Sellafield nuclear plant gets its own police officers (From The Westmorland Gazette)
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Sellafield nuclear plant gets its own police officers
5:26pm Monday 21st January 2013 in News
SELLAFIELD nuclear plant in West Cumbria has its own team of dedicated police officers from today.
The eight officers form a new unit created by Cumbria Police to specifically deal with conventional policing issues that occur in and around the site.
It follows months of discussions with the Government-funded Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) about what the services would include and the level of cover required.
The NDA has stumped up the cash to allow the force to take on the officers full time in the newly-created Sellafield Policing Unit.
Funding will allow a further nine officers to be recruited to the team in the coming months, bringing the total to 17.
Temporary Chief Constable of Cumbria Police, Bernard Lawson, said: “Cumbria Constabulary has a valued partnership with Sellafield Ltd and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and I am pleased that we are able to work together to provide a policing solution that will benefit those who work and live around the site, as well as the wider community.
“Our new Sellafield Policing Unit will work at the Sellafield site and the Copeland Neighbourhood Policing Team base at Whitehaven police station.
“Although the team’s main focus will be on attending incidents that affect the site, they will also be a resource we can call on to attend issues that affect the surrounding community.
“Cumbria Constabulary has a successful history of working alongside Sellafield Ltd and the Civil Nuclear Constabulary and we all share an understanding in the joint role we have to play in maintaining site security.
“We have created a new agreement which will see Cumbria Constabulary take responsibility for general policing issues such as upholding the law and preventing crime.
“This will allow the Civil Nuclear Constabulary to continue concentrating on site security.
“Eight Cumbria Constabulary officers began work in the new team this week and this number will grow as we recruit more officers over the course of this year.”
Rory O’Neill, director for Stakeholder Relations at Sellafield Ltd, said; “This partnership shows our continued focus on the security and policing of the Sellafield site.
“We welcome the additional knowledge and skills that members of Cumbria Constabulary will bring to our existing arrangements with the Civil Nuclear Constabulary and the benefits for our surrounding community.”
The Sellafield Policing Unit will consist of one sergeant, one detective constable and 15 PCs.
