Terms of reference published for the Inspection of harbour and airport policing in Northern Ireland

Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland (CJI) proposes to undertake an inspection of the policing of harbours and airports in Northern Ireland, specifically the policing of Belfast Harbour, George Best Belfast City Airport and Belfast International Airport. 

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) were responsible for policing the whole of Northern Ireland, including its harbours and airports where Local Policing Teams responded to incidents and local engagement was undertaken by Neighbourhood Policing Teams.  A Small Ports Unit also monitored and managed Northern Ireland’s small ports dealing with reports of unusual or suspicious activity.^[i]  However, the Belfast Harbour Commissioners and Belfast International Airport Authority also funded their own police services to police their respective areas.  The day-to-day policing of these areas was therefore primarily undertaken by the Belfast Harbour Police (BHP) and the Belfast International Airport Police (the Airport Police).  The BHP and the Airport Police were not responsible for immigration or customs,^[ii] this is therefore outside the scope of this inspection however the effectiveness of key strategic relationships will be explored.


Context
Belfast Harbour and Belfast International Airport are nationally important areas which serve a range of economic and social functions.  Belfast Harbour Estate is a major maritime hub, business, commercial and educational district and tourist destination.  It incorporates the George Best Belfast City Airport and extends to the Holywood Exchange retail park.  It also includes a growing residential population.  Belfast International Airport is Northern Ireland’s largest airport and is the tenth largest airport in the United Kingdom (UK), handling almost six million passengers in 2023.^[iii]  The airport supports a variety of businesses and transport services for consumers, tourists and business travellers.  Together, these areas are essential for Northern Ireland’s economy, tourism and trade and international reputation as a safe place to visit.  

The BHP and the Airport Police were independent police services with full police powers operating in and responsible for policing and law enforcement in their respective locations.  Each was also responsible for enforcing byelaws^[iv],[v] which regulated the use and operation of the areas and the conduct of persons within them. 

Unlike publicly funded police services, the BHP were authorised and funded by the Belfast Harbour Commissioners, an independent, statutory corporation which oversees the operation of Belfast Harbour.^[vi]  The Harbours, Docks and Piers Clauses Act 1847^[vii] enabled the appointment of Port Police Constables, with the BHP operational for over 160 years.  The BHP consisted of one Chief Officer, one Inspector, eight Sergeants and 30 Constables. 
The Aerodromes Act (Northern Ireland) 1971^[viii] enabled the appointment of dedicated Constables for policing at Belfast International Airport and this arrangement remained with the privatisation of the airport in 1994.^[ix]  The Airport Police was the only independent Airport Police Service in the UK, with all other designated airports funding agreed policing provision from the local Police Force, or as was the case for George Best Belfast City Airport, from the BHP.  The Airport Police consisted of six Sergeants and 11 Constables, reporting to the Chief Operating Officer of the Airport Authority. 

The private funding of both the BHP and the Airport Police meant that the police services were accountable to commercial operators and held a role in supporting the commercial development of their respective jurisdictions.  Despite this, policing in Belfast Harbour Estate and in Belfast International Airport had much in common with day-to-day policing in other environments and the same standards in crime prevention, detection and investigation applied.  Both the BHP and the Airport Police worked closely with the PSNI, utilising shared training resources, undertaking joint police operations and shared police custody facilities.  They also fell under the remit of the Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland.^[x]

This is the first CJI inspection of the Airport Police.  CJI previously inspected the BHP in 2008^[xi] and made 13 recommendations aimed at improving internal and external communication to improve transparency and accountability; improved Police Officer learning and development opportunities; improved data recording and monitoring; and the development of more formalised agreements and structures with the PSNI to ensure the continued professionalisation of BHP.  Further work was also recommended to embed a community policing model of delivery and legislative change was also recommended to ensure that the BHP operated with full constabulary powers, in certain circumstances, outside of the boundaries of the Harbour Estate.

A Follow-Up Review^[xii] was conducted in 2010 to assess progress towards recommendation implementation.  Seven recommendations were assessed as achieved and six as partly achieved.  Further work was required to develop and agree an overarching protocol with the PSNI to assist with information sharing and more effective engagement.  Although progress was noted in areas of Officer development, more guidance for Officers was needed to ensure up-to-date knowledge of legislation.  The necessary legislative amendment had been drafted nationally but not passed in the Westminster Parliament, and at the time of writing these Terms of Reference this legislation had not been made and enacted.

