Police CPI to directly manage Safer Parking Scheme

BPA role in running Park Mark, Park Access and AM-GO schemes ends on 1 April

Police Crime Prevention Initiatives is to directly manage of the scheme that issues Park Marks to well-run car parks.

The Safer Parking Scheme, and a number of related security accreditations, had been run on behalf of Police CPI by the British Parking Association (BPA). However, delivery of the Safer Parking Scheme, Park Access and the Approved Meet & Greet operator is to be transferred to Police CPI from 1 April.

Police CPI told Parking Revuiew that all scheme members, BPA members and partners have received a communication detailing the transition arrangements.

As part of the transition, the BPA staff members that work on the Safer Parking Scheme will be transferring to Police CPI, ensuring points of contact remains unchanged.

The standards which will be transitioning to Police CPI are:

• Park Mark
• Park Mark Plus
• Park Mark Freight
• Park Access
• Park Access EV
• Approved Meet & Greet Operator scheme.

Police CPI told Parking Review: “The Safer Parking scheme is one of a number of innovative and ground-breaking crime prevention and demand reduction initiatives Police CPI delivers to support the wider UK Police Service, government and the general public. 

“Operational and administrative delivery of the scheme has been delivered by the British Parking Association (BPA) on Police CPI’s behalf for the past two decades. This transition is an evolution designed to strengthen the governance and delivery of the scheme, reinforcing its position as the sole police-backed national standard for secure parking. It builds upon the highly effective partnership between Police CPI and the BPA that has been essential to the initiative's success for over two decades.”

The Safer Parking Scheme, established in 2004, is a UK-wide initiative aimed at reducing crime and the fear of crime in parking facilities. Under the scheme a Park Mark tick logo is awarded to parking facilities that have met the requirements of a risk assessment conducted by the Police. These requirements mean the parking operator has put in place measures that help to deter criminal activity and anti-social behaviour, thereby doing everything they can to prevent crime and reduce the fear of crime in their parking facility.

Over 5,000 Park Marks have been issued. Over time the Safer Park Scheme has been extended with the introduction of Park Mark Plus and Park Mark Freight.

Park Access is a nationally recognised UK accessible parking scheme for parking operators. Via the accreditation, DMUK wants to enable everyone, regardless of their accessibility needs, to identify car parks and facilities that they can use with ease. The Park Access EV version encompasses electric vehicle chargepoints.

The Approved Meet & Greet Operator (AM-GO) scheme covers airport parking operations. Launched in 2024, AM-GO is designed to complement the Safer Parking Scheme and is open to consolidators, booking agents, meet & greet operators and airports.