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| Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command | |
|---|---|
| Agency name | Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command |
| Formed | 2006 (as current command) |
| Preceding1 | Special Branch |
| Preceding2 | Anti-Terrorist Branch |
| Jurisdiction | Greater London |
| Headquarters | New Scotland Yard |
| Parent organisation | Metropolitan Police Service |
Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command
The Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command is the specialist unit within the Metropolitan Police Service responsible for preventing, investigating and responding to terrorism-related activity in Greater London and nationally as required. It evolved from the merger of legacy units with roots in policing responses to threats such as the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings, the Provisional Irish Republican Army campaign, and later Islamist-inspired attacks including the 7 July 2005 London bombings. The Command works alongside agencies such as the Security Service (MI5), MI6, and the Home Office to deliver statutory counter-terrorism policing functions.
The Command traces provenance to the Special Branch elements created in the early 20th century to counter anarchist and revolutionary threats, later adapting to address the Irish War of Independence, the Irish Republican Army campaigns, and Cold War espionage linked to the KGB. In the late 20th century the Police Anti-Terrorist Branch (SO13) and Special Branch (SO12) operated distinct but overlapping roles, shaped by incidents such as the Brighton hotel bombing and the 1984 Brighton hotel bombing targeting the Conservative Party conference. After the 7 July 2005 London bombings and reviews including the Bichard Inquiry and recommendations from the Home Affairs Select Committee (House of Commons), the units were merged into a single Command in 2006 to improve coordination with agencies like the Security Service (MI5), Crown Prosecution Service, and the Ministry of Defence. High-profile prosecutions and investigations involving groups such as Al-Qaeda, Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, and dissident dissident Irish republican networks have driven tactical and organisational change.
The Command is a directorate within the Metropolitan Police Service headquartered at New Scotland Yard, organised into branches covering intelligence, investigations, protection, and operations. It operates specialist units modelled on capabilities found in units such as the National Counter Terrorism Policing Network, with liaison officers assigned to embassies and partners including City of London Police and regional counter-terrorism units in West Midlands and Greater Manchester. Senior leadership often liaises with ministers from the Home Office and officials from the Cabinet Office and participates in committees such as the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) and the Counter Terrorism Policing Board. Personnel include detectives, specialist firearms officers akin to those in the Diplomatic Protection Group, and analysts seconded from the Security Service (MI5) and GCHQ.
The Command leads investigations into terrorism offences under statutes such as the Terrorism Act 2000 and the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015, conducting threat assessments, disruption operations, protective security for events like Trooping the Colour, and witness protection in prosecutions brought by the Crown Prosecution Service. It undertakes preventative work including community engagement programmes with organisations such as Tell MAMA and Prevent, provides advisory services to institutions including Transport for London and Heathrow Airport, and supports major event policing for venues like Wembley Stadium and the London Marathon.
The Command has led investigations into multiple high-profile attacks and plots, including responses to the 7 July 2005 London bombings aftermath, the 2007 London attempted car bombings, the 2013 Woolwich attack, the 2017 Westminster attack, the 2017 London Bridge attack, and disruption of plots linked to Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and Al-Qaeda. Operations have included covert surveillance, arrest and charging supported by the Crown Prosecution Service, and extradition requests coordinated with the National Crime Agency and international partners such as the FBI, Europol, and national police forces across the European Union. Some incidents generated legal and public scrutiny, drawing attention from bodies such as the Independent Office for Police Conduct and inquiries by the Home Affairs Select Committee (House of Commons).
The Command operates within the wider counter-terrorism ecosystem, coordinating with the Security Service (MI5), GCHQ, the Home Office, the National Crime Agency, local police forces including City of London Police, and international partners like the FBI and Europol. It participates in joint units such as the Counter Terrorism Policing Network and contributes liaison officers to missions with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and major events with the Metropolitan Police Marine Policing Unit and British Transport Police. Collaboration extends to prosecutors at the Crown Prosecution Service, coroners in London boroughs, and academic partners researching radicalisation at institutions like King's College London and London School of Economics.
Operational powers derive from statutes including the Terrorism Act 2000, the Terrorism Act 2006, the Counter-Terrorism Act 2008, and the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019, alongside common law policing powers. Oversight mechanisms include parliamentary scrutiny by the Home Affairs Select Committee (House of Commons), investigatory oversight by the Independent Office for Police Conduct, and national governance through the Home Office and the Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism. The Command also works within human rights frameworks established by the Human Rights Act 1998 and engages with judicial processes in the Crown Court and through warrants authorised by Magistrates' courts.
Capabilities include specialist firearms units comparable to the Authorised Firearms Officers in other forces, covert surveillance technology used in conjunction with signals intelligence from GCHQ, digital forensics teams working to recover evidence from devices for use in the Crown Prosecution Service's cases, and explosive ordnance disposal liaison with the Royal Logistic Corps and Defence Science and Technology Laboratory. Training is delivered through national programmes with partners such as the National Counter Terrorism Policing Centre, academic providers at King's College London, and international exchanges with the FBI Academy and European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training (CEPOL). Tactical development has incorporated lessons from incidents involving vehicle-ramming attacks and improvised explosive devices, and ongoing capability updates address emerging threats in cyberspace and chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear areas referenced by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre.
Category:London law enforcement Category:Counterterrorism in the United Kingdom