Policing in the harbour and airport environments involved responding to reported incidents such as theft, assault or criminal damage, alongside investigation and intelligence gathering related to organised crime like drug trafficking.  The level of reported crime in Belfast’s Harbour Estate increased by 6% from 362 incidents in 2019 to 382 incidents in 2023.^[xiii]  Since the 2008 CJI inspection policing within the Harbour Estate had transitioned towards a neighbourhood policing model based on ‘visible community policing’ across five policing sectors.^[xiv]  This saw BHP Officers work together with businesses and the local community to ensure the area was, and remained, a desirable place to live, work, study, visit and invest.  There were 365 criminal incidents at Belfast International Airport in 2019 and 363 in 2023, 70% of which were offences such as theft, assault and possessing an offensive weapon while 20% related to disruptive passenger offences.^[xv]

Neither the BHP nor the Airport Police were under the remit of His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services, however the BHP had previously privately commissioned PEEL inspections^[xvi] to be conducted by retired PSNI officers.  The most recent assessment was completed in 2022, with a focus on ‘legitimacy’, where the service was assessed as ‘good’ at engaging with the people it serves, preventing and deterring crime and anti-social behaviour and vulnerability, and in building and developing its workforce.  An ‘adequate’ assessment was made of how the BHP encourages an ethical and inclusive workplace.

As two non-core criminal justice organisations, this inspection aligns with the current CJI inspection of Criminal Case Processing for Offences Investigated by Authorities and Organisations other than the PSNI.^[xvii]  The inspection also complements CJI’s 2024 inspection of Community Safety and Local Policing arrangements in Northern Ireland^[xviii] which assessed the PSNI’s neighbourhood policing function against the eight Hallmarks of Neighbourhood Policing^[xix], with a focus on engaging neighbourhoods.


Aims of the Inspection

The aims of the inspection are to:

• Determine the effectiveness of the inspected organisations’ policing plans and strategies in achieving their security and safety objectives, including victim care;
• Examine and assess the outcomes of strategies and delivery mechanisms against targets and expectations;
• Assess the effectiveness of the current operational governance structures;
• Examine the knowledge, understanding and clarity of roles and responsibilities for delivery across the inspected harbour and airport sites;
• Examine the policing models deployed across the harbour and airport sites and benchmark against models in other jurisdictions;
• Examine the effectiveness of engagement with local residential and business groups in determining priority actions and the delivery of local policing;
• Review how operational delivery and staff resource is structured to meet policing needs and the expectations of stakeholders;
• Examine management information and the performance of the inspected organisations in policing Northern Ireland’s harbours and airports; and
• Examine the effectiveness of partnership arrangements between the inspected organisations and other stakeholders, including other law enforcement agencies.

Any other matters of significance arising during the course of the inspection, if considered appropriate by CJI, may also be included.  As the inspection progresses, Inspectors may determine it necessary to focus more on a specific aspect of the Terms of Reference while always adopting a risk-based approach.

Methodology

This inspection will be based on the CJI Inspection Framework.  The three main elements of the Inspection Framework are:

• Strategy and governance;
• Delivery; and
• Outcomes.

Constants in each of the three framework elements and throughout each inspection are equality and fairness, together with standards and best practice.  The CJI inspection methodology can be found at The Inspection Process on our website.

Design and Planning

Preliminary research
All relevant documentation including corporate strategies, policing and business plans, security plans and risk reports, external reports, minutes of meetings, performance management, financial management and monitoring information, risk registers, internal and external survey results and any other relevant internal reviews, papers and correspondence will be requested and reviewed. 

Contact with agencies
A planning meeting has been held with the Chief Officer for BHP, the Port Director and Chief Executive of Belfast Harbour Commissioners and the Chief Operating Officer and Airport Police Duty Sergeant.  These Terms of Reference will be shared with the BHP and the Airport Police.


Delivery

Stakeholder consultation
CJI will consult with stakeholder organisations, including:

• The PSNI;
• The Department of Justice;
• The Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland;
• The Harbour Commissioners;
• Belfast International Airport Authority;
• Belfast International Airport Police Association;
• Belfast Chamber of Commerce;
• Belfast City Council;
• George Best Belfast City Airport Authority;
• The Joint Agency Group including Border Force, His Majesty’s (HM) Revenue and Customs and Immigration Enforcement;
• Belfast Harbour stakeholder engagement forum;
• Belfast Harbour residents’ engagement group;
• Belfast International Airport businesses and stakeholders.

Self-assessment
A bespoke self-assessment will be requested from the inspected organisations and relevant supporting documentation supplied.  Each organisation will be asked to nominate a liaison officer for the purposes of this inspection.

