Scenes of Crime Officer

Salary: £35,754.47 per annum, plus 10% Shift and 10% On Call allowance per annum with yearly increments based on performance.

Contract Type: Permanent

Location: Baches Street, London

Type of Working Arrangement: This is an operational role based primarily at our London office. Occasional home working may be possible for specific tasks, but the role requires regular presence on site at Baches Street, London.

Hours: This is a full-time, shift based role (37 hours per week).

About BTP: British Transport Police (BTP) is the national police force for the rail network throughout Great Britain. We are the ‘Guardians of the Railway,’ putting passenger safety at the heart of what we do. Our values are simple: We Care, We Do the Right Thing, We Strive to Be Better Every Day, We Are One BTP, and We Are Proud to Protect.

The Opportunity: British Transport Police is offering an exciting opportunity for a Scenes of Crime Officer to join our Scientific Support Unit. This is your chance to become part of a highly skilled team of Scene of Crime Officers (SOCOs) who play a vital role in supporting investigations and delivering forensic excellence.

In this role, you’ll be part of a nationwide network of SOCOs supporting forensic investigations across the UK rail network. You will work closely with officers, providing expert guidance and developing tailored forensic strategies for each incident. Your primary focus will be to conduct thorough and strategic examinations at scenes of crime or fatalities, ensuring minimal disruption to rail services. By applying methodical techniques, you will help facilitate the partial or full reopening of railway lines while maximising the recovery of forensic evidence.

What You’ll Be Doing:

• 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.
• General crime scene photography and injury photographs.
• Fingerprint examination of a crime scene to obtain identifiable finger/palm marks for submission to the Fingerprint department.
• Proactively monitor and assess incidents for forensic opportunities and communicate with victims of crime, witnesses or investigators to establish whether attendance is appropriate.
• Attend forensic post-mortems to record and recover evidence from the deceased.
• Assist HM Coroner/Procurator Fiscal to identify or confirm the identity of deceased persons through fingerprint, DNA or other means including conducting examinations in the home of bereaved persons.
• Complete administrative tasks, quality management and regulatory requirements including anti-contamination procedures, auditing and evidence management.
• Maintain up to date records, complete detailed scenes of crime reports, interrogate and update force systems to communicate results to stakeholders.

Qualifications and Training (What you’ll bring to the team):

• Degree level qualification in a forensic science-related subject or relevant experience in the field.
• Full UK manual driving licence (essential).

Experience:

• Experience working as a Scenes of Crime Officer (SOCO), Volume Scenes of Crime Officer, or equivalent experience within forensic environments, including casework handling.

Skills:

• Strong organisational and administrative abilities with meticulous attention to detail.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; high interpersonal and people skills.
• Ability to plan, prioritise, and manage time effectively while remaining calm under pressure.
• Proactive, logical, and solution-focused with strong problem-solving and teamworking skills.
• Competent in IT systems and comfortable working independently.

Knowledge:

• Knowledge of all forensic-related science.
• Knowledge of ISO 17020/17025, Forensic Science Regulator’s Codes of Practice (desirable).

Additional Information:

A full UK manual driving licence is required for this role. The job involves extensive travel across the UK, working long hours, which may sometimes be unsociable and includes shifts and on call. The job will necessitate working in difficult circumstances including tunnels, steep embankments and outside in all weather conditions. 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. Applicants should be prepared for challenging and difficult circumstances.

Vetting: Successful applicants will be required to pass Recruitment Vetting (3 years minimum UK residency required), including a full background and financial disclosure.

Medical: We’ll ask for relevant health and medical history details to support employee wellbeing.

References: We’ll ask for references to cover the past 5 years.

How To Apply: Applications will be via an up to date CV and online application form, as part of this application please outline how your skills and experience demonstrate your suitability for the role. Completed applications must be submitted by 11.59pm, 19th January 2026.

What We Offer:

• 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays, increasing to 30 days after 5 years.
• Family-friendly policies, including up to 26 weeks paid maternity and adoption leave.
• Bespoke benefits platform and Blue Light Card access.
• Salary sacrifice options for cycles, home technology, gym membership, and electric vehicles.
• Interest-free annual rail season ticket loan after 6 months.
• Access to the Transport Benevolent Fund for health, welfare, and financial support.
• Development opportunities, including fully funded apprenticeships.
• Excellent Pension scheme: We offer the BTP GPP Police Staff Pension Scheme, administered by Royal London. This group personal pension plan is available to all police staff and is a defined contribution scheme. It provides the flexibility to vary your pension contributions from 4.4% to 12% of your salary.

Inclusion & Diversity: At BTP, we are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued. We believe diversity drives innovation and better decision-making. Our roles are open to everyone, and we encourage applications from underrepresented groups, including Black, Asian, and minority ethnic candidates, women, LGBTQI+ individuals, people with disabilities, and those who are neurodiverse. As part of our commitment we operate a ‘Disability Confident Scheme’ - all candidates who declare a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role will be offered an interview.

Join Us: Grow your career with us. We can’t wait to hear from you!