Civil Nuclear Constabulary
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Civil Nuclear Constabulary | |
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| Coverage | |
|---|---|
 Civil Nuclear Constabulary area |
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| Area | UK civil nuclear sites |
| Size | N/A |
| Population | N/A |
| Operations | |
| Formed | 2005 |
| HQ | Culham |
| Budget | {{{budget}}} |
| Officers | 650 |
| BCU | 3 |
| Stations | 16 |
| Chief Constable | Richard Thompson |
| Website | Civil Nuclear Constabulary |
The Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) is an armed special police force that protects civil nuclear installations and substances in the United Kingdom. It came into being on the 1st April 2005, replacing the former United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority Constabulary that was established in 1955. It does not guard nuclear weapons, which is instead the jurisdiction of the British Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defence Police.
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[edit] Role
The role of the CNC is to police and protect civil nuclear sites and materials in the UK, as well as escorting materials when transported overseas. As of 2005, the CNC has 650 personnel. The CNC operates at a total of 16 sites around the UK, including its headquarters at Culham, Oxfordshire. The remaining locations are divided into Operational Units and Support Units.
Led by Chief Constable Richard Thompson and authorised in the Energy Act 2004 with its own Police Authority, it falls under the remit of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform instead of the Home Office. CNC officers are trained to the same standards as other UK police forces though they have more limited jurisdiction. Constables have jurisdiction and police powers on civil nuclear sites and up to 5 kilometres from such sites and also anywhere where they are escorting nuclear material. However any matters they come across within this limited jurisdiction which is not related to nuclear sites must as soon as practicable be handed over to the local territorial police force. Unlike most UK territorial police forces and special police forces (such as the British Transport Police), CNC officers are routinely armed.
On 3rd April 2007, the appointment of the new Chief Constable, Richard Thompson, was announced. His appointment is significant as he is the first Chief Constable of a UK police force since 1946 not to have served as a police officer before.
[edit] Locations
The CNC operates at a total of 16 sites in the United Kingdom. Of these, 6 are classed as Operational Units, where an ordinary police presence is maintained, while 9 are Support Units, which have an overt armed police presence.
- CNC Headquarters - Culham
- Operational Units
- Capenhurst
- Chapelcross
- Dounreay
- Harwell
- Sellafield
- Springfields
- Support Units
In 2007, the CNC adopted a structure similar to other police forces when it introduced three Basic Command Units, each headed by a Chief Superintendent, based around the geographical locations it polices:
- BCU Scotland - responsible for nuclear sites in Scotland
- BCU North - responsible for nuclear sites in the north of England and Wales
- BCU South - responsible for nuclear sites in the south of England
[edit] Notes
^ The constabulary is established in Chapter 3 ('sections 51 - 71') of the Energy Act 2004. The act sets up the police authority and the position of Chief constable, defines the powers of members of the constabulary, mandates that Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary must inspect the force and amends several other acts.
[edit] See also
- List of police forces in the United Kingdom
- Policing in the United Kingdom
- Nuclear power in the United Kingdom
