British Transport Police Annual report 2009/10 Annual report 2009-10 3...British Transport Police Annual report 2009/10 03 BTP overview Contents A view from the Police Authority The

British Transport PoliceAnnual report2009/10

Contents

BTP overview

Organisational improvements

Operational updates

Looking ahead Appendix

02 03

Introduction from the Chief Constablepage 1

A view from the Police Authoritypage 5

Achieving the Strategic Planpage 6

Reforming police staff pay and conditionspage 15

Improving the way we workpage 16

Securing by designpage 18

Making the most of CCTV and forensicspage 29

Route crime continues to fallpage 32

Dealing effectively with fatalitiespage 33

Mainstreaming counter terrorist activitypage 43

Planning for London 2012 is well advancedpage 45

Staffpage 48

2009/10 performancepage 10

Neighbourhood teams making a differencepage 20

RSAS growspage 25

Graffiti vandals are paying for their crimespage 34

Football problems persistpage 37

Cable thefts on the increasepage 39

Honourspage 48

Budgetpage 49

Crime on Britain’s railwayspage 8

Introduction from the Chief Constablepage 1

A view from the Police Authoritypage 5

Achieving the Strategic Planpage 6

Reforming police staff pay and conditionspage 15

Improving the way we workpage 16

Securing by designpage 18

Making the most of CCTV and forensicspage 29

Route crime continues to fallpage 32

Dealing effectively with fatalitiespage 33

Mainstreaming counter terrorist activitypage 43

Planning for London 2012 is well advancedpage 45

Staffpage 48

2009/10 performancepage 10

Neighbourhood teams making a differencepage 20

RSAS growspage 25

Graffiti vandals are paying for their crimespage 34

Football problems persistpage 37

Cable thefts on the increasepage 39

Honourspage 48

Budgetpage 49

Crime on Britain’s railwayspage 8

BTP overview 01

ContentsContents

Britain’s rail network has an enviable record for personal security and minimising crime. Another successful year for rail operators working with the police has seen crime on Britain’s rail systems fall by 7.3% in 2009/10, the sixth year in a row that crime levels have gone down.

British Transport Police officers and staff have worked hard to achieve these results. The fact that we are able to tell people that their rail system is safer is a tribute to them, and to the ongoing support we have received from rail industry staff and managers.

It is important we tell people this good news, because too many passengers are still unnecessarily anxious about using the rail system, particularly at night.

We are actively addressing those fears this year by targeting anti-social behaviour specifically between 8pm and 2am, with more officers on duty in the evenings.

Introduction from the Chief Constable

“British Transport Police officers and staff have worked hard to achieve these results”

01

BTP overview

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It is not just about making the railways safer, it is also about making people feel that it is safer and increasing their confidence; something that is as true for rail staff as it is for passengers.

The latest fall in notifiable crime means that over the past six years crime on Britain’s railways is down 25%. More criminals are being brought to justice with the detection rate up by three percentage points this year and 18 points over six years. The current detection rate of 35% is the highest ever achieved.

Focusing on the frontlineThe Police Authority has continued to support us and provide the resources we need to get the job done. We have delivered for them and for the railway community, but now the operating situation is beginning to change and there is a need for us to adapt. We are now operating under very tight financial constraints and the public sector is facing real and deep cuts for the first time in many years.

We have made considerable efforts through our Frontlinefirst programme to find efficiencies and we will continue to do so. We have reduced the number of support staff roles by almost 10% over the last two years, whilst increasing the number of police officers by three per cent and the number of PCSOs by 24%.

That is in line with my determination to focus resources on the visible frontline and to

‘Substantial’ in July 2009, only to be raised again in January 2010.

The threat from terrorism is real and ever present. We monitor international developments in terrorist tactics closely, and are continually looking for better ways to protect the rail system from attack.

A new counter terrorism operation was launched in 2009, the first major change to BTP’s counter terrorism strategy for four years. The new strategy, Operation Pegasus, fully integrates CT activity into all areas of policing through the tasking process, from neighbourhood policing to crime prevention and detection. It also gives BTP Areas greater flexibility in deciding when and where to deploy their resources, within an overall national framework.

