Scotland Yard - Current Location of The Metropolitan Police

Current Location of The Metropolitan Police

The Met's senior management team, who oversee the service, is based at New Scotland Yard in Victoria, along with the Met's crime database. This uses a national computer system developed for major crime enquiries by all British forces, called Home Office Large Major Enquiry System, more commonly referred to by its acronym HOLMES, which recognises the great fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. The training programme is called 'Elementary', after Holmes's well-known, yet apocryphal, phrase "elementary, my dear Watson". Administrative functions are based at the Empress State Building, and communication handling at the three Metcall complexes, rather than at Scotland Yard.

A number of security measures were added to the exterior of New Scotland Yard during the 2000s, including concrete barriers in front of ground-level windows as a countermeasure against car bombing, a concrete wall around the entrance to the building, and a covered walkway from the street to the entrance into the building. Armed officers from the Diplomatic Protection Group patrol the exterior of the building along with security staff.

In October 2012, the Met announced that New Scotland Yard in Victoria may be sold to help cut costs in the force. A smaller building in Whitehall could become its new headquarters under the plans.