Homicide and Serious Crime Command
Encyclopedia
The Homicide and Serious Crime Command is an Operational Command Unit of the Metropolitan Police
responsible for the investigation of homicide
and other serious crimes in London. Most of their work is carried out by Murder Investigation Team
s, of which there is one for each borough
.
In additional to the MITs, there are also five city-wide units:
Metropolitan police
Metropolitan Police is a generic title for the municipal police force for a major metropolitan area, and it may be part of the official title of the force...
responsible for the investigation of homicide
Homicide
Homicide refers to the act of a human killing another human. Murder, for example, is a type of homicide. It can also describe a person who has committed such an act, though this use is rare in modern English...
and other serious crimes in London. Most of their work is carried out by Murder Investigation Team
Murder Investigation Team
Murder/Major Investigation Teams are the specialised homicide squads of the Metropolitan Police in London, England. Forming part of the Homicide and Serious Crime Command, itself part of the Specialist Crime Directorate, there is one MIT for each Borough Operational Command Unit...
s, of which there is one for each borough
London borough
The administrative area of Greater London contains thirty-two London boroughs. Inner London comprises twelve of these boroughs plus the City of London. Outer London comprises the twenty remaining boroughs of Greater London.-Functions:...
.
In additional to the MITs, there are also five city-wide units:
- The Central Criminal Court Trials Unit works with the MITs and Crown Prosecution ServiceCrown Prosecution ServiceThe Crown Prosecution Service, or CPS, is a non-ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for public prosecutions of people charged with criminal offences in England and Wales. Its role is similar to that of the longer-established Crown Office in Scotland, and the...
on cases that go to trialTrial (law)In law, a trial is when parties to a dispute come together to present information in a tribunal, a formal setting with the authority to adjudicate claims or disputes. One form of tribunal is a court...
at the Central Criminal Court at the Old BaileyOld BaileyThe Central Criminal Court in England and Wales, commonly known as the Old Bailey from the street in which it stands, is a court building in central London, one of a number of buildings housing the Crown Court...
. The unit also advocates good practice and procedure through the Policy Unit, Forensic Science Services and the Detective Training Academy.
- The Special Projects Investigation Unit reviews serious crime investigations and conducts primary investigations in certain cases.
- The Coroner's Office ensures that investigations are correctly undertaken within the legal constraints of the powers of the CoronerCoronerA coroner is a government official who* Investigates human deaths* Determines cause of death* Issues death certificates* Maintains death records* Responds to deaths in mass disasters* Identifies unknown dead* Other functions depending on local laws...
. Coroner's Officers have a key role as liaison between Operational Command Units, the Coroner's Office and the families of the victims. They also attend the scenes of unexplained deaths to support officers by identifying possible causes of death and advising on scene preservation and the recovery of the deceased.
- The HOLMES Support Unit supports police forces nationwide in their use of HOLMESHolmesHolmes is a geographical surname of English origin. The name is first recorded in Lancashire in North West England. The name is derived from "holm", a Scandinavian word meaning "a small island". The word was introduced to Great Britain and Ireland by Old Norse-speaking Vikings...
, the Home OfficeHome OfficeThe Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
Large Major Enquiry System.
- Forensic Review Support staff review current or historical scenes of crime evidenceEvidenceEvidence in its broadest sense includes everything that is used to determine or demonstrate the truth of an assertion. Giving or procuring evidence is the process of using those things that are either presumed to be true, or were themselves proven via evidence, to demonstrate an assertion's truth...
. The unit works with the Specialist Crime Review Group and Homicide Units and provides advice on forensic evidence recovery including forensic science advances.