Operation Pegasus also aligns BTP’s activity with the Government’s CONTEST counter terrorism strategy.

Counter terrorism is at the heart of the Government’s Olympic security strategy and BTP is well advanced in its planning. The high level strategy and ‘concept of operations’ were in place last year and initial tactical plans have been put in place for all 34 Olympic venues across Britain. Bronze commanders are in place and liaising with local police and other agencies, while centrally, BTP is running a series of

multi-agency and internal exercises around different venues.

The London Olympic and Paralympic Games are now just two years away. They will be a huge challenge for the police service and the rail industry, but it is a challenge the men and women of BTP will be ready for.

• This Annual report was submitted to the British Transport Police Authority ahead of its meeting of 30 September 2010

protect frontline services from the impact of the further savings we will have to make.

Counter terrorism strategyThe year began with a big operation to police the g20 summit in London and ended with the tragic murder of 15-year-old boy Sofyen Belamouadden at Victoria Tube station. In between, the UK terrorism threat level was lowered from ‘Severe’ to

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British Transport Police Annual report 2009/10

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BTP overview

ContentsContents

A view from the Police Authority

The year we have left behind was one of British Transport Police’s most effective.

All 14 of the policing plan targets set by BTPA in early 2009 were achieved, and crime on the railways fell by more than seven percent—a reduction for the sixth consecutive year. I am proud of our officers and staff members who worked tirelessly towards achieving this record: they have ensured Britain’s railways are the safest they have ever been.

BTPA has a responsibility to build public confidence in the police and it takes this role seriously. Over the past year, we worked with the Metropolitan and Greater Manchester police authorities to send Independent Custody Visitors to British Transport Police’s custody facilities in London and Manchester. These visitors have been very positive with their feedback, raising no major issues. In the coming year, we expect to broaden this scheme to all BTP custody facilities in England, Scotland and Wales, working again with local police authorities and joint policing boards.

Following the introduction of the new Police Conduct and Performance Regulations in December 2008, BTPA now also supplies independent members to sit on gross misconduct panels. This has helped increase transparency into the disciplinary procedures, as the independent members are volunteer members of the public.

In the last year, the Police Authority’s Professional Standards Committee has been conducting dip sampling of completed complaint files on a quarterly basis. The Committee reviews these complaint files to ensure that the correct procedure has been followed, and has found that the standard of the files and the response has been good overall.

It has been a successful year, but for 2010/11 and beyond, our approach will have to be quite different. We live in austere times. This financial climate sets BTP the challenge of maintaining—or, indeed, improving—present standards while using fewer resources. This drive for efficiency requires us to do far more than simply cut unnecessary waste, even though that is a crucial element. We will need to be creative as well: this is an opportunity to examine every aspect of BTP’s work to reduce our costs. The result will be an efficient and effective police force that delivers value for money for our stakeholders and the travelling public.

A view from the Police Authority

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BTP overview

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BTP’s Policing Plan objectives drive performance throughout the year and contribute to the achievement of the three-year Strategic Plan.

The 2008/11 Strategic Plan put in place by the British Transport Police Authority (BTPA) is now in its second year and we are confident that the organisation is well on the way to achieving the four key strategic aims:

1 Reducing crime and disorder

2 Protecting the railway economy

3 Increasing our capacity and capability through improved efficiency

4 Providing a better service to the railway community

Changing conditions, particularly the economic context in which BTP and the public sector are operating, have the potential to impact performance and crime levels. BTP’s Strategic Development Department is carefully monitoring these factors to ensure frontline services continue to improve.

Achieving the Strategic Plan

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was 42.1% compared to 39.8% last year. Of the 62,295 notifiable crimes reported to BTP in 2009/10, 21,860 were detected, a detection rate of 35.1% compared to 32.3% in 2008/09.

Overall, criminal offences on Britain’s railways fell by 8.8% from 105,656 in 2008/09 to 96,346 in 2009/10, with notifiable crime down 7.3% and non-notifiable crime down 11.4%.

