Date: 02/11/2016

Police chiefs have warned that integrating railway policing into Police Scotland would be 'massively complicated'. A Railway Policing Bill is to be introduced at Holyrood to push forward devolution of law enforcement powers. This would include the functions of the British Transport Police being taken over by Police Scotland. Police bosses told Holyrood's justice committee that a merger would be 'complicated but not insurmountable'. Representatives from BTP, Police Scotland, the Scottish Police Authority, and the Scottish Institute for Policing Research took part in a round-table session with MSPs at the Scottish Parliament. Absorbing transport policing into Scotland's single force has been a long-running goal for Justice Secretary Michael Matheson. 'Efficient and effective' The BTP itself wanted to continue providing the service, but with oversight from Holyrood instead of Westminster after devolution, and three railway unions came out against the plan. But the Scottish government said integration would 'ensure the most efficient and effective delivery of all policing in Scotland'.

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Police merger plan 'massively complex'

BBC News

Plans to merge the functions of the British Transport Police into Police Scotland would be "massively complicated", MSPs are told.

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