Human Exploitation and Organised Crime Command

Last updated
Human Exploitation and Organised Crime Command (SCD9)
Active 1 April 2010 – present
Country United Kingdom
Branch Specialist Crime Directorate
Nickname(s) SCD9
Commanders
Current
commander
Chief Superintendent Richard Martin

The Human Exploitation and Organised Crime Command (SCD9) is a branch of the Specialist Crime Directorate within London's Metropolitan Police Service. The SCD9 is primarily tasked with investigating human trafficking, and also has responsibility for policing prostitution, obscene publications, nightclubs, vice, casino fraud, money laundering and identity fraud. [1]

The Specialist Crime Directorate (SCD) was one of the main branches of London's Metropolitan Police Service. It provided highly visible specialist policing services across the whole of London. Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley had previously led the directorate but it was later led by Assistant Commissioner Cressida Dick. The Directorate led national police agency with regard to specialist crime investigations such as e-crime, sex crimes or kidnappings, hostage-taking and contract killings.

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Human trafficking Trade of humans for the purpose of forced labor, sexual slavery, or commercial sexual exploitation

Human trafficking is the trade of humans for the purpose of forced labour, sexual slavery, or commercial sexual exploitation for the trafficker or others. This may encompass providing a spouse in the context of forced marriage, or the extraction of organs or tissues, including for surrogacy and ova removal. Human trafficking can occur within a country or trans-nationally. Human trafficking is a crime against the person because of the violation of the victim's rights of movement through coercion and because of their commercial exploitation. Human trafficking is the trade in people, especially women and children, and does not necessarily involve the movement of the person from one place to another.

Contents

Formation

On 29 October 2009, the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) received a report on the MPS review into investigation of human trafficking. The report profiled the units investigating these crimes: the clubs and vice unit (CO14), then part of Central Operations; and the Human Trafficking Team (HTT), then part of Operation Maxim with a remit to investigate organised immigration crime. [2]

The Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) was the local police authority responsible for scrutinising and supporting the work of the Metropolitan Police Service, the police force for Greater London. The establishment of the MPA in 2000 marked a fundamental change in the policing of London; establishing, for the first time, a local police authority for the metropolis, with the aim of ensuring that the Metropolitan Police Service was democratically accountable.

Central Operations was a major directorate of the London Metropolitan Police Service that provides operational support to the rest of the service. It was commanded by Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, formerly Chief Constable of Surrey Police. In 2012 Central Operations (CO) merged with the Specialist Crime Directorate (SCD) to form Specialist Crime & Operations (SC&O)

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Kevin Hyland British police officer

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References

  1. New Human Exploitation and Organised Crime Command, Metropolitan Police Service, 1 April 2010.
  2. The MPS Human Trafficking response, Metropolitan Police Authority, 28 January 2010.