Specialist Crime Directorate
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Specialist Crime Directorate (SCD) is one of the main branches of the London Metropolitan Police Service. It deals with a wide range of criminality from murder to organised crime. Assistant Commissioner Stephen House is currently the head of the directorate. The Directorate is the lead national police agency with regard to specialist crime inverstigations such as e-crime, sex crimes (peadophile unit) or kidnappings, hostage taking and contract killings.
It encompasses several units:
- Homicide (SCD1) - Provides the 'murder squads' which investigate nearly all murders in London.
- Forensic Services (SCD4) - Provides crime scene examiners, fingerprinting and photography.
- Child Abuse Investigation Team (SCD5) - Child Abuse Investigation Teams deal with all aspects of this emotive crime, including related murders.
- Economic and Specialist Crime (SCD6) - The remit of this unit includes wildlife crime, antique smuggling, computer crime and fraud.
- Serious and Organised Crime (SCD7) - Responds to crimes including kidnappings and hostage taking. Commercial armed robberies are dealt with by the Flying Squad, which is part of SCD7.
- Trident and Trafalgar (SCD8) - Trident investigate gun crime in the black community, including murder. Trafalgar deals with all other gun crime that does not fall under any other unit's remit.
- Covert Policing (SCD10) - This section undertakes surveillance and other discreet policing tasks.
- Intelligence (SCD11) - Provides intelligence products to the rest of the police service.
