COLPOFER

Collaboration des services de police ferroviaire et de sécurité /Collaboration of Railway and Police Security Services/

In 1980 the railway companies of Western Europe decided to establish COLPOFER – European association of railway and police security services. The Railway Police is also a member of COLPOFER. The preparations for the final process showed that the tasks of police forces in the railway premises are not the same everywhere. Nevertheless, or exactly for this reason, a need for a systematic harmonisation and exchange of mutually beneficial information was perceived. General procedures and methods were elaborated for the exchange of data and common problem-solving, which create a framework for exchange of experience and information on methods and systems of various forces. COLPOFER began its activities by defining a common philosophy. The common procedures facilitate international cooperation and are more suitable for development of European harmonisation, as compared to different national viewpoints. COLPOFER has elaborated common procedures for the following areas of railway security: * vandalism of football fans * sabotage * terrorism * passengers without valid tickets * frauds and thefts in freight transport * thefts in international passenger trains * criminality in urban transport * vandalism * graffiti
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COLPOFER has developed common criteria for:
* secure environment in railway premises
* security of commercial railway undertakings
* functions and tasks of railway police
* crime prevention
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Tasks of COLPOFER:
* exchange of experience and information on methods for preventing and combating crime on railway premises, * common approach to combat crime on railway premises, * exchange of information on the operational security situation in railway premises, * enhancement of security provisions on international level through common coordination of determined activities, * provision of recommendations to improve security in international railway transport, * provision of recommendations to other bodies involved in or responsible for railway transport security. COLPOFER functions independently, and is associated as a special group to the International Union of Railways (UIC). Individual national members are represented by security managers of railway companies and representatives of security bodies and police forces.
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Organisational structure of COLPOFER

The work of the COLPOFER Association is based on the following four elements: 1. Management by the Presiding Board and the Coordination Group, 2. Conferences of the General Assembly, at which decisions concerning the organisation and the work of the Association are taken, 3. Working Groups dealing with issues specified by the General Assembly – such as combating vandalism and graffiti, or combating ticket fraud in international traffic, 4. Operational collaboration of members through personal communication to achieve prompt solutions to Security problems