A distinction is needed, this is simple fact.
Most event that uses slots specifically mentions if it means cruisers or battlecruisers, those that dont will generally ask you to change if you use the one they weren't expecting.
Battlecruisers have wildly different stats to cruisers, it's not a matter of 'light vs heavy' like every ship class has.
It is a class in and of itself and I see no problem in recognizing it as such.
If people want police factions to have access, simply update the IDs to include battlecruisers in the accepted lines?