Crime fell across all categories (see table) with the exception of sexual offences, where an additional seven crimes led to a 0.7% increase. Violent crime was down for the third year with a fall of 6.8% building on a 2.4% reduction last year. Within that, staff assaults were down 4.9%.

Another big fall in the number of robberies committed on the rail network, down almost 22% this year, means that there are now fewer than two robberies a day across the whole network, including the London Underground. 80% of robberies were reported in BTP’s three London Areas where Neighbourhood Policing Teams are present in every borough. Their visible presence on the ground, close

relationships with local staff and problem solving approach are clearly having a significant impact. Crime is at a low level on the rail network, but anti-social behaviour, often after alcohol consumption, continues to be a concern and impacts greatly on people’s perceptions of their own safety while travelling.

As well as targeting the late evening period with patrols, we have changed our patrol style to make single patrol by officers the norm. The aim is to increase visibility and coverage, promoting confidence.

Other, non-personal crime such as cable theft and vandalism (route crime) also have a direct impact on passengers, often causing disruption and delay and sometimes putting people in danger. These have been targeted as part of the Policing Plan national and local objectives over the past year and significant reductions—26% for theft of live cable and 22% for route crime—have been achieved.

It is important that criminals and those who behave in an anti-social manner understand that if they operate on the rail network they will be brought to account for their actions, and for rail staff and passengers to be confident that the network is under the control of the operators and police, and not the wrongdoers.

This year BTP has achieved its highest ever detection rates. The detection rate for all offences

Crime on Britain’s railways

Crime in 2009/10A more detailed breakdown of crime and detections is available in the Statistical Bulletin 2009/10

All crime 2008/09 figure above 2009/10 figure below

-7.3% 67,217 62,295

Violent crime Robbery

-7% 9,004 8,390 -22% 895

700

Sexual offences Theft of railway property

+1% 935 942 -15% 6,972

5,914

Criminal damage Public disorder offences

-12% 6,501 5,740 -4% 7,074

6,824

Line of route offences Fraud offences

-22% 2,194 1,721 -13% 1,071

935

Theft of passenger property Drugs

-1% 16,386 16,292 -0.3% 6,000

5,980

Motor vehicle & cycle offences Other crimes

-14% 9,294 8,020 -6% 891

837

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BTP overview

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Reduce live cable theft offences by at least 2%:

2009/10 performance

• BTP achieved all 14 of its national Policing Plan objectives in 2009/10 and 79 out of 85 local targets

• Recorded notifiable crime down 7.3%

• Detection rate up 3 percentage points to 35.1%

Reduce notifiable crime (excluding police generated reported crime) from 2008/09 level:

Achieve at least 2% efficiency savings:

At least 13% of new police officer recruits, excluding transferees, to be female:

At least 12% of police officers promoted to be female:

At least 90% of emergency calls to be answered within 10 seconds:

At least 90% of non-emergency calls to be answered within 40 seconds:

Detect at least 33% of notifiable offences:

At least 9% of police officers promoted to be from a BME background:

Achieve an average of less than eight days’ sickness absence for BTP employees:

Conclude police activity which disrupts train movement within an average of 90 minutes from receiving a report of a fatal incident:

At least 13% of new police officer recruits, excluding transferees, to be from a BME background:

Increase offenders detected for football-related offences by at least 7%:

Achieve at least 80% overall victim satisfaction:

target:

33%result:

35%

target:

60,000result:

56,000

target:

90 minutesresult:

81 minutes

more than £3m savings made

target:

80%result:

87%

target:

90%result:

93%

target:

90%result:

96%

target:

12%result:

14%

target:

13%result:

15%

target:

13%result:

21%

target:

7%result:

49%

target:

2%result:

26%

target:

9%result:

9%

target:

2%result:

2%

target:

8 daysresult:

7.7 days

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BTP overview

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Organisational improvements 02

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Police staff perform essential support roles and in many cases, for instance police community support officers (PCSOs), control room operators and victim care staff, key frontline operational roles.

The contracts covering police staff pay and conditions have grown organically and are therefore varied and uncoordinated. This has led to some inequalities amongst staff performing similar roles. To address this, the Engaging Police Staff project was launched with the objective of bringing in a system of pay and conditions which is equitable, fit for purpose and related to market conditions.

