This page deals with the formations and structure of the unit that deals with all child protection issues throughout the two counties of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
A dedicated Child Abuse Investigation Unit was first set up in Hampshire in 1992 and it brought together the wide variety of abuse offences investigated by police under the remit of one department.
The unit is headed by a Detective Superintendent and a Detective Chief Inspector and contains a team of 50 specially trained officers who work closely with other agencies, such as social services, to investigate allegations of child abuse across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
All allegations are recorded in the Central Referral Unit, based at the Southern Support and Training Headquarters, Netley, which is staffed by four police sergeants and four members of the support staff. After assessing the information, they allocate cases to officers working in the two area offices based in the south and north of the county - Netley and Alton. There is also a field office at Cowes on the Isle of Wight.
A Detective Inspector heads each of these teams of sergeants and specially trained officers carrying out child protection investigations.
Officers of the Child Abuse Investigation Unit receive particular training on how to interview children and young people, balancing the gathering of evidence with a concern for their welfare during the interview process.
