2. Memorandum submitted by
British Transport Police
BACKGROUND
BTP is the specialist police force for the railways,
and engages 2,300 police officers and 650 police staff across
10,000 miles of railway and 3,000 stations and depots in England,
Scotland and Wales.
It is funded by the rail industry under a "user
pays" principle. The force has recently come under the governance
of a Police Authority, with representatives from both public interest
and the industry. The Authority is a non-departmental public body
and has a reporting line through to the Secretary of State for
Transport. The force works on a daily basis with the 43 other
forces in England and Wales, and the eight forces in Scotland.
It has full membership of the Association of Chief Police Officers,
and has broadly similar powers, discipline regime, jurisdiction,
and accountability as Home Office forces.
The force has sought to play a major role in
the Police Reform programme. It has embraced the intelligence
model, reassurance policing, the street crime initiative, the
anti-social behaviour programme, and many other planks on this
agenda.
ISSUES
The force welcomes the government's efforts
to embrace BTP more fully in its consideration when legislating
regarding Home Office forces. Some difficulties have, however,
been experienced historically, for example in relation to jurisdiction
and authority to employ PCSOs.
The force also has a history of uncertain inclusion
in additional Home Office funding for policing in the UK. For
example, while funding for the street crime initiative was eventually
secured, funding for police community support officers, reassurance
policing, criminal justice IT, and some elements of counter terrorism
has not been forthcoming.
The force welcomes the support it is now receiving
from DFT of this issue, but seeks greater inclusion within the
framework of the Reform agenda, and also access to the same level
of support received by other forces.
While the focus of BTP remains clearly on meeting
the specialist needs of the railways, it believes that there are
opportunities for wider inclusion to help provide a seamless and
more inclusive police service across the UK.
26 July 2004
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