Scotland Yard

Scotland Yard is a place for police.

A man named Robert Peel started the police. They needed a home base. The first home was on a street called Great Scotland Yard. This is how the name started.

As more people joined, the police grew. They moved to a new building by a river.

The police moved many times. They even moved to a tall building.

Now, the police work in a new home again. They still keep a museum of old things. It is a very famous place.

Scotland Yard is the home of the Metropolitan Police. This group of officers keeps London safe.

In 1829, a man named Robert Peel started the police. They first worked at a place on Whitehall Place. The main door was on a street called Great Scotland Yard. This is how the name started. People use the name to talk about the police too.

As the police grew, they needed more space. They moved in 1890 to a building by the River Thames. This building was called New Scotland Yard. They added more buildings in 1906 and 1940.

In 1967, the police moved to a tall building on Broadway.

Later, they decided to move again. In 2016, they moved to the Curtis Green Building. This is their current home.

The police also keep a museum. It holds old items used in crimes. This museum began in 1874.

Scotland Yard is a very famous name in London. It is the official headquarters for the Metropolitan Police. This police force looks after 32 different areas in Greater London. They also work with other authorities across the United Kingdom. People often use the name "Scotland Yard" to talk about the police themselves. They might use it when talking about detectives or police work. It is a way to name a whole group by its home.

The name started from a specific street. Long ago, the police headquarters was at 4 Whitehall Place. This building had its main public entrance on a street called Great Scotland Yard. Because people used that entrance, the name stuck. In 1829, a man named Robert Peel helped start the Metropolitan Police. He worked with Eugène-François Vidocq to pick the first site. The first leaders were Charles Rowan and Richard Mayne. They moved into the building that used to be a private house.

As the years went by, the police force grew very large. In the beginning, there were only 1,000 officers. By 1890, there were about 13,000 officers. They needed much more room for their staff. The force moved to a new building on the Victoria Embankment. This building was designed by an architect named Richard Norman Shaw. They called this new location "New Scotland Yard." More buildings were added to this site in 1906 and 1940.

The headquarters moved several more times after that. In 1967, the police moved to a tall building on Broadway. This building was located in an area called Victoria. Many years later, the force decided to move once more. They chose the Curtis Green Building on the Victoria Embankment. The move to this new home was finished in 2016. Queen Elizabeth II was supposed to open it in March 2017. However, the opening was moved to July 2017.

You might recognize the name from books or movies. Famous stories like Sherlock Holmes feature Scotland Yard detectives. A book called The Moonstone is an early example of police stories. You can also see them in films like Blackmail. Even video games like Watch Dogs: Legion show the police. The headquarters also keeps a special Crime Museum. This museum was started in 1874 to hold old items. It is a place where the history of the police is kept safe.

Scotland Yard is the official name for the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS). This police force is responsible for maintaining law and order across 32 boroughs in Greater London. The MPS also works with several other authorities throughout the United Kingdom. While it is a specific building, the term "Scotland Yard" is often used as a metonym. This means the name represents the entire police service and its officers, particularly detectives. Much like how "Wall Street" refers to the financial district in New York, "Scotland Yard" has become synonymous with police activity in London.

The name has a very specific geographic origin. In 1829, the Metropolitan Police Act was passed by Parliament to create the force. Robert Peel helped form the service and selected the first headquarters at 4 Whitehall Place. He worked with Eugène-François Vidocq to choose this location. The building was originally a private house. Its main public entrance was located on a street called Great Scotland Yard. Because of this entrance, the name of the street became the name of the headquarters. The first commissioners of the force were Charles Rowan and Richard Mayne.

As the police force grew, the original site became too small. In 1829, the force began with only 1,000 officers. By 1887, the headquarters had expanded into several neighboring addresses. This included various buildings on Whitehall Place and several stables at 7 Great Scotland Yard. By 1890, the force had grown to approximately 13,000 officers. This massive increase required much more administrative space. Consequently, the police moved to a new site on the Victoria Embankment. This new headquarters was designed by the architect Richard Norman Shaw.

The Victoria Embankment site became known as "New Scotland Yard." This location grew through several construction stages over many decades. An adjacent building was completed in 1906 to provide more space. A third building was later added to the complex in 1940. The first two buildings are now recognized as a Grade I listed structure called the Norman Shaw Buildings. During the construction of the new site in 1888, workers discovered a human torso. This unsolved case became known as the "Whitehall Mystery." The headquarters remained at this location for many years as the force continued to evolve.

In 1967, the Metropolitan Police Service consolidated its operations once again. They moved from the three-building complex to a tall, modern building on Broadway in Victoria. This building was known as the New Scotland Yard at 10 Broadway. The Metropolitan Police Authority eventually bought the freehold of this site for approximately £120 million in 2008. Later, in December 2014, the building was sold to the Abu Dhabi Financial Group for £370 million. Plans were approved in 2016 to redevelop the site into a mixed-use development. The ownership officially transferred when the police completed their relocation in October 2016.

The force eventually decided to move back toward the Victoria Embankment area. In 2013, officials announced they would relocate to the Curtis Green Building. This building had previously served as the Territorial Policing headquarters. It is located adjacent to the original Norman Shaw North Building. Construction on the exterior of the Curtis Green building was finished in December 2015. The staff officially moved into their new headquarters on October 31, 2016. Queen Elizabeth II was scheduled to open the building on March 23, 2017. However, the opening was postponed due to a terrorist attack in Westminster the day before. The official opening finally took place on July 13, 2017.

Scotland Yard is not just a real-world institution; it is a major part of popular culture. It has appeared in many books, films, and television shows since the Victorian era. It was featured in the famous Jack the Ripper cases and Sherlock Holmes stories. Wilkie Collins wrote "The Moonstone" in 1868, which is an early example of a police procedural. In 1886, Robert Louis Stevenson included a Scotland Yard detective in his novella "Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde." Alfred Hitchcock used a Scotland Yard detective in his 1929 film "Blackmail." The headquarters also houses the Crime Museum, which was founded in 1874. This museum contains a collection of criminal memorabilia, though it is not open to the public.