The project was successful and is now being implemented. However, at the beginning of the year, BTP suffered its first ever strike action, when staff from the two control rooms and the First Contact Centre took

industrial action in the form of a 48 hour walkout over the FA Cup Semi-Final weekend in April.

The action was called by the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) over what they described as issues over recognition and differences in terms and conditions.

Alternative arrangements to staff the control rooms were put in place and there was no disruption to BTP services or performance as a result of the action. However, it was a disappointing interruption to normal service and highlighted the need to reform police staff pay and conditions.

BTP is committed to improving employee relations and is working with the TSSA towards a full recognition agreement.

As part of the drive to improve efficiency, the Human Resources Transformation project has been streamlining the HR function, accounting for a good deal of the savings made under the Frontlinefirst programme. In June 2009, the first part of the project was delivered with the opening of the HR Business Centre in Birmingham. The centre is a one-stop-shop dealing with all day-to-day HR issues and transactions for all BTP Areas.

Reforming police staff pay and conditions

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Finding ways to improve the service BTP provides is an ongoing management priority.

In January 2010, a new roster pattern for BTP’s 24/7 police posts was introduced to better match police resources to demand, putting more officers out on the network in the evening.

The roster was drawn up following analysis of crime and incident profiles and agreed by a ballot of officers. It standardises operations across the country and is designed to match the needs of the railways better by having more officers on duty when the number of incidents is at its highest.

A structural change was brought in this year with the appointment of Assistant Chief Constable Alan Pacey to head up Territorial Policing across England and Wales. His role provides a single point of contact for Area commanders to improve collaborative working and enhance the flow of best practice.

Further senior portfolio changes were also made with the establishment of an ACC for Protective Services.

Finding efficiencies In 2008 BTP set up Frontlinefirst to look at ways of slimming down back office functions and reinvest resources in frontline policing. That programme succeeded in realising almost £14.3m in cashable and non-cashable savings. From these savings BTP created three new Neighbourhood Policing Teams and an extra

Improving the way we work

29 PCs, 17 PCSOs, seven sergeants and one inspector were moved into frontline policing.

From the non-cashable savings the equivalent of an extra 145 PCs and 95 PCSOs were put into frontline policing.

In September 2009, Frontlinefirst2 was implemented aimed at producing primarily cashable savings to balance the budget. These are real, sustainable savings that will allow BTP to deliver the same or improved services and meet future challenges, such as the 2012 Olympics.

A saving of £3.6m was made from the 2010/11 budget and the focus is now on two areas of activity, intelligence and prosecutions, the latter jointly with the Crown Prosecution Service.

Frontlinefirst2 is conducting thematic scrutiny reviews of activities that generate high levels of spend and also engaging staff in generating ideas for efficiency savings.

Investment in resources Whilst making savings, it is also important to continue to invest so that staff can operate efficiently and deliver a good service on the frontline.

A refurbished and extended police station was opened in Doncaster at the end of June

2009 to provide space at this strategic point on the network for a team of uniformed officers as well as two CID officers and search trained and PSU (Police Support Unit) officers.

The offices also house a specially equipped Achieving Best Evidence interview room for the North Eastern Area, where vulnerable victims and witnesses can be dealt with.

As part of the extension of the police station, the Organised Crime Team, devoted currently to tackling cable theft, now has a new permanent northern base in adjacent offices.

Mobile technology continues to pay dividends in keeping officers out on trains and stations for longer and cutting down on paperwork.

BTP’s Crime Department invested in a new piece of mobile technology to help officers reunite people with lost and stolen property. The Apollo device is a barcode scanner that links to the National Mobile Property Register (NMPR) and the Immobilise databases.

Apollo gives frontline officers a quick response on stolen property allowing them to make instant operational decisions rather than having to make enquiries from their own computers later. It also helps improve detections and free up control room staff.

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BTP’s crime reduction officers are based around the country and can provide practical solutions to security concerns.

At no extra cost to the rail industry, BTP’s crime reduction officers can help provide cost effective solutions to many problems faced by the police and rail industry, particularly theft.

