Editing Civil Nuclear Constabulary (section)

==Role==
The core role of the CNC is to provide armed policing and security for civil nuclear establishments and materials throughout the United Kingdom and to maintain a state of readiness against any possible attack on a licensed nuclear site.<ref>Energy Act 2004</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cnc.police.uk/about-the-cnc/what-do-the-cnc-do/our-role |title=Our Role |website=Civil Nuclear Constabulary |date=20 March 2009 |access-date=8 June 2009 |archive-date=9 August 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090809065858/http://www.cnc.police.uk/about-the-cnc/what-do-the-cnc-do/our-role |url-status=live }}</ref>  The CNC is established in Chapter 3, sections 51–71, of the [[Energy Act 2004]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2004/20/part/1/chapter/3 |title=Energy Act 2004 |website=[[His Majesty's Stationery Office|HMSO]] |access-date=4 April 2011 |archive-date=29 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101229081802/http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2004/20/part/1/chapter/3 |url-status=live }}</ref> The act sets up the Civil Nuclear Police Authority and the position of chief constable, defines the powers of members of the constabulary, mandates that [[His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary]] must inspect the force and amends several other acts.  It falls under the remit of the [[Department for Energy Security and Net Zero]] instead of the [[Home Office]].

The CNC's Annual Report for 2010{{ndash}}2011 (page 15) states that "...the crime dealt with by officers at civil nuclear sites remains low in volume. The management and investigation of crime does not form any part of the Constabulary's mission statement."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-nuclear-police-authority-annual-report-and-accounts-2010-to-2011|title=Civil Nuclear Police Authority: annual report and accounts, 2010 to 2011 – GOV.UK|access-date=2017-12-09|archive-date=10 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171210021024/https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-nuclear-police-authority-annual-report-and-accounts-2010-to-2011|url-status=live}}</ref> Whilst the CNC is a police force, this acknowledgement would suggest the role of a CNC police officer is to provide armed security, rather than primarily being concerned with law enforcement.  This role is also evidenced in the number of arrests made by the force annually compared with a [[territorial police force]] of a similar number of police officers.  In 2016, CNC officers made 24 arrests.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/response-to-an-foi-about-arrest-figures|title=Response to an FOI about arrest figures|website=GOV.UK|language=en|access-date=2019-03-26|archive-date=26 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190326145222/https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/response-to-an-foi-about-arrest-figures|url-status=live}}</ref>  This compares to [[Dorset Police]], a force with a similar number of officers who made 7,460 arrests annually in the latest annual figures.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-powers-and-procedures-england-and-wales-year-ending-31-march-2018|title=Police powers and procedures, England and Wales, year ending 31 March 2018|website=GOV.UK|language=en|access-date=2019-03-26|archive-date=26 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190326145220/https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-powers-and-procedures-england-and-wales-year-ending-31-march-2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

During the year 2010{{ndash}}2011, the CNC made 12 arrests,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cnc.police.uk/files/039.pdf |title=FOI Disclosure |website=Civil Nuclear Constabulary |date=6 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109050627/http://www.cnc.police.uk/files/039.pdf |archive-date=9 November 2013 |access-date=27 November 2017}}</ref> although two of those people were de-arrested at the scene (one when it was realised that the person was not wanted on warrant after all and another where it was decided that police action was not appropriate in relation to an alleged assault).

From 1 October 2012 to 31 March 2019, the [[chief constable]] of the CNC was retired Brigadier [[Mike Griffiths (police officer)|Michael Griffiths]].<ref>{{cite web
 |url          = http://www.cnc.police.uk/files/org_chart.pdf
 |title        = CNC Organisation Chart 1 August 2013
 |website      = Civil Nuclear Constabulary
 |access-date  = 17 May 2014
 |date         = 1 August 2013
 |archive-date = 17 May 2014
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20140517231302/http://www.cnc.police.uk/files/org_chart.pdf
 |url-status   = live
}}</ref>
Deputy Chief Constable Simon Chesterman, formerly of [[Thames Valley Police]], who is also the National Police Chiefs' Council lead for firearms policing, took over as chief constable. 

Unlike the majority of the [[Law enforcement in the United Kingdom|British police]] [[Territorial police force|territorial forces]], all frontline CNC officers are routinely [[Police use of firearms in the United Kingdom|armed]] while carrying out duties. CNC officers also operate the armament on board the ships of the [[Pacific Nuclear Transport Limited]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pntl.co.uk/pntl-fleet/ |title=PNTL Fleet |website=Pacific Nuclear Transport Limited |access-date=4 April 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110614053446/http://www.pntl.co.uk/pntl-fleet/ |archive-date=14 June 2011 }}</ref> a subsidiary of [[International Nuclear Services]], which specialises in transporting [[spent nuclear fuel]] and [[reprocessed uranium]] on behalf of its ultimate parent, the [[Nuclear Decommissioning Authority]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Nuclear fuel ship docks in Japan |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/458551.stm |website=BBC News |date=27 September 1999 |access-date=27 August 2008 |archive-date=26 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170826195845/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/458551.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> Such ships have an onboard escort of armed police.<ref>{{cite news |first=Paul |last=Brown |title=Nuclear fuel ships to be armed with heavy guns |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/1999/jan/20/paulbrown |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=20 January 1999 |access-date=27 August 2008 |location=London |archive-date=9 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109051556/http://www.theguardian.com/uk/1999/jan/20/paulbrown |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=UK British nuclear fuel ships armed |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/389545.stm |website=BBC News |date=8 July 1999 |access-date=27 August 2008 |archive-date=3 April 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030403013944/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/389545.stm |url-status=live }}</ref>

The CNC is authorised to carry out covert intelligence operations against anti-nuclear protesters. In July 2009, [[Christopher Rose (judge)|Judge Christopher Rose]] said the CNC's "approach to covert activity is conspicuously professional". He found that the system for storing the intelligence gained from informers was "working well" and that "senior officers regard covert surveillance as a long-term requirement".<ref name="auto">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2009/oct/20/nuclear-police-run-covert-network |title=Secret files reveal covert network run by nuclear police |first=Rob |last=Evans |date=20 October 2009 |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=27 November 2017 |archive-date=1 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201132205/https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2009/oct/20/nuclear-police-run-covert-network |url-status=live }}</ref>