"UNCERTAINTY" around the merger with Police Scotland has sent morale plummeting at British Transport Police (BTP), a report has found.
HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland (HMICS) called for issues surrounding the impact on staff and officers' terms and conditions to be resolved at the "earliest opportunity".
The merger will take effect in April 2019 and the police inspector's overview of BTP warned the "scope and scale of the challenges and complexity posed by the transfer should not be underestimated".
The report said the full costs "have not yet been assessed" and stakeholders are unsure who will pay them, with detail about potential risks lacking. Meanwhile, officers said "uncertainty" about the changes had caused low morale.
It states: "This was particularly true of BTP police staff who fear there is no place for them at Police Scotland given that a significant proportion of police staff have left the organisation since its creation in 2013."
Derek Penman, HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary in Scotland, said: "It is not a merger of one complete organisation with another, but the partial extraction of a function from one organisation and its integration into another organisation.
"Throughout the transfer process, both BTP and Police Scotland must continue to deliver an effective service."
He added: "While both organisations provide a policing service, there are fundamental and significant differences in the way they operate.
"BTP is a police service paid for entirely by the rail industry and which has an ethos and commercial awareness which is quite distinct from other police forces."
Penman went on: "The officers and staff have been living with uncertainty regarding their futures for some time but have nonetheless remained committed to providing an effective service throughout.
"Issues relating to their terms and conditions and pension arrangements must be resolved at the earliest opportunity so as to provide them with information on which to base decisions about their future.
"Until those issues are settled, regular updates must be provided as to the progress being made."
The Scottish Government said: "Considerable progress has been made in ensuring the benefits of integration and improved accountability of transport policing to the Scottish Parliament are successfully delivered.
"Integration will ensure seamless access to wider support facilities and specialist resources, providing an enhanced service to the rail industry and travelling public.
"Pay and pensions of BTP officers and staff will be protected and we have recently set out to Parliament how we are giving effect to this commitment."
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel