See the February print issue of Professional Security. More co-ordination of airport and ports security and policing could follow from a HM Inspectorate of Constabulary report on Special Branch and ports policing.
The Government has agreed with the HMIC to look at how dedicated central funding is allocated to support forces policing sites of significant national security implications, like air and sea ports.
Home Office Minister John Denham said: “All Special Branch officers have been trained in the latest intelligence gathering, crime fighting techniques and technologies through a series of regular briefings and seminars. And the National Co-ordinator of Ports Policing, who works closely with the other border agencies, is spreading good practice within Ports Policing.?
HMIC thematic report on Special Branch and Ports Policing is available at www.homeoffice.gov.uk/hmic/hmic.htm
The Government is to review Special Branch operational guidelines. The review led by the Home Office to run until later this year, will update guidelines to take full account of recent legislative changes, like the Terrorism Act and the Anti-Terrorism Crime and Security Act.
