After a pause last month, the monthly blog is back to its regular schedule. While we didn’t share a post in September, we did publish a lot of material from our annual conference and awards, so do log in to the dedicated area on our website and take a look.
Officer W80
I want to start this month’s blog by acknowledging the troubling story of the Metropolitan police officer known as W80, whose misconduct case has recently been dismissed. It concerned the fatal shooting of Jermaine Baker in London in 2015. You can read the background here, but the key point is that it has taken a decade to reach this outcome.
In 2022, a public enquiry found the officer lawfully killed Baker, but the IOPC directed that W80 should still face a misconduct hearing. That was held earlier this month, and it was found there was no case to answer. Speaking after the hearing, Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said, “We must overhaul how policing decisions, which are taken in split seconds, are later reviewed with the benefit of hindsight on freeze frame.”
This is something we, and other Federations around the country, have long since advocated for. We have raised this with individuals at the highest level in the IOPC, but is anyone listening? Leaving an officer under investigation for ten years is appalling; can you imagine the impact on him and his loved ones?
A degree of hope has emerged from the outcome of a rapid review of the legal test for the use of force in police misconduct cases, commissioned by the Home Office.
The reviewers have recommended that the test should be raised to the criminal standard of 'beyond reasonable doubt'. This change will be made to the Police (Conduct) Regulations 2020 following consultation with the Police Advisory Board for England, which is a legal requirement.
I sincerely hope this will support a timelier and more robust approach to accountability. Trust between the police and the public is crucial. but this current system of accountability isn’t serving either well.
New Vetting and Conduct Regulations
Originally, vetting and conduct regulations were introduced to uphold public trust in policing; to provide assurance that concerns about officer behaviour would be addressed fairly. Recent changes appear to have weaponised the regulations, turning them into a means of punishing and demonising officers.
We have taken legal advice on the Vetting Regulations 2025, highlighting several areas of concern, such as the independence of decision-makers and the process for interviewing witnesses. We have since shared that advice with the British Transport Police Authority for their consideration. We also reminded them and the Force that, under the machinery of negotiation, this matter must be brought to the National Negotiating Meeting.
We are also discussing the conduct regulations with the Authority and the Force. At present, we feel what’s being proposed mirrors PFEW’s regs too closely and doesn’t correctly account for the uniqueness of the BTP role.
There is a lot of information to digest ahead of the next meeting about both of these regulations, which take place early in November, but I am keen to keep you informed of the representations we are making and the progress that’s being made.
Derek Ridgewell Investigation (Op Syren)
Since 2019, thirteen men wrongly convicted in separate trials in the 1970s following allegations made by a corrupt BTP officer, DS Derek Ridgewell, had their names cleared by the Court of Appeal.
BTP is reviewing records relating to Ridgewell’s practices (Op Syren), and we’re aware that the Force is contacting some retired officers to assist them with this investigation. We have encouraged the Force to be respectful and considerate as they approach people who are more senior in years and may be living with health conditions.
Being contacted by the investigation team isn’t an indication of wrongdoing, but we appreciate it may cause some concern. We have appointed our Conduct Lead, Nigel Goodband, as the main point of contact in the Federation, and we will offer support and assistance those being contacted should they require it.
Support for victims and witnesses
The Federation’s role in misconduct cases is widely known, and most members will be aware that we assist with a range of other issues too, including pay and terms and conditions. What’s perhaps less well-known is the support the Federation provides to members who are victims or witnesses.
Reps can advise on matters such as bullying and grievances, reasonable adjustments, flexible working plans, and issues around unlawful discrimination. They have resolved many of these sorts of issues, but for reasons of confidentiality, this aspect of our work often isn’t well known.
This lack of awareness is problematic when people who need support in the most difficult of circumstances don’t receive it. Our General Secretary, Ryan Griffiths, has recently met with PSD to discuss a process that allows victims and witnesses to be put in contact with a Fed rep. This is an important step for the Federation and its members. Work is ongoing, and we will update you when we can.
Federation Welfare Vehicle
While we’re on the topic of welfare and support, I would like to remind you again about the Federation’s new welfare vehicle.
The vehicle is a direct investment in you, our members. It’s about your wellbeing, your access to support and advice, and your connection with the Federation. It fills a critical gap by providing facilities that many officers currently lack during operational deployments. We hope it will also improve communication, the visibility of Reps, and access to the advice and guidance we can provide.
As we plan the events and locations the vehicle will attend, we’re keen to hear from you. If there is an opportunity for us to bring the vehicle to your location for a specific purpose or activity, please let your local Fed rep know, giving them as much notice as possible.
There’s more information on the welfare vehicle, what it offers and how to request it at your station/location here.
Meeting with the RMT Union
The safety and wellbeing of our members was one issue heavily debated at our conference; another (related) concern discussed at length was BTP’s funding settlement.
So often, public spending is viewed as a cost to be cut, rather than something that needs vital investment. The fact is that this year, British Transport Police has a significant funding shortfall of around £8.5 million at a time when crime on the railways is anticipated to rise by more than a quarter.
We know this is something that’s of great concern to the unions too, so we were pleased to have the opportunity to meet with Eddie Dempsey, general secretary of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT). We discussed funding for railway policing, the safety impact on our respective members of reduced coverage across the network, and the effect on public confidence and safety.
The meeting was aimed at identifying opportunities for us to raise our shared concerns more widely and loudly, especially over the next couple of months as future funding settlements are considered.
Full-time B-Division post
With the news that Paul Miller has been successful in the promotion process, we have invited Reps in London to consider putting themselves forward for the full-time B-Division post. An essential part of this role will be to continue and build on the EDI work that Paul has started.
For more than 15 years, BTP Federation had worked in partnership with the Force to enable B Division to have a full-time rep. This role covered the entirety of B Division, incorporating A and E Divisions, and provided a conduit between the Federation, the Divisional Commander and PSD. When the officer who held the position retired in September 2022, the role was reviewed before being reinstated last year.
Information about the candidates will be circulated amongst our reps, who will vote for the individual they feel is most suited to the role. We hope to have a new full-time Rep in place from 1 January 2026.
Conference Review
As I wrote at the start of this blog, all the material from our conference is available to you through a dedicated area of the website. We have recently updated the page with links to some videos, including the recording of the Chief Constable’s Q&A session.
Our Awards of Excellence are always a highlight for this Federation, but for me, this was one of the best conferences we have held too. It’s the only time our reps all come together, so it’s essential that it's an event that supports their learning and development as well as airing the issues members are facing with BTP’s leadership.
The engagement from our Reps was highly positive, especially during the panel discussion on Post-Incident procedures and Q&A session, where they put questions to the Chief and BTPA that reflected your concerns and shared some of your experiences, to add context.
I was also very encouraged by the sponsorship we secured this year. Our headline sponsor was Ardonagh Group, providers of our Group Insurance Scheme. We are very grateful to them and JMW Solicitors for sponsoring the Awards of Excellence and the annual conference.
We also received support from Police Friendly, Accord Legal Services, Police Mortgages, Addept Group Limited, National Police Healthcare Scheme, Ortus Travel Insurance, DJ Talbot and Associates, Uniform Mortgages, and Serve and Protect.
The support of our sponsors is crucial to ensuring a successful event, and you will hear more from some of them in 2026.
All the best,
Stuart Cowan - Chair of BTP Federation