Job title: Scenes of Crime Officer
Company: British Transport Police
Job description: 1
We are recruiting for 2024! As we gear up for the new year, we are seeking motivated individuals who are ready to embark on their next career step. Start dates for successful candidates will commence from January 2024, offering a fresh start and ample time to prepare for this exciting new chapter.
A Scenes of Crime Officer is required for a Permanent, full-time role paying £32,757.33 per annum, plus £3,033.56 London Allowance, 10% Shift allowance and 10% On Call allowance per annum with the British Transport Police (BTP) based in London.
BTP is the National Police Force for the rail network throughout Great Britain, including London Underground, across which we ensure the safety and security of nearly 3 billion passenger journeys and over 100 million tons of freight every year. The world in which we work is fast paced, operationally and commercially demanding, and constantly changing.
As a Scenes of Crime Officer with BTP you will contribute to crime investigation and the identification of offenders by carrying out an appropriate examination of crime & incident scenes and by the value-based assessment and recovery of forensic evidence. You will be required to provide specialist advice and guidance to personnel regarding forensic issues to support the investigation of all categories of crime and gather information and evidence required to identify a deceased person in a prompt manner. You will limit disruption on the railways where crime or fatalities have occurred by conducting examinations in a methodical and strategic manner that allows partial or full opening of lines whilst maximising forensic evidence recovery.
As a Scenes of Crime Officer you will be required to:
- Conduct a full examination at crime scenes and decide what evidence to gather ensuring quality standard processes are followed and maintained in an impartial and independent manner.
- Attend disruption and fatality scenes, mortuaries and post-mortems to assist in the recovery of any/all forensic samples. Be able to work in such environments and handle deceased persons and assist in specialist body recovery at scene. To photograph and obtain fingerprints and DNA samples from the deceased for the purpose of identification for both police and coroner use whilst maintaining respect and dignity for the deceased. To attend the residence of the deceased to obtain fingerprints and DNA for comparison identification.
- Proactively monitor and assess incidents for forensic opportunities and communicate with victims of crime, witnesses or investigators to establish whether attendance is appropriate.
- Be part of the Disaster Victim Identification cadre for the recovery of deceased persons, mortuary procedures and be familiar with Interpol and NPCC description forms.
- Provide complex and/or in-depth reports covering all forensic activities and to attend court when required and act as an expert witness.
Further information about this vacancy can be found in the attached job description
The successful Scenes of Crime Officer will be required to evidence the following:
- Qualified to degree level in Forensic Science related subject or relevant experience in the field.
- Excellent organisational and administrative ability.
- Ability to deal with difficult situations to work calmly and accurately under pressure.
- Knowledge of all forensic related science.
- Please note: A Full clean Driving License is required for this role.
Additional Information
- The job involves extensive travel across the UK, working long hours, which may sometimes be unsociable, including shifts and on call
- Working with little or no daily supervision
- The job will necessitate working in difficult circumstances including tunnels, steep embankments and outside in all weather conditions etc
- The job entails dealing with extremely distressing situations including scenes involving death and mutilation, liaising with family members who have received news of recent loss of a loved one and victims of crime
HOW TO APPLY: Please submit a CV and Cover letter as One PDF document outlining the following points below:
- BTP SOCO’s often work alone with limited supervision. How do you plan your day and workload?
- A significant part of the role involves dealing with fatalities and will involve communicating with very recently bereaved family members or distressed people, often in sudden and unexpected circumstances – please give an example of a time you have had to adapt your communication in a difficult situation.
- BTP SOCO’s drive vans daily and sometimes cover long distances – please confirm you hold a UK driving license and the categories which you hold. A copy of your driving license will be required if you are successful in obtaining an interview.
- What interest you in the SOCO role and why do you feel you are a suitable candidate?
If you are interested in applying to this Scenes of Crime Officer role then please do not delay as interviews will be held as soon as appropriate candidates are highlighted. In return for your experience, we can offer you:
- Salary of £32,757.33 per annum, plus £3,033.56 London Allowance, 10% Shift allowance and 10% On Call allowance per annum
- Yearly base salary increments (subject to satisfactory performance in last PDR year)
- Working from home allowance available to purchase suitable equipment for blended & home working
- 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays
- Family friendly policies including up to 26 weeks paid maternity and adoption leave
- Bespoke benefits platform and access to Blue Light Card
- Development opportunities including fully funded apprenticeships
- Employee assistance programme and dedicated wellbeing hub
- Pension scheme
BTP is an employer who cares about the impact we have on the environment and the wider challenges of climate change, and as such we are committed to reducing our carbon footprint and achieving Net Zero Carbon (NZC) through offsetting by 2035.
At BTP we are proud guardians of the railway and it is crucial that we represent the diverse communities we serve and protect. As ‘One BTP’ across the UK, we know that diversity, inclusion and belonging help us improve our decision making, foster creativity and drive innovation so all our people can thrive.
Our vacancies are open to everyone and all appointments are made based on merit. So that we can become more diverse we encourage applications from candidates from Black, Asian, and minority ethnic backgrounds, women, people who have a disability, those who are neurodiverse and persons who identify as LGBTQI+. We use positive action to encourage potential candidates from underrepresented groups through targeted workshops or advice sessions. If you have the skills, experience and values that here in BTP we pride ourselves on then we would welcome you to apply.
For more information on Positive Action please click or email the team on
If you want to ask us any awkward or ‘obvious’ questions, if you are you unsure whether your personal circumstances are suitable for a career as a Scenes of Crime Officer but don’t know how to talk to us about it OR you have any questions about the application process, please email our friendly and helpful team where we will be happy to help you: . If your question related to equality or diversity then you can also contact our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion team directly at: To reassure you, anything you ask us will be in the strictest confidence and will not form part of your application.
In order to apply, you must have the permanent right to live and work in the UK and have been resident in the UK for the previous 3 YEARS. You will be asked these and other questions to determine your eligibility to work for British Transport Police when you start your application and you must answer honestly.
BTP GPP Police Staff Pension Scheme is administered by Royal London and this is a group personal pension plan which is available to all police staff. It’s a defined contribution scheme, offering employees the flexibility to vary their pension contributions from 4.4% to 12% of their salary. For more information, visit the Royal London or email us at
Please note if you are an existing member of Police Staff in the RPS your pension will not be affected.
Internal candidates must have completed their probation for their current substantive posting and can only apply in tenure if Head of Department approval is emailed to prior to the vacancy closing. Internal candidates must confirm that they are not subject to formal action plans for sickness/complaints/discipline or poor performance and that all mandatory training courses have been attended and are in ticket/up to date. A minimum rating of 3 (performing) or a rating of U (no rating) must have been achieved on the last reporting year PDR.
Expected salary: £32757.33 per year
Location: London
Job date: Wed, 20 Dec 2023 23:22:05 GMT
