The Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) is an armed police force, charged with protecting critical national infrastructure. Our Ambition is to be recognised nationally and internationally as the leading organisation for armed protective security within the critical national infrastructure of the UK.
Our officers are licenced by the College of Policing and trained to the same national standards as Home Office forces. The Constabulary is constituted under the Energy Act 2004, and is governed by different legislation to that of Home Office forces.
The Act does allow CNC officers to assist other forces if necessary at individual incidents or provide mutual aid in a prearranged arrangement, however a more formal agreement is necessary for certain instances to provide a legal framework to allow Chief Constables to request armed officers from the CNC.
As a result, the CNC currently has the below collaboration agreements in place with police forces across the country:
Operation Temperer
An agreement in place with all Home Office forces in England and Wales enabling deployment in the event of a major incident, co-ordinated by National Policing Coordination Centre (NPoCC), and potential for CNC officers to be deployed in any force area.
Operation Plato and other support
An agreement in place with all Home Office forces whose area our sites sit in: Thames Valley, Avon and Somerset, Kent, Suffolk, Lancashire, Cumbria, and Cleveland. The agreement enables us to provide support in the event of a marauding terrorist attack, where there is a threat to life or risk of serious injury or to undertake joint patrolling.
City of London
An agreement to allow CNC officers to assist with particular movements.
G7 summit
This is an agreement with Devon and Cornwall to provide armed and unarmed support for the summit taking place in June 2021. This will be a short-term agreement proposed to expire by July 2021.
Police Scotland collaboration agreement
This agreement enables the CNC to offer support in the event of an Op Temperer or Op Plato scenario, in the event of a threat to life or risk of serious injury, and in any other scenario where it would be either mutually beneficial or beneficial for either force.
In each of the agreements CNC officers are deemed to be temporarily serving with the receiving force, under their direction and control and therefore with the jurisdiction of the receiving force.
