The Roads and Transport Policing Command (RTPC - codenamed
Met Operations
Met Operations, also known as Met Ops, is one of the eight business groups which forms the Metropolitan Police Service and is responsible for providing operational support services. It was created during the 2018–19 restructuring of the service ...
8) is a unit of the
Metropolitan Police Service that is responsible for policing roads,
buses
A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a motor vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van, but fewer than the average rail transport. It is most commonly used ...
, bus routes,
taxis and minicabs. It was formed from two separate Commands: Safer Transport Command and
Traffic Operational Command Unit (OCU). The OCU is staffed by regular officers and has its own
Special Constables, who work alongside regular officers in all areas of the command.
Both branches operate independently, and perform different roles, but they share a leadership team. The RTPC does not police
national railways in London,
London Underground
The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground or as the Tube) is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent home counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and Hertfordshire in England.
The Undergro ...
,
Docklands Light Railway
The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) is an automated medium-capacity rail system, light metro system primarily serving the redeveloped London Docklands, Docklands area of London and providing a direct connection between London's two major financi ...
or
Tramlink
Tramlink, previously Croydon Tramlink and currently branded as London Trams, is a light rail tram system serving Croydon and surrounding areas in South London, England. It is the first operational tram system serving the London region since 195 ...
, which fall under the remit of the
British Transport Police (BTP).
The Unit maintains a joint command and control centre with
London Buses
London Buses is the subsidiary of Transport for London (TfL) that manages most bus services in London, England. It was formed following the Greater London Authority Act 1999 that transferred control of London Regional Transport (LRT) bus s ...
called
MetroComm, which is also the command and control centre of the Traffic Operational Command Unit.
In response to a survey conducted by
Transport For London (TfL) which showed that 15% of women using public transport in London had been the subject of some form of unwanted sexual behaviour but that 90% of incidents went unreported, the Safer Transport Command—in conjunction with the BTP,
City of London Police
The City of London Police is the territorial police force#United Kingdom, territorial police force responsible for law enforcement within the City of London, England, including the Middle Temple, Middle and Inner Temple, Inner Temples.
The for ...
, and TfL—launched
Project Guardian
Project Guardian is a joint initiative between British Transport Police (BTP), the Metropolitan Police Service ("the Met"), the City of London Police, and Transport for London (TfL), which aims to combat and increase reporting of sexual harassme ...
, which aimed to reduce
sexual offences and increase reporting.
Operational history
Safer Transport Command was formed in 2002 as a joint venture with
Transport for London (TfL), and consolidated several existing policing operations. It was known as the Transport OCU. On 1 April 2009, Transport OCU became part of
Territorial Policing. On 29 September 2009, Transport OCU became known as the Safer Transport Command.
On 1 December 2014, the Safer Transport Command and the Traffic Operational Command Unit were merged to create the Roads & Transport Policing Command (RTPC). RTPC provides the MPS with a single, combined command unit responsible for policing the capital's roads and transport network.
References
External links
''Transport policing'' Transport for London
Transport for London (TfL) is a local government body responsible for most of the transport network in London, United Kingdom.
TfL is the successor organization of the London Passenger Transport Board, which was established in 1933, and His ...
.
{{Metropolitan Police
Metropolitan Police units
Transport authorities in London