Only BTP can officially travel.
Officially on your TOCs side, but BTP is one of the few Forces which actually makes a major point internally of not allowing it's Warrant Card holders to travel on their Warrant Cards, even though most TOCs encourage it. While most Forces PSD departments spend their time investigating allegations of corruption and Police brutality, BTP PSD occupy their time trying to punish PCs who have travelled off duty on their warrant cards. Usually finding them out after they've honourably got involved in dealing with trouble off duty.
Frankly it's one of the things that sickened me about how the BTP treats its employees. The PCs I worked with who travelled by train, they were always getting involved with problems off duty, having to badge out to deal with people, but they weren't allowed to badge out for free travel when the TOCs permitted it! Saying that though, there are some local arrangements in BTP where off duty free travel
is permitted, though this isn't nationwide.
This is why I always say that BTP get as crapper deal as NR staff when it comes to the joke that is rail staff travel facilities.
Speaking to a friend a few years ago who is a copper he said he never showed his Warrant when getting trains and buses late at night as he would rather pay his fare and decide what incidents if any he got involved in .Plus if he had been on the ale he didnt have to get involved then and saved the trouble that this could cause . Rather than having some clumsy bus driver or train guard drop him in it by saying "oh wait mate this guys a copper dont do that ." So I guess that's one of the drawbacks of free travel for them is that the guard or bus driver might expect them to intervene .
When I was a Special with BTP, I did the same, and not just because of BTP policy. If you showed your Warrant Card you were putting yourself on duty, on duty with no back up or equipment and other things to do with the day. While I'd get involved in anything serious off duty, to do it safely you had to do it smartly and on your own terms. Being dropped in the deep end by a gung-ho Guard is not good for anybody involved.
You mention about them not badging out when on the ale, well this is beyond not wanting to get involved. As I say, when you get that Warrant Card out you're putting yourself on duty. You'd have to be mad to put yourself on duty while in drink, it's a sack-able offence.
Afraid I adopt a very different approach.
Police officers can be useful.
So can nurses, doctors, firemen etc - so let's let all them travel free too.
While we're at it, I have a lot of respect for soldiers, sailors, mountain rescue etc, so we best let them all travel free too.
Can someone give me one good reason why police constables should travel free when they are off dutyu?
Is it not your TOCs policy to offer at least PCs free travel on presentation of their warrant card? Of off duty Soldiers, Sailors, Mountain Rescue teams, Doctors, Nurses, Firemen and Police Officers, I've only ever had any use for the latter. I can do first aid, I can use a fire extinguisher, I don't have the legal authority to deal with offenders or my employers permission to deal
effectively with fare evaders. Willing and able PCs/SPCs do.
