Metropolitan Police Clubs & Vice Unit
Encyclopedia
The Clubs & Vice Unit is an Operational Command Unit of London
's Metropolitan Police
which provides advice and practical support to other units in the Metropolitan Police around the policing of nightclub
s, vice
and obscene publications.
Historically, the unit dealt primarily with prostitution, later introducing nightclubs, gaming and casino
s. During the 60’s and with improved technology its focus has moved onto criminal activity, including drugs, criminal control of club
s and brothel
s and the obscene publications industry.
The base in Vine Street
was requisitioned to become the Aliens Registration office in August 1939, so the unit was temporarily closed. It reopened in October in a secret meeting in a public house in Leicester Square
for officers to take instructions and collect their expenses. In 1941, the Unit moved onto the 3rd floor of the new West End Central Police Station. This location, near Soho
Division, was key as Soho has been the most famous red light district
in the United Kingdom
since the mid 19th century.
During the Second World War the vice scene in the west end of London thrived due mainly to the number of overseas soldiers based in England, many of whom were visitors to Soho. The proprietors of unlicensed clubs in Soho were breaching licensing laws but these also became a haven for prostitution and organised crime. The Clubs officers performed covert operations to tackle these problems.
Various legislation has affected the work and direction of the unit over the years, when the Street Offences Act came into force in 1959 the majority of prostitutes left the street, practically overnight, for fear of imprisonment and the fine for living off immoral earnings which increased.
The Obscene Publications Act 1964 brought extra responsibilities when the unit were given the task of enforcing the act. As a result, obscenity became a new part of their terms of reference.
The unit reached its lowest ebb in the early 1970s when chronic allegations of corruption came to a head with the detailed exposure in 1972 of systematic payments by pornographer James Humphreys to seventeen policemen, including DCI George Fenwick, head of the obscene publications squad; his direct superior DCS Bill Moody; Cmdr Wallace Virgo, head of the Serious Crime Squad, in overall charge of the unit; and Cmdr Kenneth Drury, head of the Flying Squad
. As the ensuing corruption investigations widened, the obscene publications squad was replaced in its entirety with a new group of officers drawn from the uniformed branch, and in all over 20 detectives were dismissed or required to resign. When the cases ultimately came to trial in 1977 the presiding judge Mr Justice Mars-Jones summarised those involved as having engaged in "corruption on a scale which beggars description".
New challenges have arisen from the introduction of the Licensing Act 2003
(with the potential for 24 hour drinking) and the Gambling Act 2005
(with significant deregulation of gaming). With new legislation expected that covers the possession of "extreme obscenity" the work of the Clubs and Vice unit continues apace.
The Clubs Unit is split into three teams: the Proactive Licensing team, Proactive Crime team and the Gaming team. All three units' primary responsibility is to generate intelligence led operations against organised criminals who use licensed premises to supply illegal drugs and gaming establishments to commit gaming fraud. They also support BOCUs
in tackling licensed premises associated with serious violence and disorder.
The Obscene Publications Unit targets people who manufacture and distribute obscene material through shops
, mail order
, complex distribution networks and the Internet
. Particular attention is focused on the most extreme and/or exploitative material.
The Taskable Unit assists BOCUs with offences occurring on the street such as kerb crawling, street prostitution
and the advertising of brothels in public phone boxes
, known as "carding". It also provides resources to other units within Clubs and Vice.
The Vice Unit provides a centre of investigative excellence to monitor London's off street prostitution industry and in so doing protect the most vulnerable adult and child prostitution victims and seek to investigate and prosecute those who exploit them. Emphasis is placed on rescuing trafficked
and coerced victims. The unit also provides support and guidance to borough officers who come into contact with these offenders and victims.
The Intelligence Unit provides field intelligence for the proactive teams. The unit includes a dedicated Source team; Counter Terrorism and Promoters focus desks and the Financial Investigation Unit.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's Metropolitan Police
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...
which provides advice and practical support to other units in the Metropolitan Police around the policing of nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
s, vice
Vice
Vice is a practice or a behavior or habit considered immoral, depraved, or degrading in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a defect, an infirmity, or merely a bad habit. Synonyms for vice include fault, depravity, sin, iniquity, wickedness, and corruption...
and obscene publications.
History
Established in 1932 as 8 Area Clubs and Vice Unit, the OCU later became better known as the ‘Clubs Office’ and was based at West End Central Police Station.Historically, the unit dealt primarily with prostitution, later introducing nightclubs, gaming and casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
s. During the 60’s and with improved technology its focus has moved onto criminal activity, including drugs, criminal control of club
Club
A club is an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal. A service club, for example, exists for voluntary or charitable activities; there are clubs devoted to hobbies and sports, social activities clubs, political and religious clubs, and so forth.- History...
s and brothel
Brothel
Brothels are business establishments where patrons can engage in sexual activities with prostitutes. Brothels are known under a variety of names, including bordello, cathouse, knocking shop, whorehouse, strumpet house, sporting house, house of ill repute, house of prostitution, and bawdy house...
s and the obscene publications industry.
