The Sweeney: set up to tackle crime in the fast lane
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The tough-talking, hard-hitting, and copious drinking antics of Regan and Carter in the television series The Sweeney, immortalised the men from Scotland Yard's Flying Squad.
Ever since the Seventies series the Metropolitan Police have tried to dispel the image of officers screeching around in Ford Granadas, willing to bend the rules to get results. But the unit's reputation took a further battering yesterday with the raids on 14 serving detectives and five retired officers, who have all served with the Flying Squad.
The unit was set up in 1919 to tackle racketeers, extortionists and burglars in London's suburbs. Instead of being attached to one district or division, it was designed to be mobile. The unit was coined the Flying Squad by a reporter and became known as the Sweeney - from the cockney rhyming slang Sweeney Todd.
The squad was at the forefront of crime detection. It was the first to be given radios and cars, go undercover and develop the supergrass system. Among its most famous cases were the 1963 Great Train Robbery and the theft of gold bullion from Brink's-Mat 20 years later. But with increased respect came claims of corruption. A former head of the Flying Squad, Kenneth Drury, was jailed for eight years in 1977 for accepting a pair of gold cufflinks from a jailed Soho pornographer, James Humphreys.
Following the drop in bank robberies, Scotland Yard considered disbanding the squad but it was given a reprieve last year. Today it has about 170 officers - about half are authorised to carry firearms.
- Jason Bennetto
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments