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{{Short description|Largest unit into which territorial British Police forces are divided}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
A '''Basic Command Unit''' (BCU) is the largest unit into which [[territorial police force|territorial]] [[Law enforcement in the United Kingdom|British Police]] forces are divided. BCU replaces the earlier terms ''Sub-Division'' and ''Division'' that had been in use since the 1880s. BCUs may alternatively be called an ''Area Command'' or a ''Division''. They will also contain smaller, more local teams which are often called a ''Local Policing Unit'' (LPU) or a ''Local Policing Team'' (LPT). There are 228 BCUs (or equivalent units) in England and Wales.

Most forces are divided into at least three BCUs and some have many more. Most BCUs are further subdivided into smaller units. The BCU is usually commanded by a [[Chief superintendent|Chief Superintendent]].<ref>{{cite web |author=Neighbourhood Statistics |url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/MetadataDownloadPDF.do?downloadId=21433 |title=Notifiable Offences Recorded by the Police 2001/2002 |publisher=Neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk |access-date=2009-06-09 |archive-date=29 January 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090129021810/http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/MetadataDownloadPDF.do?downloadId=21433 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Metropolitan Police==
Until recently{{when|date=October 2025}} the [[Metropolitan Police]] used the term '''Borough Operational Command Unit''' (BOCU) for regional units within [[Organisation and structure of the Metropolitan Police#Frontline Policing|Frontline Policing]] (previously known as Territorial Policing), the subdivision of the Met responsible for day-to-day policing within the 32 [[London boroughs]].

Between 2017 and 2019 the 32 BOCUs were reorganised to form 12 new '''Basic Command Units''', each incorporating between two and four of the original BOCUs (see the article on [[Collar number#Frontline Policing|Collar numbers]]).
<ref>{{cite news|author=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-43033510 |title=Metropolitan Police merge boroughs 'to save £325m' |work=BBC News |date=12 February 2018 |access-date=2018-02-12}}</ref>
<ref>{{cite web|author=Metropolitan Police Service |url=https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/met_police_identification_boroug#incoming-1186904 |title=Freedom of Information Request: Metropolitan Police Boroughs and identifier codes |date=21 June 2018 | publisher=whatdotheyknow.com |access-date=2018-07-11}}</ref>

The term '''Operational Command Unit''' (OCU) is used for specialised units, for example the [[Aviation Security Operational Command Unit|Aviation Security OCU]].

==West Midlands Police==
[[West Midlands Police]] is split into 10 '''Local Policing Units''' (LPUs). Each LPU is in turn organized into four ''Core Policing Teams'' (CPTs) that manage its different core functions: [[West Midlands Police#Investigation teams|Investigation]], [[West Midlands Police#Neighbourhood teams|Neighbourhood]], [[West Midlands Police#Force response|Response]] and [[West Midlands Police#Community action and priority teams (CAPT)|Community Action and Priority Team (CAPT)]].

==Warwickshire Police==
[[Warwickshire Police]] has abolished BCUs, the first British territorial police force to do so. The force is now divided directly into five Districts, each headed by a [[Chief inspector|Chief Inspector]]. These were formerly grouped into two Areas (BCUs), North and South, each headed by a [[Chief superintendent#United Kingdom|Chief Superintendent]].

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Specialist police units of Britain}}

[[Category:Types of police unit of the United Kingdom]]

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Basic command unit - Revision history

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