
- SO19 – Force Firearms Unit (Specialist Firearms Command, CO19)
- SO20 – Forensic Medical Examiners Branch
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
[edit] References
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