The Secure Stations Scheme encourages station operators to engage with local BTP Crime Reduction Officers and sets tough standards around safety measures including CCTV, design standards of both buildings and facilities, and the quality of customer service.

Merseyrail Electrics became the first fully secure rail operator in Britain with all of their 66 stations awarded ‘Secure Station’ status under the scheme run by the Department for Transport in association with Crime Concern. All 36 of their car parks have also been accredited under the Park Mark safer parking scheme.

Park Mark is an initiative of the Association of Chief Police Officers (England & Wales, and Scotland) and is managed by the British Parking Association.

To qualify, car park operators work with police to integrate security features to help deter crime and anti-social behaviour. Crime levels are monitored continuously and good management processes are also put in place.

BTP now has more car parks accredited under this scheme than any police force in the country. At the end of the year, a £7 million multi-storey car park at Rugby station became the 500th railway car park in Britain to be accredited under the scheme.

BTP’s crime reduction officers are available to assist local station managers, businesses, network operators and train operating companies with any security concerns.

Securing by design

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BTP now has Neighbourhood Policing Teams (NPTs) at almost every major station, bringing about a step change in BTP’s relationship with the rail industry.

Neighbourhood policing is about working with partners and local communities to solve their longer term problems. Feedback from rail staff and managers has been very positive since the roll out which began four years ago.

Earlier this year, one of BTP’s Birmingham-based NPTs took part in Enterprise Week, which provides young people with an opportunity to develop skills such as team working, leadership and personal responsibility which will benefit them in later life.

NPTs in the communityIn 2009, groups of students teamed up with representatives from a number of organisations, including BTP, to work on an anti-knife crime campaign. As part of the project Richard Taylor, father of murdered 10 year old Damilola Taylor and knife envoy of the Damilola Trust, visited Wales and Western AHQ in July to talk to a group of Birmingham youngsters taking part in the initiative. It is 10 years since Damilola bled to death on the stairwell of

Neighbourhood teams making a difference


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a block of flats in south London after being stabbed in the leg.

BTP’s NPTs are part of a wider national neighbourhood policing strategy and in the first week of November 2009, the Home Office led a Not in My Neighbourhood Week to showcase the work of local teams and promote public confidence. BTP teams undertook a range of activity including station advice surgeries, anti-knife operations, cycle tagging, train crew surgeries and truancy patrols.

Personal safety dayIn a separate national initiative on 12 October, NPTs supported The Suzy Lamplugh Trust’s National Personal Safety Day 2009.

The Trust is a leading charity in the field of personal safety and the theme of this year’s day was safety on and around public transport. The day aimed at improving confidence by raising awareness of simple, practical solutions everyone can use to help avoid aggression.

NPTs and Crime Reduction teams supported the day with Travel Wise and other initiatives, while the Trust promoted the safety messages to schools, colleges, workplaces and local authorities throughout the country.

Continued successIn Wales in October, a new era of policing the Welsh rail network began with the official opening by the Chair of the Police Authority, Millie Bannerjee, of a new £500,000 office in Cardiff to house some 70 staff.

Neighbourhood policing resources were also re-structured to offer greater benefits to rail passengers across South Wales. The new Cardiff-based NPT works alongside the well established and highly successful team in Pontypridd. The move was made to bring more resources to an area of greater need with higher levels of anti-social behaviour and route crime, and to help speed up response times.

The Cardiff NPT covers from the top of the Rhymney Valley down to Cardiff Central station and on through to the Vale of Glamorgan.

London North NPTs helped the Area to a prestigious award as London Team of the Year at the National Rail Awards 2009 in September.

The successful roll out of a series of NPTs at major transport hubs, a high detection rate for staff assaults, proactive frontline football policing and successful partnerships to tackle crime were particularly noted by the judges.

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The number of staff accredited under the Railway Safety Accreditation Scheme (RSAS) has grown by a third in 2009/10.

More than 240 staff are now part of the scheme which allows organisations and their employees involved in railway safety and security to be accredited by the police.

The scheme grants limited powers to accredited persons, who can work for a range of organisations such as private security firms and train operating companies.

