The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is the branch of a police force to which most plainclothes

detectives A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crimes by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads th ...

belong in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...

and many

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

nations. A force's CID is distinct from its

Special Branch Special Branch is a label customarily used to identify units responsible for matters of national security and intelligence in British, Commonwealth, Irish, and other police forces. A Special Branch unit acquires and develops intelligence, usu ...

(though officers of both are entitled to the rank prefix "Detective"). The name derives from the CID of the Metropolitan Police, formed on 8 April 1878 by C. E. Howard Vincent as a re-formation of its

Detective Branch Detective Branch is a specialized unit of Bangladesh Police. According to Human Rights Watch, there is extensive documentation of human rights violation by Detective Branch and Rapid Action Battalion. According to Human Rights Watch, 70 percent ...

. British colonial police forces all over the world adopted the terminology developed in the UK in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and later the police forces of those countries often retained it after independence. English-language media often use "CID" as a translation to refer to comparable organisations in other countries.

By country

Afghanistan

The ''Criminal Investigation Department'' is under the

Afghan National Police The Afghan National Police (ANP; ps, د افغانستان ملي پولیس; prs, پلیس ملی افغانستان), is the national police force of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, serving as a single law enforcement agency all across ...

Bangladesh

France

The Direction Centrale de la Police Judiciaire (DCPJ) is the national authority of the criminal division of the French

National Police National Police may refer to the national police forces of several countries: *Afghanistan: Afghan National Police *Haiti: Haitian National Police *Colombia: National Police of Colombia *Cuba: Cuban National Police *East Timor: National Police of ...

. Its function is to lead and co-ordinate the action of the

law enforcement Law enforcement is the activity of some members of government who act in an organized manner to enforce the law by discovering, deterring, rehabilitating, or punishing people who violate the rules and norms governing that society. The term ...

forces against crime.

Germany, Austria and Switzerland

''Kriminalpolizei'' is the standard term for the criminal investigation agency within the police forces of Germany, Austria, and the German-speaking cantons of Switzerland.

Hong Kong

The

Hong Kong Police Force The Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) is the primary law enforcement, investigative agency, and largest disciplined service under the Security Bureau of Hong Kong. The Royal Hong Kong Police Force (RHKPF) reverted to its former name after the t ...

's CID is a sub-branch unit within the Criminal Intelligence Bureau under the crime wing of the ''B'' department (crime and security).

India

Many

state police State police, provincial police or regional police are a type of sub-national territorial police force found in nations organized as federations, typically in North America, South Asia, and Oceania. These forces typically have jurisdiction o ...

forces in India possess a CID (sometimes known as the ''investigation branch'') as a specialised wing. Personnel attached to this wing work in plain clothes, or ''mufti''. A CID may contain sub-branches, for instance the CID in Uttar Pradesh includes the state crime investigation bureau, finger print bureau and scientific section. Like their counterparts in the law and order police, the crime branch has its own ranks up to the level of additional director general of police or special commissioner of police.Crime Branch CID

Kerala Police The Kerala Police is the law enforcement agency for the Indian state of Kerala. Kerala Police has its headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram, the state capital. The motto of the force is "Mridhu Bhave Dhrida Kruthye" which means "Soft in Temperament ...

, Official website. The crime branch has senior officers like superintendents,

inspector Inspector, also police inspector or inspector of police, is a police rank. The rank or position varies in seniority depending on the organization that uses it. Australia In Australian police forces, the rank of inspector is generally the ne ...

s and

sub-inspector Sub-inspector (SI), or sub-inspector of police, is a rank used extensively in South Asia: in the police forces of Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka, which is primarily based on the British model. It was formerly used in most British col ...

s. Officers and men attached to this wing generally add the prefix ''detective'' before their regular

police rank Police ranks are a system of hierarchy, hierarchical relationships in police organizations. The rank system defines authority and responsibility in a police organization, and affects the culture within the police force. Police ranks, dependent on ...

. The crime branch's tasks are to investigate

criminal In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definitions of", in C ...

cases, which span across multiple districts or states. The CID may also take up complicated cases like communal riot cases, circulation of counterfeit currency or very complicated murder cases. A crime branch investigation is ordered either by a

judicial The judiciary (also known as the judicial system, judicature, judicial branch, judiciative branch, and court or judiciary system) is the system of courts that adjudicates legal disputes/disagreements and interprets, defends, and applies the law ...

court, by the director-general of police, or the government. Crime branch officers can be transferred to the law and order police, and vice versa. The crime branch is different from the crime detachment or crime squad. Crime Detachment and Crime Squads are a group of regular law and order policemen (who generally wear the uniform specifically detailed by the

police inspector Inspector, also police inspector or inspector of police, is a police rank. The rank or position varies in seniority depending on the organization that uses it. Australia In Australian police forces, the rank of inspector is generally the ne ...

to work in plain clothes to keep a tab on local criminal elements, prostitutes, petty thieves, and other habitual offenders.

Indonesia

The criminal investigation units within the

Indonesian National Police '' , mottotranslated = (Serving the Nation) , formed = , preceding1 = , dissolved = , superseding = , employees = 440,000 (2020) , volunteers = , budget = , nongovernment ...

are called ''sat-reskrim'' (''satuan reserse kriminal'') meaning "criminal investigation unit", it is under the ''bareskrim'' (''badan reserse kriminal'') "criminal investigation agency" which is under the command of the national police headquarters. Every regional police force in Indonesia has this unit; they are concerned with conducting criminal investigations and identification activities.

Ireland

The

Royal Irish Constabulary The Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC, ga, Constáblacht Ríoga na hÉireann; simply called the Irish Constabulary 1836–67) was the police force in Ireland from 1822 until 1922, when all of the country was part of the United Kingdom. A separate ...

(RIC) maintained a CID along British lines before the independence of most of

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...

in December 1922. After the

Partition of Ireland The partition of Ireland ( ga, críochdheighilt na hÉireann) was the process by which the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland divided Ireland into two self-governing polities: Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland. ...

and the establishment of the

Irish Free State The Irish Free State ( ga, Saorstát Éireann, , ; 6 December 192229 December 1937) was a state established in December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty of December 1921. The treaty ended the three-year Irish War of Independence between ...

in the early 1920s, the Government of the Irish Free State set up a

CID CID may refer to: Film * ''C.I.D.'' (1955 film), an Indian Malayalam film * ''C.I.D.'' (1956 film), an Indian Hindi film * ''C. I. D.'' (1965 film), an Indian Telugu film * ''C.I.D.'' (1990 film), an Indian Hindi film Television * ''CID'' ( ...

for the purposes of counter-insurgency during the 1922-1923

Irish Civil War The Irish Civil War ( ga, Cogadh Cathartha na hÉireann; 28 June 1922 – 24 May 1923) was a conflict that followed the Irish War of Independence and accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State, an entity independent from the United ...

. It was separate from the unarmed Civic Guard, which later became the

Garda Síochána (; meaning "the Guardian(s) of the Peace"), more commonly referred to as the Gardaí (; "Guardians") or "the Guards", is the national police service of Ireland. The service is headed by the Garda Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish Gove ...

. The Garda today operates local detective squads and several specialised, national detective units, including the

National Bureau of Criminal Investigation , seal = , headquarters = Harcourt Street, Dublin (D2) , logo = , formed = , preceding1 = Garda Central Detective Unit (CDU) , preceding2 = , jurisdiction = Ireland , employees = Undisclosed , budget = Undisclosed (part of ''Garda Sí ...

. In

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label=Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is #Descriptions, variously described as ...

, a region that came into existence in 1921 and which has remained within the

, a new police force was formed in June 1922 called the

Royal Ulster Constabulary The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) was the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2001. It was founded on 1 June 1922 as a successor to the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC)Richard Doherty, ''The Thin Green Line – The History of the Roya ...

(RUC). This force had its own CID from the start. In November 2001, the RUC was replaced by the

Police Service of Northern Ireland The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI; ga, Seirbhís Póilíneachta Thuaisceart Éireann; Ulster-Scots: ') is the police force that serves Northern Ireland. It is the successor to the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) after it was reform ...

(PSNI).

Japan

Criminal investigation departments or bureaus are set up within each Prefectural police headquarters. They maintain two (third or even fourth divisions are established in some urban prefecture), a (reinforced as an independent department or headquarters in the TMPD and some prefecture), a mobile investigation unit, and a . The are

first responder A first responder is a person with specialized training who is among the first to arrive and provide assistance or incident resolution at the scene of an emergency, such as an accident, disaster, medical emergency, structure fire, crime, or ...

s for initial criminal investigations, distributed among the region with unmarked cars. The are specialised

detective A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crimes by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads th ...

units of the first investigation divisions, well acquainted with new technologies and special tactics including

SWAT In the United States, a SWAT team (special weapons and tactics, originally special weapons assault team) is a police tactical unit that uses specialized or military equipment and tactics. Although they were first created in the 1960s to ...

capabilities.

Kenya

Malaysia

The CID of the

Royal Malaysian Police The Royal Malaysia Police (often abbreviated RMP) ( ms, Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM)), is a (primarily) uniformed national and federal police force in Malaysia. The force is a centralised organisation. Its headquarters are located at Bukit Ama ...

is involved with the investigation, arrest, and prosecution of crimes that affect people (e.g. murder, robbery with firearms, rape and injury) and property crime (e.g. theft and house-breaking). Modeled on the British police, this department enforces laws regarding gambling, "sin" and the

Triad Triad or triade may refer to: * a group of three Businesses and organisations * Triad (American fraternities), certain historic groupings of seminal college fraternities in North America * Triad (organized crime), a Chinese transnational orga ...

in Malaysia.

Pakistan

The

in Pakistan is a special unit of the provincial and metropolitan police departments, responsible for carrying out investigations into crimes, including terrorism, murders,

organised crime Organized crime (or organised crime) is a category of transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals to engage in illegal activity, most commonly for profit. While organized crime is generally th ...

and

sectarianism Sectarianism is a political or cultural conflict between two groups which are often related to the form of government which they live under. Prejudice, discrimination, or hatred can arise in these conflicts, depending on the political status quo ...

. The special branch of the CID in the Asia Division (CIDA) was a division of this department but is currently not operational. It had only 12 members, the names of which are not available because of security issues.

Singapore

The

Singapore Police Force The Singapore Police Force (SPF) is the national and principal Police, law enforcement agency responsible for the prevention of crime and law enforcement in the Republic of Singapore. It is the country's lead agency against organised crime; huma ...

's CID is the agency for premier investigation and staff authority for criminal investigation matters within the Singapore Police Force.

Sri Lanka

The

of the

Sri Lanka Police Service (The one who lives by the Dhamma is protected by the Dhamma itself) , mission = , formedyear = , preceding1 = Ceylon Police Force (1866–1972) , dissolved = , superseding = , employees = ...

is responsible for carrying out investigations into crimes including murder and organised crime. It was established in 1870.

United Kingdom

Detectives are usually either assigned to a CID unit within a local policing command, or to a central specialised unit dealing with a specific type of crime, such as fraud or sexual offences. Most local police stations have more uniformed officers than CID officers; a smaller station might have five DCs with a Detective Sergeant (DS) in command, while a larger station would have more CID officers under a detective of higher rank. A particular case would be assigned to a Senior Investigating Officer (SIO) whose rank would depend on the seriousness of the crime and their force's policy. Detectives in the United Kingdom do not have a separate rank system and are not senior to uniformed officers who hold the same rank, however, a senior detective does outrank a uniformed officer of a lower rank. for example a Detective Inspector outranks a uniformed Sergeant. Before 1999, female detectives' ranks were prefixed with "Woman", as in other branches of the police. The head of the CID in most police forces is a Detective Chief Superintendent. Ranks are abbreviated as follows: * Detective Constable (DC or Det Con) *

Detective Sergeant Sergeant ( abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other ...

(DS or Det Sgt) *

Detective Inspector Inspector, also police inspector or inspector of police, is a police rank. The rank or position varies in seniority depending on the organization that uses it. Australia In Australian police forces, the rank of inspector is generally the ne ...

(DI or Det Insp) *

Detective Chief Inspector Chief inspector (Ch Insp) is a rank used in police forces which follow the British model. In countries outside Britain, it is sometimes referred to as chief inspector of police (CIP). Usage by country Australia The rank of chief inspector is u ...

(DCI or Det Ch Insp) *

Detective Superintendent Superintendent (Supt) is a rank in the British police and in most English-speaking Commonwealth nations. In many Commonwealth countries, the full version is superintendent of police (SP). The rank is also used in most British Overseas Territorie ...

(DSI or Det Supt) *

Detective Chief Superintendent Chief superintendent is a senior rank in police forces, especially in those organised on the British model. Rank insignia of chief superintendent File:Sa-police-chief-superintendent.png, South Australia Police File:RCMP Chief Superintendent.png ...

(DCS or Det Ch Supt) To join a CID in the United Kingdom, a police officer usually must have served in uniform for at least two years. From 2017 direct entry to the detective branch became possible. While training as a detective they are referred to as a ''Trainee Detective Constable'' (TDC) and after completing the national Initial Crime Investigators' Development Programme, typically taking around two years, they become full Detective Constables (DCs). There is generally no pay increment on obtaining detective status in most forces. Previously paid allowances such as the detective duty allowance (a small payment intended to allow officers to purchase refreshments and other similar petty cash purposes) and the plainclothes allowance (an allowance used to purchase suitable clothing) have all been withdrawn over the past few years.

Military investigations

The

Royal Military Police The Royal Military Police (RMP) is the corps of the British Army responsible for the policing of army service personnel, and for providing a military police presence both in the UK and while service personnel are deployed overseas on operations ...

(RMP), Royal Navy Police (RNP), and

RAF Police The Royal Air Force Police (RAFP) is the service police branch of the Royal Air Force, headed by the provost marshal of the Royal Air Force. Its headquarters are at RAF Honington and it deploys throughout the world to support RAF and UK defen ...

all maintain a

Special Investigation Branch Special Investigation Branch (SIB) was the name given to the detective branches of all three British military police arms: the Royal Navy Police, Royal Military Police and Royal Air Force Police. It was most closely associated with the Royal M ...

(SIB), fulfilling much the same role as a civilian CID. The

Ministry of Defence Police The Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) is a civilian special police force which is part of the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence. The MDP's primary responsibilities are to provide armed security and counter terrorism services to designated hig ...

is a civilian force that provides policing services on military bases, and as such has a CID much like a territorial police force. The RMP SIB has regular sections and one

Army Reserve A military reserve force is a military organization whose members have military and civilian occupations. They are not normally kept under arms, and their main role is to be available when their military requires additional manpower. Reserve ...

section. To join the reserve section, a reservist must either have a regular army SIB or civilian CID background.

References

External links

CID page on Metropolitan Police website

the history of Nottingham police
{{Specialist units of the United Kingdom police Types of police unit of the United Kingdom Criminal investigation Criminology organizations History of the Metropolitan Police