British Transport Police

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Coverage
British Transport Police
Image:British Railway Network.gif British Transport Police area
Area	National Rail Network, London Underground, Docklands Light Railway, Midland Metro, Croydon Tramlink
Size
Population	N/A
Operations
Formed	1948
HQ	London
Officers	2,494
Areas	7
Stations	88
Chief Constable	Ian Johnston
Image:Btpcrest.jpeg
Website	British Transport Police

Image:British Transport Police tube.jpg

The British Transport Police (BTP) is a non-Home Office national police service responsible for policing the railway system throughout Great Britain. The service is also responsible for policing the London Underground system, the Docklands Light Railway, the Midland Metro and Croydon Tramlink. It is not, however, responsible for policing the Glasgow Subway, Tyne and Wear Metro or the Manchester Metrolink. Northern Ireland does not have an extensive railway system, and responsibility for policing remains in control of the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

The BTP has 2,494 regular police officers, 248 special constables and 1,015 support staff throughout England, Wales, and Scotland (2003). The Chief Constable is Ian Johnston CBE, QPM.

The British Transport Police can trace its history back to 1825, to the origins of the police service in Britain. It was judged that the railways needed their own police force to protect the transit of cargo and passengers. At one time every railway company had its own police force, but these were amalgamated on the formation of British Railways in 1948.<ref>A History of Policing the Railway. BTP History Society. Retrieved on 2006-04-11.</ref> Predating the arrival of the railways, there were also some instances of 'canal police' employed by canal companies to keep order along their transport links — the Grand Surrey Canal employed "bank rangers" from 1811.<ref>Canal Police Forces. BTP History Society. Retrieved on 2006-04-11.</ref>

Unlike the Home Office Police forces, the British Transport Police is largely funded by the train operating companies, Network Rail, and the London Underground.<ref> British Transport Police Annual Report 2004/2005 (PDF), 8. Retrieved on 2006-04-11.</ref> This funding arrangement does not give the rail companies power to set objectives for the BTP, nor are the BTP a 'private security company'. Indeed, whether on or off duty, officers of the 'BTP' are under sworn oath to use their powers to; 'cause peace to be preserved, and prevent all offences against the persons and property of Her Majesty's subjects'. This is stated in the Form of Oath taken by all British Transport Police Officers.

British Transport Police officers are constables with the same powers as constables of regional Home Office police forces when on railway property and can also exercise their powers in most, though not all, situations throughout England, Wales and Scotland.<ref>s31 Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003</ref> <ref>s100 Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001</ref> Their uniforms and rank system are similar to other British police forces. Officers often wear distinctive black jerseys with a black and white diced pattern on the yoke.

On 1 July 2004 a Police Authority for the British Transport Police was created.<ref>s18 Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003</ref> BTP Officers became employees of the Police Authority, whereas beforehand they were employees of the Strategic Rail Authority. The force played a huge role in the response of the 7 July 2005 London bombings, three of which were at tube stations, namely Edgware Road, Russell Square and Aldgate stations. On 15th July 2006, a new Dog Section Training School was opened at the Force Training establishment near Tadworth, Surrey.

1 Accident investigation
2 Proposed Merger
3 See also
4 External links
5 References

[edit] Accident investigation

Until the 1990s the principal investigators of railway accidents were the Inspecting Officers of HM Railway Inspectorate, and BTP involvement was minimal. With major accidents after the 1988 Clapham Junction rail crash being investigated by more adversarial public enquiries, the BTP took on a more proactive role in crash investigations, treating crash sites as "scenes of crime" and keeping professional railway investigators away from the scene until the BTP had finished its investigations, often days later. This was controversial in the rail industry as it severely delayed the resumption of rail services and the BTP were viewed as incompetent investigators of crash sites - a view strengthened after the Southall rail crash of 1997 when a significant piece of wreckage was discovered in the track ballast after BTP had handed the investigation back to HMRI. The BTPs' reputation was further lowered following a low-speed train derailment near Glasgow, caused by the track spreading because of thermal expansion in unusually hot weather, when the BTP insisted on treating the accident as a scene of crime, detaining hundreds of passengers for many hours while statements were taken. Pressure from within the industry caused the setting-up of the Department for Transport's Rail Accident Investigation Branch to take the lead role in investigations.

[edit] Proposed Merger

Although the British Transport Police is not under the control of the Home Office, and as such was not included as part of the proposed mergers of the Home Office forces of England and Wales in early 2006, both Ken Livingstone and Sir Ian Blair have stated publically that they want a single police force in Greater London. As part of this, they wish to have the functions of the BTP in the capital absorbed by the Metropolitan Police. However, following a review of the BTP by the Department of Transport, no changes to the form and function of the force will be implemented, and any merger will not happen for the foreseeable future.