The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Parks Police is a body of constables responsible for policing the parks and open spaces of the London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. In 2013, it was merged with the Hammersmith and Fulham Parks Constabulary to form the Parks Police Service. Then, in July 2019 The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Parks Police moved away from The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham Parks Constabulary, once again becoming a single service.^[1]

Organisation and Duties

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Parks Police is part of the Community Safety Department and provides a uniformed body of constables across the twenty-five parks and open spaces in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, to detect and deter crime.

Officers

The Parks Police consists of two Sergeants and nine Constables.^[2]

The two Sergeants report to the RBKC Council Senior Community Safety Officer.^[3]

Their specific duties include:

• reporting crime within the parks
• dealing with anti-social behaviour
• detaining offenders
• enforcing bye-laws and the dog control public spaces protection orders
• security at park events
• dog chipping and dog shows
• attending park user group meetings
• crime prevention
• lost property in parks
• truancy patrols.^[4]

Applicants considered to be Parks Police Constables are expected to have previous experience as an attested constable (regular officer or Special Constable) with a Home Office force, British Transport Police or the now disbanded Royal Parks Constabulary.^[5]

Powers

Members of the constabulary are sworn in as constables under article 18 of the Greater London Parks and Open Spaces Order 1967,^[6] meaning they have powers of a constable to deal with bye-laws relating to parks and open spaces under their control.

They are warranted constables providing a police service, and as such have powers of arrest, power to seize illicit drugs, and authority to carry police weapons (such as batons).

Arrests

In 2008, the constabulary made 30 arrests, mainly for possession of drugs, minor thefts and antisocial behaviour.^[7]

Uniform and Equipment

The Constables wear a typical British police uniform, which includes:^[8][9]

• white shirt
• black tie (male) or crevat (female)
• dark blue or black trousers
• black peaked cap with black and white chequered capband with RBKC Parks Police capbadge (male)
• black bowler cap with black and white chequered capband with RBKC Parks Police capbadge (female)
• black or dark blue trousers
• black stab vest with RBKC Parks Police logo and wording
• high-visibility jackets.

All constables have and wear a collar number when in uniform, which is on their epaulettes in operational dress.^[10]

Equipment

Park Police constables are warranted constables and therefore carry expandable batons,^[11] as well as handcuffs, radios, body worn video-cameras, incapacitant or defence spray and other police equipment.^[12]

Parks Police use motor vehicles and pedal cycles to patrol,^[13] as well as carrying out usual foot patrols.

In 2021, the Parks Police introduced two new vehicles:

• BMW Hybrid vehicle
• Nissan Electric vehicle

both liveried with yellow-and-blue Battenburg markings and equipped with blue lights.^[14]

Ranks

There are two ranks within the RBKC Parks Police.^[15]

Sergeant
Parks Constable

Relationship with other police

The parks are not a separate police area and as such are part of the Metropolitan Police District. Therefore, the Metropolitan Police are ultimately statutorily responsible for policing the parks and the investigation of crime committed within them. The RBKC Parks Police between 2013 and 2019 was merged with the Hammersmith and Fulham Parks Constabulary.