They display the RSAS badge so that the public can instantly tell that the individual has reached acceptable standards of competence, training, management, supervision and accountability. They work independently but in partnership with police complementing the work of regular police, volunteer special constables and PCSOs.

Southern became the latest train operating company to sign up with the launch of four

new teams of Railway Neighbourhood Officers (RNOs) to crack down on anti-social behaviour and low-level disorder. Each team works alongside a BTP police constable and is overseen by a sergeant.

On Docklands Light Railway, the Poplar based NPT working alongside DLR’s Travel safe Officers (TSOs) won a top industry award for Policing Partnership of the Year. The award was made at the 2009 International Fire and Security Exhibition and Conference security industry awards in Birmingham.

DLR Operational Security Manager Bob Gough set up DLR’s team of 30 TSOs. He described the award as: “recognition of the dedication and excellence shown by everyone working to reduce crime on the DLR.” One of the team’s notable successes was the arrest of more than a dozen people for money laundering following a successful joint operation.

Stolen money from cash in transit robberies was being used to make purchases from DLR ticket machines. Typically, a £20 note, stained with security dye, was used to buy a 75p ticket, with the fraudsters pocketing the change. Offenders were spending up to £300 in one hit.

Operation Utopia involved officers and TSOs working on joint surveillance operations.

RSAS grows

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Operational updates 03

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Modern technology provides a host of opportunities to detect crime that weren’t available to police even a short time ago.

BTP has the advantage of operating within a CCTV rich environment and increased investment in digital systems ensures the footage from CCTV is becoming increasingly useful. However, one of the limitations can be the administrative and back office processes rather than the technology itself. Good management is as important as good cameras.

A pilot scheme to improve the way BTP deals with CCTV footage resulted in an extra four hours, per officer, per week being freed up and led to a 50% reduction in the time taken to obtain footage.

The scheme piloted a new process for dealing with CCTV from request through to retrieval, processing and archiving at BTP’s Ashford police station in Kent.

A structure with dedicated resources led to a 70% drop in the number of hours BTP officers spend dealing with CCTV giving them more time to focus on frontline duties. The time taken to obtain footage was halved, speeding up investigations and delivering an improved service to victims.

BTP is working with the National Policing Improvement

Making the most of CCTV and forensics

“The time taken to obtain footage was halved, speeding up investigations and delivering an improved service to victims”

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Operational updates

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Agency (NPIA) on a project to measure accurately the real contribution that CCTV makes to criminal investigations. This will provide hard data for the first time to show the effectiveness of CCTV.

BTP has also been a part of a Home Office/ACPO national scheme that has delivered a National CCTV Strategy document with 44 recommendations covering areas from standards and regulation to training, police use, retention and storage.

Working closely with the rail industry, BTP’s project team is encouraging the adoption of national standards and the provision of more flexible digital systems that record whilst downloads take place. Development of an agreed Rail Industry CCTV Guidance Document is also well under way.

CCTV provides good primary evidence and helps identify suspects. It can also help an investigator direct Crime Scene Examiners, cutting down on the need for forensic submissions, such as DNA analysis, and thereby saving money.

Where DNA analysis is undertaken, the results have been good, for instance with more than 160 attackers identified for staff assault following the use of spit kits.

Spit kits have been distributed widely to frontline rail staff and contain a swab used to collect evidence when staff are spat at. They

are processed and compared to the national DNA database within three days.

BTP is making increasing use of modern forensic techniques as a cost effective way of bringing criminals to justice. For instance, having considered forensic viability, a value for money calculation is made when deciding whether to use DNA analysis based on the other evidence available.

Forensic science is advancing at a rapid rate. Familial DNA allows scientists to identify possible relatives of a suspect, even if the suspect himself is not on the database.

This technique was used successfully during the inquiry into the cash in transit robbery at Rayleigh station Essex, during which commuter Adam Mapleson was shot, and also to identify a suspect for a sexual offence on the Wales and Western Area.

BTP has established its own DNA screening laboratory which deals with all items with possible saliva or blood in a controlled environment, saving time and money.

