Specialist Crime
About the Directorate
The Specialist Crime Directorate tackles serious and organised crime on behalf of the MPS. Our main task is to protect London from, and reduce the harm caused by, serious crime and criminal networks.
We deal with crimes including murder; fatal and non-fatal shootings; armed robberies; drug trafficking; people smuggling, life threatening kidnaps; child abuse and paedophilia; organised prostitution, people trafficking and extreme pornography; computer crime and fraud; rape and serious sexual offences. Our Forensic Services gather evidence from crime scenes ranging from domestic burglaries to firearms and terrorism. Using available legislation, we lead on confiscating the illegally acquired financial assets of criminals. The Met Intelligence Bureau supply a portfolio of products and services that helps provide a corporate level intelligence picture.
We also provide to the organisation fast time responses to life threatening incidents; a range of covert services including technical and human surveillance, undercover operatives and handling of sources providing intelligence; a full array of rank and role related skills and knowledge based training to detectives and other specialists via the Crime Academy; forensic examination of all crime scenes including serious, specialist photographic, fingerprint and DNA identification services; a 24 hour capability in creating and updating records and extracting information from the police national computer and a personnel security and vetting service.
See below for more information on leadership and structure: