Special Branch is the arm of the British, Irish and many Commonwealth police forces that deals with national security matters. They acquire and develop intelligence to help protect the public from national security threats, especially subversive and other extremist activity. Flag of the Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations is an association of independent sovereign states, most of which are former colonies once governed by the United Kingdom as part of the British Empire. ... Security measures outside the Houses of Parliament, London, England. ... Subversion is an overturning or uprooting. ...

The original Special Irish Branch of London's Metropolitan Police was formed in March 1883 to counter the Irish Republican Brotherhood . The "Irish" soubriquet was later dropped as the department extended its remit to cover other threats. Metropolitan Police is a generic title for the municipal police force for a major metropolitan area. ... 1883 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... The Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB) played an important role in the history of Ireland. ...

Each of these police forces has its own Special Branch, the largest by far being that of the Specialist Operations department of the Metropolitan Police (SO12). These departments work closely with one another and with MI5, the Security Service. The officers work in plain clothes and are occasionally armed. Although they are not part of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), they are entitled to use the prefix 'Detective' in front of their ranks. Current MI5 headquarters in Thames House, London MI5—officially called the Security Service—is one of the British secret service agencies. ... The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is the branch of all British Police forces to which plain clothes detectives belong. ... CID can stand for more than one thing. ...

The Special Branch of the Royal Hong Kong Police Force (now Hong Kong Police Force) was disbanded in 1995, prior to the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong in 1997. The Hong Kong Police Force (香港警察) (from 1969 to 1997, Royal Hong Kong Police Force (皇家香港警察) is the police force of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the Peoples Republic of China. ... 1995 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... In 1982, the governments of the United Kingdom and the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) began talks over the question of the sovereignty of Hong Kong, and subsequently led to the transfer of the sovereignty of Hong Kong. ... 1997 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In Britain Special Branch has responsibility for, amongst other things, personal protection of (non-royal) VIPs and performing the role of examining officer at designated ports and airports, as prescribed by the Terrorism Act 2000. Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Seaport, a painting by Claude Lorrain, 1638 A port is a facility at the edge of an ocean, river, or lake for receiving ships and transferring cargo and persons to them. ... The Terrorism Act 2000 is a current United Kingdom Act of Parliament - An Act to make provision about terrorism; and to make temporary provision for Northern Ireland about the prosecution and punishment of certain offences, the preservation of peace and the maintenance of order. ...

The intelligence work of Special Branch is overlooked in some circles. This is because its role sits somewhere between that of the more enigmatic Security Service and that of the more glamorously titled Metropolitan Police Anti-Terrorist Branch (SO13). Current MI5 headquarters in Thames House, London MI5—officially called the Security Service—is one of the British secret service agencies. ...

See also

• Espionage
• Forward Intelligence
• List of intelligence agencies

Espionage is the practice of obtaining secrets (spying) from rivals or enemies for military, political, or economic advantage. ... Forward Intelligence is the secret surveillance department of the Special Branch of Scotland Yard, used to spy on citizens and residents of the United Kingdom who are suspected by the police of seditious or revolutionary activity. ... The following is a partial list of intelligence agencies, past and present. ...

External links

• Metropolitan Police - Special Branch
• Essex Police - Special Branch
• Scottish Executive - Guidelines on Special Branch Work in the United Kingdom