BTP’s Crime Scene Examiners attended more than 5,700 crime scenes in 2009/10 and they, together with fingerprint experts, dealt with almost 800 scenes relating to fatalities. Many of these are multiple scenes relating to the same incident, which can create its own complications of cross-contamination and scene management.

“BTP has established its own DNA screening laboratory”

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The sustained downward trend in route crime continued in 2009/10.

These crimes are a major disruption factor on the rail system, responsible for more than a third of train incidents, but over the past five years, both trespass and vandalism have been almost halved.

In 2009/10 crimes of endangering safety and obstructing trains were both down almost 20%, trespass fell almost 13% and criminal damage 12%, while stonethrowing was reduced by 27%.

Supporting Network Rail’s Don’t Run the Risk campaign aimed at deterring level crossing abuse, BTP launched Operation Galley in June 2009 which consisted of a series of enforcement and education operations as well as national days of action.

The operation’s two pronged approach—enforcement exercises at hotspot locations and education about the dangers of crossing misuse—is intelligence-led, gathering information from a variety of sources, primarily Network Rail. Some 25% of all incidents are traffic related, but just under half involve line of route offences, which includes stone-throwing, trespass and obstructing the line.

In operations held in November and December 2009, 130 motorists were caught zig-zagging through half barrier crossings.

BTP deals with over 250 fatalities on the rail system each year, most are not suspicious, but all have to be properly investigated.

Control room supervisors and officers attending the scene of a fatality make every effort to determine as soon as possible whether to treat the incident as suspicious, non-suspicious or unexplained. For non-suspicious incidents, there is a policing plan target to clear the scene within 90 minutes in order to minimise disruption to the network.

To help improve fatality management a new standard operating procedure has been introduced and a series of workshops held around the country.

The first workshop was held in January 2010 and included representatives from Network Rail and the Rail Safety and Standards Board, as well as Hertfordshire coroner Edward Thomas.

There are 102 coroners’ districts across England and Wales and, as yet, no agreed national procedures. A database on what coroners require at the scene of a fatality is being created to help speed up the process of dealing with non-suspicious deaths. Knowing specific requirements in any particular area once a fatality is reported can save vital time for control rooms and frontline responders.

Route crime continues to fall

Dealing effectively with fatalities

“over the past five years, both trespass and vandalism have been almost halved”

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Operational updates

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Graffiti continues to be a problem across the network, albeit there were 11% fewer reported offences in 2009/10 compared with 2008/09.

This builds on a 22% reduction the previous year. Vandals are also increasingly likely to be brought to justice with the detection rate having risen for two successive years.

The courts are taking a more robust view of this crime, which not only costs train companies but also contributes to the fear of crime.

A vandal who daubed graffiti on a train at Wick station in the highlands of Scotland for instance, was ordered in May 2009 to pay almost £1,300 in compensation to First ScotRail.

In a case investigated by London North officers, an international gang of six graffiti vandals responsible for at least £70,000 worth of damage in the UK were sent to prison. The so called ‘AMF crew’ were all

in their early twenties and from Sydney, Australia. In June 2009, they pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit criminal damage and were sentenced to prison terms ranging from eight to 16 months.

The six came to the UK in 2008 with the intention of vandalising overground and Underground trains and railway property. In terms of cost and the impact of damage, the Crown Prosecution Service said that this was one of the biggest and most complex cases it had prosecuted in recent years.

They were caught at Ilford depot, north east London and the subsequent inquiry led officers to uncover a series of other crimes. The gang is also known to have committed crimes across Europe.

Six more vandals, all in their twenties and from the Middlesex/Surrey area were sentenced to between six months and two years in November 2009 after causing at least £270,000 damage to Tube and train carriages.

This was an organised and prolific gang who were caught after a routine car stop led to the discovery of an assortment of spray cans, bolt cutters, gloves and photographs.

They had all pleaded guilty to more than 125 criminal damage offences over a two-year period from February 2006 to November 2007.

Graffiti vandals are paying for their crimes

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Problems associated with travelling football fans have continued this year and football policing continues to be one of the most challenging areas of BTP’s activity.

