Specialist Operations Directorate

The Directorate Specialist Operations (SO, Eng. Specific tasks ) is part of the Metropolitan Police Service in London. At its peak, the Directorate had twenty professional groups which have been created for special tasks. The expert groups were created in 1986 as part of the restructuring of the Metropolitan Police under Kenneth Newman. Many of these professional groups already existed then, for the most part of the C Department. The SO will be headed by an Assistant Commissioner ( Assistant Commissioner of Special Operations, ACSO ). Currently Cressida Dick heads the Directorate.

Structure

The Specialist Operations consists of three commands ( commands ) that are partially subdivided.

Protection Command

The Protection Command ( backup command ) consists of three sections

  • Specialist Protection ( SO1 ): guarding of vulnerable members of the government and other vulnerable persons and guests of the government.
  • Royalty Protection ( SO14 ): guarding of vulnerable members of the royal family. Residential Protection,
  • Personal and Close Protection
  • Special Escort Group

Counter Terrorism Command

The Counter Terrorism Command ( anti-terrorism command, SO15, created from the Anti- Terrorist Branch and Special Branch ) serves to combat terrorist activities. It is responsible not only for London but the entire United Kingdom. In addition to police investigations are also intelligence activities, such as the covert information gathering and analysis performed.

Protective Security Command

The Protective Security Command ( Protection and security command, SO2 ) consists of the Palace of Westminster Division ( SO17 ) and the Aviation Security Operational Command Unit ( SO18 ). The command is also responsible for the fight against terrorism in London. He is also part of the management of the Specialist Operations.

SO17 is responsible for security in the Palace of Westminster and the associated administrative building. The officials of the SO 17 are unarmed. If armed support are necessary, the Diplomatic Protection Group will be consulted. Traditionally person other than the Serjeant -at-Arms carrying a weapon, no one in the House of Commons.

SO18 is responsible for Heathrow and London City. The other London airports are not within the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Police. Sussex, Essex or the Bedfordshire Police are responsible for Gatwick, Stansted and Luton. The group consists of about 400 police officers. A large part is armed.

In Heathrow to 1965, the Civil Aviation Authority was initially responsible for police duties. The tasks were then by the British Airports Authority Constabulary. This was transferred on November 1, 1974 in the Metropolitan Police.

Former structure

Due to many changes in the organizational structure, there are only a few of the former Special Operations groups. In the following list, the remaining groups are marked in bold.

  • SO1 - Specialist Protection ( merged with SO14, forms 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 index / Child Protection (now SCD5 Child Abuse Investigation Team )
  • SO6 - Fraud Squad ( now SCD6 Economic and Specialist Crime )
  • SO7 - Serious and Organised Crime (now SCD 7 Serious and Organised Crime Group)
  • SO8 - Forensic Science Laboratory
  • SO9 - Flying Squad ( now SCD7 under the same name and with the same tasks ).
  • SO10 - Crime Operations Group (now SCD10 Covert Policing )
  • SO11 - Criminal Intelligence Branch (now the Public Order Operational Command Unit, Central Operations CO11 )
  • SO12 - Special Branch ( merged with SO13, is 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 (part of the Protection Command).
  • SO17 - Police National Computer Bureau (now the Police Information Technology Organisation)
  • SO18 - Aviation Security / Airport Policing (now Aviation Security Operational Command Unit CO18 )
  • SO19 - Force Firearms Unit ( now Specialist Firearms Command CO19 )
  • SO20 - Forensic Medical Examiners Branch
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