Operation Trident (Metropolitan Police)
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Operation Trident, or simply Trident, is a Metropolitan Police unit originally set up in 1998 as an initiative with the police to tackle "black-on-black"
gun crime Gun-related violence is violence against a person committed with the use of a firearm to inflict a gunshot wound. Gun violence may or may not be considered criminal. Criminal violence includes homicide (except when and where ruled justifiable ...
following a series of shootings in the
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s of
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and Brent. By 2008 the unit was responsible for investigating all non-fatal shootings for the Metropolitan Police, and in February 2012 the unit's remit was again expanded: the new Trident Gang Crime Command was launched, incorporating responsibility for tackling wider gang crime. In 2013 the unit gave up responsibility for investigating fatal shootings, which was taken over by the
Homicide and Serious Crime Command The Homicide and Major Crime Command (SCO 1) 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 was carried out by major investigation t ...
. Trident is currently led by Detective Chief Superintendent Dean Haydon, who joined the team from the Counter Terrorism Command in 2012. The perceived importance of Trident's mission was such that it was established as a dedicated Operational Command Unit, called the Trident Operational Command Unit, within the Metropolitan Police Specialist Crime Directorate - it now falls within the Frontline Policing command. The campaign uses gun amnesties and advertisements encouraging people to phone Crimestoppers with information related to gun crime. These advertisements appear in the media, nightclubs, on petrol pumps, telephone boxes, and on the radio. Whilst part of Specialist Crime and Operations Directorate, Trident was also known as SC&O8. As the timeline of the police unit and program has roughly paralleled the development and growth of the rap-styled UK
Grime Grime may refer to: * Dirt, in the form of black, ingrained dust Music * Grime music, a genre of music * ''Grime'' (album), a 2001 album by Iniquity * "Grime", a 2023 song by Macklemore from ''Ben'' * "Grime", a 2024 song by Kittie from ''Fire ...
urban music scene, Trident and Grime have had numerous and varied interactions that have mirrored early controversy and conflict around American Gangsta Rap. While some artists like Giggs have spoken out against what they claim is heavy-handed censorship and attempts to sabotage their careers by applying pressure to venue owners, radio stations, and record labels, others like the Roll Deep Crew have worked with Trident to create anti-violence messaging packaged in ways more likely to reach marginalized urban youth. Artist JME, particularly known for his lyrics which are dismissive of content that relies on excessively violent hyperbole, released a short film via VICE Magazine, entitled "The Police vs Grime Music", investigating the details of the phenomenon of police suppression of grime events. In 2006, Trident officers raided the home of vintage gun enthusiast Mick Shepherd, seizing much of his collection. At the time, press reports claimed a "huge gun-smuggling racket" had been uncovered, and that guns sold by Shepherd were linked to a number of murders. After being held in
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and then the high-security Belmarsh prisons on remand for 10 months awaiting trial, Shepherd was acquitted of all 13 firearms offences with which he was charged. In 2011, armed police officers killed Mark Duggan while he was under investigation by Trident. Duggan was aware of this, texting "Trident have jammed me" moments before his death, when he was soon shot by armed officers on the evening of 4 August 2011. His killing sparked the
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, ultimately leading to 5 dead, over 200 reported injuries, over 3000 arrests. Following the
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(now IOPC)'s investigation, an
inquest An inquest is a judicial inquiry in common law jurisdictions, particularly one held to determine the cause of a person's death. Conducted by a judge, jury, or government official, an inquest may or may not require an autopsy carried out by a cor ...
was launched in
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, ultimately leading to an 8-2 verdict finding a lawful killing. In December 2019, Forensic Architecture released a report contending with the police's version of events, and asked for the investigation to be reopened, but this was ultimately rejected by the IOPC.


See also

* Crime in London *
Yardie Yardie (or Yaadi/Yawdie) is a term often used, particularly within the Caribbean expatriate and Jamaican diaspora, to refer to people of Jamaican origin; however, its exact meaning changes depending on context. The term is derived from the Jama ...
* Specialist Crime Directorate * Death of Mark Duggan


References


External links


Claudia Webbe Resigns as Chair of IAG
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Stop the guns
* . * . * . * . * . * . * * . * . {{Metropolitan Police Firearm laws
Trident A trident (), () is a three- pronged spear. It is used for spear fishing and historically as a polearm. As compared to an ordinary spear, the three tines increase the chance that a fish will be struck and decrease the chance that a fish will b ...
Metropolitan Police units Organised crime in London category:1998 establishments in England