A centralised multi-agency crime-fighting facility which occupies a striking building on the Gartcosh Industrial Estate in North Lanarkshire, the Scottish Crime Campus was formally opened by HRH The Princess Royal on 20th June 2014. Located 2½ miles (4 km) northwest of Coatbridge and 7½ miles (12 km) east of Glasgow, the £75-million facility is home to 1100 specialists from five organisations that spearhead Scotland's campaign against organised crime and terrorism; namely Police Scotland, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, the National Crime Agency, HM Revenue and Customs and the Scottish Police Authority Forensic Services.
The four-storey building, which is arranged around a central atrium, provides 22,500 sq. m (242,200 sq. feet) of floor space and was built 2010-13. Taking its inspiration from the double-helix structure of DNA, it was the work of a collaboration between BMJ Architects and Ryder Architecture, both based in Glasgow. Construction was managed by the Scottish Government. The building occupies the site of the former Gartcosh Steelworks which closed in 1986.
The campus is an internationally-significant centre of excellence for multi-agency coordination, crime investigation and prosecution. It provides a focal point for intelligence-sharing, operational activity, evidence gathering and forensic science to combine and strengthen collaborative efforts to disrupt serious organised crime.
