Covert policing in the United Kingdom
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Covert policing is a term in the United Kingdom to describe traditional policing that is hidden to the public[1] ; usually this is because being covert allows an officer to get close to an offender without prompting them to try and escape unlike a uniformed officer would[1][1]. Most UK Police Forces do not have a unit dedicated to covert policing but when one is needed for surveillance usually uniformed or Criminal Investigation Department (CID) officers wear civilian style clothes rather than the uniform[1]. The force that makes extensive use of surveillance led policing is the Metropolitan Police Service who had a Specialist Operations unit designated to it[1], which was SO10,[1] now as most of the "SO" units are defunct the remnants of SO10 have been absorbed into the Specialist Crime Directorate as SCD10 but despite the change of name it still fulfills much of the same role[1].
Covert policing evolved from the idea of community policing[1], but as criminality advanced with the years covert policing has to be introduced to combat this as usually community policing was little more than walking a beat within a neighbourhood[1]. Detectives who sought out criminals often wore plain clothes to covertly survey them as they went around their daily routines, gathering evidence something which could not be done by an officer in uniform[1].
[edit] History
Much of Britain's Police Service throughout the early to mid 20th Century consisted of police officers walking a beat[1], one in each neighbourhood which paved the way for the term "Bobbies on the Beat" and "Golden age Policing" as then the officers walked constantly instead of policing the streets by Police cars[1]. Possibly the most accurate portrayal of the archetypal British policing was programme Dixon of Dock Green[1].
The Criminal Intelligence Branch (which Covert Policing was a branch of before SO Designations were devised) was formed in March 1960[1]. It provided surveillance on known criminals and to keep pace with criminal methodology and technology[1].
The ten units of the Metropolitan Police Service's modern day SCD10[1]:
Surveillance Unit: Consists of specially trained officers who have the capability to respond to a life threatening situation in London in around ninety minutes, all year round. Officers within the unit can be deployed anywhere within the United Kingdom in any type of elemental conditions. Sometimes supported by the force Firearms Unit or Specialist Firearms Command if Firearms are believed to be available to the target[1].
Technical Support Unit (TSU) Is made up of technical experts who deploy along with specialist equipment to aid investigations of any kind[1].
Authorities Office Deal with all relevant budget and administration work which is present during an operation[1].
Prison Intelligence Unit Is made up of officers who can quickly be made available to enter Her Majesty's Prison Services Prisons as an undercover role to gather intelligence of suspected crimes going on within[1].
Facial Imaging Team Made up of professional Artists to create E-Fits of witnesses details of an offender hoping by handing them out to Airports and making the public aware through Media awareness campaigns[1].
Covert Source Management Unit Is responsible for making sure that information gained by the use of Covert Human Intelligence Sources (Formerly "Informants") are channeled through to the right departments/units[1].
Covert Operations Group Is a group of senior officers who are responsible for making sure all officers are doing what is requested of them in an operation[1].
Covert Policing Standards Unit Is the board that reviews all requests for surveillance on targets and is responsible for making sure they are carried out in an appropriate and professional way[1].
Covert Operational Security Unit Reviews covert missions after they have been completed and suggests what could have been done better or instead of the events that happened[1].
[edit] References
[edit] See also
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Waldren, Michael J. (2007). Armed Police, The Police Use of Firearms since 1945. England: Sutton, 224. ISBN 0750946377.
