Elite British Transport Police

The British Transport Police is a national police force that is responsible for policing all the railways and rail operators throughout England, Wales and Scotland. Systems included in their jurisdiction are the London underground, Docklands Light Railway, the Glasgow Subway, the Midland Metro Tram system and Croydon Tramlink. Overall they are responsible for over 10,000 miles of track.

Every day over 5 million passenger journeys are undertaken and over a quarter of a million tonnes of freight are moved on British Transport . It's no small feat to ensure the safety and security of all commuters and transported goods. It stands to reason that the recruitment process is a stringent one.

To be eligible to apply for the transport police, the applicant must be a British citizen or a member of the EC. Members of the Commonwealth and foreign nationals may apply if they have been British residents for three years, with no restrictions. Security checks will not only be carried out on the applicant, but also on the applicant's family and immediate associates. Health is a very important factor in considering applicants, especially eyesight, which must be 6/12 for distance vision and 6/9 for close vision, both without glasses. Colour blindness results in automatic disqualification. A few interesting points include neither the applicant or his/her partner being allowed to own a shop within the jurisdiction of the police station concerned. They are also not allowed to have a liquor license or own a betting or gaming institution.

There are many other career opportunities within the British Transport Police, aside from being a police officer. Assistant Investigators help in investigating complaints made against police officers and other internal enquiries. Crime Analysts gather, analyse and interpret data that comes in from all the British Transport Police jurisdiction, as well as from external sources, regarding the functioning of the police and their level of service. Disclosure analysts identify the eligibility of volunteers to have access to children and other vulnerable people. It's also their responsibility to keep all of the related information in the computers up to date.

Recently the British Transport Police were awarded the Public Sector People Manager's Association (PPMA) Diversity Award. This distinguished award goes to organisations that have proved they are committed to diversity in the workplace, and have sustainable processes in place to ensure that diverse groups will continue to be well represented.

The task of the British Transport Police is difficult and unpredictable, as they have to combat crimes as varied as murder and fraud, theft and the maintenance of public order. Those who apply and are chosen, invariably love rising to challenges and are civic minded. In order to provide a service to the miles of track and the millions of traveling passengers everyday, those are particularly valuable qualities. They go a long way towards helping the transport police achieve their goal of providing a service, which delivers a safe railway environment, free from disruption and fear of crime.

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