The portfolio's vision is to provide a high quality of service to other members of Hampshire Constabulary and the public of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
We aim to tackle serious and organised crime by developing intelligence to the highest possible standard, together with providing specialist expertise to achieve and maximise a high level of performance.
We will counter the current threat of terrorism and major crime with a drive to make Hampshire and the Isle of Wight a safer place to live. We will continue to monitor and evaluate performance, embrace diversity and value the welfare of our staff and their needs.
The officers and staff of these OCUs support the work of colleagues from the territorial-based OCUs, and create the force’s ‘protective services’ - providing the constabulary’s lead on counterterrorism and domestic extremism, serious organised and cross-border crime, civil contingencies and emergency planning, critical incident management, public order, and strategic roads policing.
Hampshire Constabulary is continuing its mission to develop its protective services, grow in strength as a strategic force, and provide a national centre of excellence for policy and practice in these highly specialised areas.
Following the force restructure in April 2006, the Roads Policing Unit became part of the Operations OCU, joining the Force Support Unit, Marine Support Unit, Air Support Unit, Dogs and Search Support Unit, Firearms Support Unit, Operational Planning and Policy Unit, and Critical Incident Cadre.
In a brand new innovation for national policing, Hampshire is the first police service to introduce a Critical Incident Cadre. The cadre comprises a team of six superintendents, providing a professional level of tactical command in response to critical incidents across the two counties.
The Crime OCU contains specialist CID teams including the Scientific Services Department, Intelligence Directorate, Special Branch, Major Crime Department, Serious and Organised Crime Department, and Specialist Investigations. A new Performance & Review team has been set up to ensure that the very best in investigative practices are followed and the force’s excellent record of detections in serious and major crime continues.
The Specialist Operations teams also strive to deliver the highest standards in criminal investigation, and in the delivery of justice to the people of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
In addition, these teams support the work and practices of territorially based CID officers in detecting crime at a local level.
Crucial to the process of bringing offenders to justice is the Criminal Justice Department. Its structure has recently been realigned with that of the Crown Prosecution Service and court districts across the two counties to provide a corporate and consistent service.
It aims to make the criminal justice process more streamlined for all officers, and thereby increase convictions, all with a very specific focus on assisting the victims of crime.
All Specialist Operations teams can and do play a significant role in making the communities of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight safer places in which to live, work, visit, to grow up and grow old.