The base in Vine Street
Vine Street
Vine is a street in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California that runs north-south from Melrose Avenue up past Hollywood Boulevard. The intersection of Hollywood and Vine was once a symbol of Hollywood itself...
was requisitioned to become the Aliens Registration office in August 1939, so the unit was temporarily closed. It reopened in October in a secret meeting in a public house in Leicester Square
Leicester Square
Leicester Square is a pedestrianised square in the West End of London, England. The Square lies within an area bound by Lisle Street, to the north; Charing Cross Road, to the east; Orange Street, to the south; and Whitcomb Street, to the west...
for officers to take instructions and collect their expenses. In 1941, the Unit moved onto the 3rd floor of the new West End Central Police Station. This location, near Soho
Soho
Soho is an area of the City of Westminster and part of the West End of London. Long established as an entertainment district, for much of the 20th century Soho had a reputation for sex shops as well as night life and film industry. Since the early 1980s, the area has undergone considerable...
Division, was key as Soho has been the most famous red light district
Red Light District
Red Light District may refer to:* Red-light district - a neighborhood where prostitution is common* The Red Light District - the title of the 2004 album by rapper Ludacris* Red Light District Video - a pornography studio based in Los Angeles, California...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
since the mid 19th century.
During the Second World War the vice scene in the west end of London thrived due mainly to the number of overseas soldiers based in England, many of whom were visitors to Soho. The proprietors of unlicensed clubs in Soho were breaching licensing laws but these also became a haven for prostitution and organised crime. The Clubs officers performed covert operations to tackle these problems.
Various legislation has affected the work and direction of the unit over the years, when the Street Offences Act came into force in 1959 the majority of prostitutes left the street, practically overnight, for fear of imprisonment and the fine for living off immoral earnings which increased.
The Obscene Publications Act 1964 brought extra responsibilities when the unit were given the task of enforcing the act. As a result, obscenity became a new part of their terms of reference.
The unit reached its lowest ebb in the early 1970s when chronic allegations of corruption came to a head with the detailed exposure in 1972 of systematic payments by pornographer James Humphreys to seventeen policemen, including DCI George Fenwick, head of the obscene publications squad; his direct superior DCS Bill Moody; Cmdr Wallace Virgo, head of the Serious Crime Squad, in overall charge of the unit; and Cmdr Kenneth Drury, head of the Flying Squad
Flying Squad
The Flying Squad is a branch of the Specialist Crime Directorate, within London's Metropolitan Police Service. The Squad's purpose is to investigate commercial armed robberies, along with the prevention and investigation of other serious armed crime...
. As the ensuing corruption investigations widened, the obscene publications squad was replaced in its entirety with a new group of officers drawn from the uniformed branch, and in all over 20 detectives were dismissed or required to resign. When the cases ultimately came to trial in 1977 the presiding judge Mr Justice Mars-Jones summarised those involved as having engaged in "corruption on a scale which beggars description".
New challenges have arisen from the introduction of the Licensing Act 2003
Licensing Act 2003
The Licensing Act of 2003 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that applies only to England and Wales. The Act establishes a single integrated scheme for licensing premises which are used for the sale or supply of alcohol, to provide regulated entertainment, or to provide late night...
(with the potential for 24 hour drinking) and the Gambling Act 2005
Gambling Act 2005
The Gambling Act 2005 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It mainly applies to England and Wales, and to Scotland, and is designed to control all forms of gambling...
(with significant deregulation of gaming). With new legislation expected that covers the possession of "extreme obscenity" the work of the Clubs and Vice unit continues apace.
Role
The Clubs and Vice unit is split into five sections:The Clubs Unit is split into three teams: the Proactive Licensing team, Proactive Crime team and the Gaming team. All three units' primary responsibility is to generate intelligence led operations against organised criminals who use licensed premises to supply illegal drugs and gaming establishments to commit gaming fraud. They also support BOCUs
Basic Command Unit
A Basic Command Unit is the largest unit into which territorial British Police forces are divided. This may actually be called a BCU or may have another designation, such as Division or Area. There are 228 BCUs in England and Wales.Most forces are divided into at least three BCUs and some have...
in tackling licensed premises associated with serious violence and disorder.
The Obscene Publications Unit targets people who manufacture and distribute obscene material through shops
Retailing
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
, mail order
Mail order
Mail order is a term which describes the buying of goods or services by mail delivery. The buyer places an order for the desired products with the merchant through some remote method such as through a telephone call or web site. Then, the products are delivered to the customer...
, complex distribution networks and the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
. Particular attention is focused on the most extreme and/or exploitative material.
The Taskable Unit assists BOCUs with offences occurring on the street such as kerb crawling, street prostitution
Street prostitution
Street prostitution is a form of prostitution in which a sex worker solicits customers from a public place, most commonly a street, while waiting at street corners or walking alongside a street, but also other public places such as parks, beaches, etc. The street prostitute is often dressed in a...
and the advertising of brothels in public phone boxes
Telephone booth
A telephone booth, telephone kiosk, telephone call box or telephone box is a small structure furnished with a payphone and designed for a telephone user's convenience. In the USA, Canada and Australia, "telephone booth" is used, while in the UK and the rest of the Commonwealth it is a "telephone...
, known as "carding". It also provides resources to other units within Clubs and Vice.
The Vice Unit provides a centre of investigative excellence to monitor London's off street prostitution industry and in so doing protect the most vulnerable adult and child prostitution victims and seek to investigate and prosecute those who exploit them. Emphasis is placed on rescuing trafficked
Human trafficking
Human trafficking is the illegal trade of human beings for the purposes of reproductive slavery, commercial sexual exploitation, forced labor, or a modern-day form of slavery...
and coerced victims. The unit also provides support and guidance to borough officers who come into contact with these offenders and victims.
The Intelligence Unit provides field intelligence for the proactive teams. The unit includes a dedicated Source team; Counter Terrorism and Promoters focus desks and the Financial Investigation Unit.