Specialist Crime

Crime Academy

Detective Chief Superintendent Steve Lovelock - Director of the Crime Academy.

Key Responsibilities: He is responsible for the delivery of specialist training to Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) Detectives, Forensic Practioners, Crime Analysts and others involved in the investigative process, he is also head of the Specialist Crime Review Group and is responsible for the Crime Museum.

Steve joined the MPS in October 1977. He was selected for the CID in 1982 and has served in every detective rank since in a variety of postings in north, west and central London including 5 specialist postings at New Scotland Yard.

As a Detective Chief Inspector he was the head of the Stolen Vehicle Squad and a member of Home Office, Association of Chief Police Officers and Interpol working groups on vehicle crime. He was a Detective Superintendent on the Racial and Violent Crime Task Force at the time of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry and upon promotion to Detective Chief Superintendent in 2001 became Operational Command Unit commander for the Diversity Directorate responsible for progressing the recommendations of the Inquiry report. In that role he oversaw the international family liaison officer response to the 9/11 atrocities.

Since becoming Director of the Crime Academy in January 2005 he has presided over an unprecedented period of growth in specialist training. He is the MPS project manager for the implementation of the Professionalising Investigation Programme (PIP) and represents the MPS on the National PIP Programme Board and the National Investigative and Intelligence Training Steering Group. He is also vice chair of E (London) District of the Police Superintendents Association of England and Wales.

He states the most rewarding aspect of his role is ‘assisting detectives to develop within their chosen career path'.

Who we are

The Crime Academy's vision is 'to be the world leader for training investigators with the knowledge, skills and related specialist techniques to reduce crime and pursue and bring to justice those who break the law'.

As the process of criminal investigation has become more comprehensive and complex so has the need to train officers and support staff in a variety of roles. The Crime Academy was established in 2003 following the merger of the Detective Training School, the Forensic Scientific Support College and the Analyst Training Unit to meet increased demand for specialist training.

The core business of the Crime Academy is still to train detectives in the varied roles that they perform and also those whose role supports the work of the detective. By equipping staff to operate effectively in investigative, intelligence, analytical, forensic and related support roles, the Academy will impact upon the attainment of key service objectives relating to tackling crime and bringing offenders to justice.

Things have moved on since Charles Vincent - the original Scotland Yard detective and founder of the Criminal Investigation Department - first investigated crime. However what hasn't changed over the years is the high reputation that the term 'Scotland Yard Detective' carries both in this country and abroad. The title is synonymous with excellence and professionalism. Equipping 'Scotland Yard's Detectives' with appropriate skills and knowledge is the role of the Crime Academy.

What we do

The Crime Academy provides a co-ordinated approach to investigative training. Following consultation with all business groups to determine MPS training needs in this area, the Crime Academy now offers a full range of rank and role related skills and knowledge based training. Whilst the Crime Academy has a published comprehensive annual training delivery plan, it is alive to changing circumstances to ensure courses remain relevant and fit for purpose. The Academy additionally provides bespoke training to overseas students both in the UK and abroad. In 2005, the Academy delivered over 464 courses and trained in excess of 5,850 students. In addition, the Crime Academy also disseminates learning through a regular programme of seminars and its online electronic learning medium the Virtual Academy.

The Crime Academy has developed links with academic institutions such as the University of Westminster and government agencies such as Skills for Justice, to advance accreditation standards for its courses. Such links help to both raise the profile of Academy courses and also serve to make their content the most up-to-date available.

The Crime Academy has additional responsibility for embedding the ACPO led national Professionalising Investigation Programme (PIP) within the MPS, managing the MPS Detective Development Programme and is a major contributor to the deliberations of the MPS Detective Modernisation Programme Board.

Crime Academy Training Courses

When the Detective Training School was opened in 1935 it offered one generic training course for detectives. Such is the complex world of the detective in the 21st Century that many of the roles and responsibilities of the 1935 detective are now carried out by a host of specialists such as forensic crime scene examiners, fingerprint officers, photographers, advanced interviewers and exhibits officers. Other roles such as family liaison officers, crime analysts and Home Office Large Major Enquiry System (HOLMES) users would have been inconceivable in 1935. All of these specialist roles now require bespoke training. The generic detective training course of 1935 has now evolved into a total of 55 different courses of varying duration. Other learning materials are available on the Virtual Academy. Certain topics taught in 1935 remain relevant and still feature in today's training. The skills of the detective can now be recognised in a way unthinkable in 1935. Since 2006, successful completion of the Detective Foundation Course (the Initial Crime Investigator Development Programme) can now lead to the award of a foundation degree in criminal investigation awarded by the University of Westminster in conjunction with the Crime Academy.

Specialist Crime Review Group (SCRG)

The SCRG's primary role is to 'improve investigative performance through a nationally recognised process', thereby to enhance public trust and confidence in the MPS. Further, to ensure that all lines of enquiry are indentified and acted upon, policy is adhered to and that victims families and senior investigating officers are fully supported. The SCRG is responsible for the reviewing of undetected/unresolved murders or critical incidents. Cases are reviewd appliying new technologies and/or forensic advances. A traffic light system database and HOLMES (Home Office Large Major Enquiry System) Recommendation Account are maintained to provide a corporate memory of all reviews and a learning resource for best practice.