Civil Nuclear Police Authority
The Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) and our Home Office colleagues have entered into a collaboration agreement to allow us to provide support to other police forces should they require it.
The CNC is an armed police service, licenced by the College of Policing and trained to the same national standards as Home Office forces. The Constabulary is constituted under the Energy Act 2004, and is governed by different legislation to that of Home Office forces.
The Act does allow CNC officers to assist other forces if necessary at individual incidents or provide mutual aid in a prearranged arrangement, however a more formal agreement was required which provided a legal framework to allow Chief Constables to request armed officers from the CNC.
As a result, the CNC asked Home Office forces to enter into a collaboration agreement which would allow us to provide support to forces in England, Wales and Scotland should it be required.
The agreement has now been signed by all Home Office forces in England, Wales and Scotland, meaning that should they require any additional armed officers for any policing reason, CNC Authorised Firearms Officers (AFOs) will be able to travel to the location and come under the jurisdiction of the chief constable of that force for the length of the requirement.
Deputy Chief Constable Simon Chesterman said: The signing of this collaboration agreement allows chief constables to formally request and receive CNC AFOs to work under his or her jurisdiction for the time period they require.
Currently, CNC officers only have policing powers in a five kilometre radius of a nuclear site, as laid out in the Energy Act 2004, and this agreement removes that restriction should officers be needed to provide support at any force across the country if circumstances require it.