Inspection fieldwork
A series of one-to-one interviews will be conducted with senior leaders in each of the inspected organisations alongside focus groups with Police Officers of differing ranks.  These will be used to give Inspectors an insight into the organisation, the strategic direction of policing and operational delivery structures, as well as the effectiveness of key strategic partnerships and stakeholder relationships.

Initial feedback to agency.
On conclusion of the fieldwork the evidence will be collated, triangulated and analysed and emerging findings will be developed.  CJI will then present the findings to each of the inspected organisations.

Drafting of report
Following completion of the fieldwork and data analysis a draft report will be shared with the inspected organisations for factual accuracy check.  The Chief Inspector will invite each organisation to complete an action plan within six weeks to address the recommendations and if the plan has been agreed and is available it will be published.  The Inspection Report will be shared, under embargo, in advance of the publication date with the inspected organisations.

Publication and Closure

A report will be sent to the Minister of Justice for permission to publish.  When permission is received the report will be finalised for publication.  A press release will be drafted and shared with the inspected organisations prior to publication and release. 

Indicative Timetable
Scoping/research: October-November 2024.
Self-assessment completed: November 2024.
Stakeholder consultation: December 2024-January 2025.
Fieldwork: January-February 2025.
Draft report to agencies: Spring 2025.
Factual accuracy feedback received:  Spring 2025.

The above timetable may be impacted by factors outside CJI’s control.  The inspected organisations will be kept advised of any sig

[i]Police Service of Northern Ireland, Police Small Ports Unit, available at https://www.psni.police.uk/police-small-ports-unit.

[ii] The UK Border Force, HM Revenue and Customs and the Home Office Immigration Enforcement were responsible for the policing of immigration and customs at Northern Ireland’s borders.

[iii]Flightright, The largest airports in the UK, 17 April 2024, available at https://www.flightright.co.uk/blog/largest-airports-in-the-uk.

[iv] Belfast Harbour Byelaws can be viewed at the Harbour Office by arrangement.

[v]Belfast International Airport Byelaws, available at https://www.belfastairport.com/media/1349/byelaws.pdf.

[vi]Belfast Harbour, Our Status, 2023, available at https://www.belfast-harbour.co.uk/corporate/our-status/.

[vii]Legislation.gov.uk, Harbours, Docks and Piers Clauses Act 1847, available at https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Vict/10-11/27/contents.

[viii]Aerodromes Act (Northern Ireland) 1971, Section 11 available at https://www.bailii.org/nie/legis/num_act/aai1971284/s11.html.

[ix]Legislation.gov.uk, The Airports (Northern Ireland) Order 1994, available at https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisi/1994/426/article/19/made.

[x] In 2023/24, two complaints were received by the Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland regarding the Belfast Harbour Police and one relating to the Northern Ireland Airport Constabulary, available at https://www.policeombudsman.org/statistics-and-research/complaint-statistics-in-northern-ireland.

[xi]CJI, Belfast Harbour Police, An Inspection of the Belfast Harbour Police, May 2008, available at https://www.cjini.org/getattachment/4120bf5d-c04d-4b5a-81ba-c0d3bd433073/Belfast-Harbour-Police-May-2008.aspx.

[xii]CJI, Belfast Harbour Police, A Follow-up review of inspection recommendations, May 2010, available at https://www.cjini.org/getattachment/070b9ba2-7986-45aa-bb14-4879a9067251/Belfast-Harbour-Police-A-follow-up-review-of-inspection-recommendations.aspx.

[xiii]Belfast Harbour, Police Advisory Committee Chief Officer’s Report, 4 December 2023, unpublished

[xiv]Belfast Harbour Policing, Our Purpose, available at https://www.belfast-harbour.co.uk/belfast-harbour-police/.

[xv] Belfast International Airport Crime Statistics, 2019-2023, unpublished.

[xvi] PEEL inspections are HMICFRS inspections of police efficiency, effectiveness and legitimacy (PEEL), which assess the performance of the 43 police forces in England and Wales and the PSNI.

[xvii]CJI, An Inspection of Criminal Case Processing for Offences Investigated by Authorities and Organisations Other than the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

[xviii]CJI, 2024, Community Safety and Local Policing Arrangements in Northern Ireland, available at https://www.cjini.org/getattachment/a5ae87e9-8bb9-4943-972e-7255b8b94046/report.aspx.

[xix]PSNI, 2022, The Hallmarks of Neighbourhood Policing, available at https://www.psni.police.uk/sites/default/files/2022-09/npt-hallmarks-spreads.pdf.
Please note: URLs included in these Terms of Reference may stop working overtime