Central Operations

Clubs & Vice

Who we are

Clubs and Vice are a specialist unit providing both advice and practical support to other units in the Metropolitan Police around the policing of the nighttime economy of nightclubs, vice and obscene publications.

What we do

The Clubs and Vice unit works to police the legal and illegal elements of the nighttime economy and sex trade. Protecting all who use licensed premises as well as the vulnerable people that can be exploited in the sex industry and through obscene publications. As well as supporting borough colleagues we also conduct our own operations, which focus on violent crime and illegal activities within licensed premises and disrupting the criminal networks that fund and support the sex industry. As a centre of excellence Clubs and Vice sit on many Governmental advisory groups and have been instrumental in helping to shape legislation within our areas of expertise.

The Clubs Unit is split into three teams: the Proactive Licensing team, Proactive Crime team and the Gaming team. All three units’ primary responsibility is to generate intelligence led operations against organised criminals who use licensed premises to supply illegal drugs and gaming establishments to commit gaming fraud. We also support BOCUs in tackling licensed premises associated with serious violence and disorder.

The Obscene Publications Unit is dedicated to targeting those persons manufacturing and distributing obscene material through a number of sources including shops, mail order, complex distribution networks and the Internet. Particular attention is focused on the most extreme and or exploitative material.

The Vice Unit provides a centre of investigative excellence to monitor London’s off street prostitution industry and in so doing protect the most vulnerable adult and child prostitute victims and seek to investigate and prosecute those who exploit them. Emphasis is placed on rescuing trafficked and coerced victims. The unit also aims to provide an expert support and guidance service to borough officers who come into contact with these types of offenders and victims.
The Vice Unit also assists Boroughs with offences occurring on the street such as kerb crawling, street prostitution and the advertising of brothels in public phone boxes, known as “carding”.

The Intelligence Unit provides the focus for our activity and provides field intelligence for each of our proactive teams. The unit includes our dedicated Source team; Counter Terrorism and Promoters focus desks and one of the most successful Financial Investigation Units in the MPS.

History

Established in 1932 as 8 Area Clubs and Vice Unit, the OCU later became better known as the ‘Clubs Office’ and was based at West End Central Police Station.

Historically, the unit dealt primarily with prostitution, later introducing nightclubs, gaming and casinos. During the 60’s and with improved technology its focus has moved onto criminal activity, including drugs, criminal control of clubs and brothels and the obscene publications industry.

In 1939, with the onset of the war, there was a change of location as its base in Vine Street was requisitioned to become the Aliens Registration office. When it reopened in October, after being closed for two months, it did so in secret meeting in a public house in Leicester Square for officers to take instructions and collect their expenses. Eventually a new home was found on the 3rd floor of the new West End Central Police Station, which was opened in 1941.

Its location was key, being located near Soho Division, which since the mid 19th century has been the most famous red light district in Britain.

During the Second World War the vice scene in the west end of London thrived due mainly to the number of overseas forces based in England, many of whom were visitors to Soho. The proprietors of unlicensed clubs in Soho were breaching licensing laws but these also became a haven for prostitution and organised crime. The Clubs officers performed covert operations to tackle these problems.

Various legislation has affected the work and direction of the unit over the years, when the Street Offences Act came into force in 1959 the majority of prostitutes left the street, practically overnight, for fear of imprisonment and the fine for living off immoral earnings which increased.

The Obscene Publications Act 1964 brought extra responsibilities when the unit were given the task of enforcing the act. As a result, obscenity became a new part of their terms of reference.

The introduction of the Licensing Act 2003, with the potential for 24 hour drinking and the Gambling Act 2005, with significant deregulation of gaming, has brought new challenges to the Clubs and Vice unit. With new legislation expected that covers the possession of ‘extreme obscenity’ the work of the Clubs and Vice unit continues apace.