Crime chief pleads for more detectives

A top Scotland Yard officer has called for more detectives as new figures show murder investigators are battling to cope with a total of 600 major inquiries in London.

Each senior murder investigator heading the 30 or so teams of detectives is now juggling an average of 22 cases, raising fears that staff are becoming overstretched.

The figures emerged following an unprecedented spate of 11 murders in seven days in east London. At one point the area's murder squad was so overworked that investigators had to be drafted in from other parts of the capital.

The 600 murder cases range from killings involving family members - so-called "domestics" - to gangland slayings and the more difficult to solve "stickers", such as the murders of American artist Margaret Muller and student Marsha McDonnell.

Others include reviews of unsolved murders such as the Rachel Nickell killing on Wimbledon Common.

Assistant Commissioner Tarique Ghaffur, head of Scotland Yard's Specialist Crime Directorate - which covers murder investigation - said the figures raised concern over the number of detectives tackling serious and organised crime in London.

He said: "There is a lot of debate at the moment about increasing the number of police officers on the beat. I think any discussion also has to recognise the need to tackle serious and organised crime in our communities.

"The numbers debate should not just be about increasing bobbies in uniform. There is a need in London to tackle the more serious crime, including terrorism."

Mr Ghaffur, who says his views are backed by the Commissioner Sir John Stevens, said that the Met's specialist crime units had achieved major successes in tackling gangs and solving murders.

"We have arrested some major criminals and we are tackling gun crime, which is now falling in London. Our detection rate on murders is now 87 per cent so we are getting results."

However, he said police were facing increasing threats from international crime gangs engaged in people trafficking, fraud, gun running and drugs trafficking.

Eastern European gangsters as well as Sri Lankan and Turkish gangs were also a threat.

He urged action and said: "We have changing communities in the capital, some are new communities and among them are some serious criminals. The bobby on the beat cannot tackle serious crime within these communities.

"Unless someone acce pts there is a serious and organised-crime issue in London and we have a debate on how best it is going to be resolved then we are going to be on the back foot."

The number of murder detectives was increased following the scathing criticism of the Stephen Lawrence investigation.

Further criticism came six months ago when Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary said that the force was "severely stretched". Today, about 1,000 detectives are employed on murder teams.

The squads are divided into four - in east, west and south London and one at Operation Trident investigating black gangland killings. Each geographical squad is in turn divided into nine teams of around 30 detectives. Operation Trident has four teams of detectives.

Senior detectives say they are facing an increase in the number of murders within ethnic minority communities, notably new groups settling in London such as the Albanians that are difficult to infiltrate.

Homicides also appear to be rising. Last year there was a total of 197, one of the highest for years.

Already this year the murder rate stands at 182 and could exceed 200 by the end of the year.

Mr Ghaffur's comments highlight the battle between politicians who want more bobbies on the beat and the need for specialist detectives to investigate murder and organised crime gangs.

There have also been demands for skilled officers on the Anti-Terrorist and Special Branch squads following the September 11 attacks.

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