The 2009/10 season began in similar style to previous seasons, however in its later stages the intensity of incidents grew considerably. At the season finish, 68 serious incidents had been recorded, an increase of 17 incidents or 33%, while anti-social behaviour incidents rose from 538 to 582, an increase of 8%. A further cause for concern was the increase in assaults on officers, up from 13 last season to 21 in 2009/10.

While the general picture of fans’ behaviour has shown no improvement, there have been successes through targeted policing. For instance, last season’s problems on the East Coast Mainline involving Middlesbrough, Sunderland and Newcastle United fans did not reoccurr this year due to proactive policing by North Eastern Area officers supported at the gate line in London by London North Officers. Similarly, proactive work undertaken by Wales & Western officers significantly diminished the risk posed by Cardiff City supporters.

Football problems persist

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As metal prices on world markets rose, metal theft on Britain’s railways increased, reaching a three year high in April 2010.

BTP kept up the pressure on rogue scrap metal dealers and has taken a national lead for the police service on metal theft, chairing the Association of Chief Police Officers’ (ACPO) working group.

On 11 November, a co-ordinated national day of action involving local forces across Britain took place and the series of convictions that resulted should act as a deterrent.

A Cheadle Heath man was given a 14 month prison sentence in September 2009 after admitting theft of cable from a signalling centre in Stockport in June the previous year.

Three cable thieves responsible for more than 20 live cable cutting incidents that caused massive disruption to Kent’s rail network were jailed for five and six years.

During the year, Michael Tremarco became the first person to be convicted of

endangering safety in relation to cable theft. The 19 year old was given a 28-month jail term for attempted cable theft from HS1, the high-speed channel tunnel rail link, in Dagenham.

Showing just how dangerous metal theft can be, an attempted theft in July 2009 resulted in the death by electrocution of one man and serious injury to another in Tilbury, Essex.

Cable thefts on the increase

This year, more use has been made of BTP’s proactive CCTV facility at Euston station, which has allowed coverage of multiple locations and where on a number of occasions, risk groups of fans were identified and officers assigned.

In Scotland, following a series of incidents with fans chanting sectarian abuse, a series of formal information sharing protocols has been signed with clubs. These give BTP a mechanism for informing a club of any individuals who come to notice and allow for the free flow of information.

Most of the top Scottish clubs have signed up to the scheme. As an example, Division One side Dundee issued a statement supporting the initiative and promising punitive action against any supporter notified via the arrangement.

Football banning orders continue to prove their worth in combating football related offences and in 2009/10, 76 were obtained, 18 of which were ‘on complaint’ meaning that no criminal conviction had to be obtained. These orders last for a minimum of three years.

During the year, BTP held a round table discussion on football disorder with representatives of Passenger Focus, Virgin Trains and the Football Supporters’ Federation. This proved a valuable exchange

of views and ideas and, although it provided no definitive solution, re-emphasised the fact that only a minority of fans are disruptive and that partnership approaches involving train operators, police, clubs and the fans themselves can have an impact.

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Train and metro systems continue to be attractive targets for terrorists as was highlighted by the suicide attacks on two Moscow Metro stations at the end of March 2010 in which 40 people died.

In 2009, the first major change to BTP’s counter terrorism strategy for more than four years sought to fully integrate CT activity into all areas of policing.

Operation Pegasus was introduced in July to replace Operation Alert and make counter terrorism part of the every day responsibilities of all parts of BTP, from neighbourhood policing to crime prevention and detection. This is achieved through the regular tasking process and allows Areas to have more flexibility in deciding when and where to deploy resources, within an overall national framework.

Aligned with the Government’s national CT strategy, known as CONTEST, the change in emphasis makes CT activity part of the mainstream of policing, in addition to the specific CT dedicated resources and operations, which remain in place.

Mainstreaming counter terrorist activity

“Operation Pegasus was introduced in July to replace Operation Alert and make counter terrorism part of the every day responsibilities of all parts of BTP”

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Officers around the country, and particularly Neighbourhood Policing Teams, have an enhanced role, building links with communities and gathering community intelligence. The operation also emphasises positive patrol activity, and fits in with the single patrol policing strategy, which makes officers patrolling singly the norm and seeks to enhance visibility.

There are also ‘Standing Requirements’ included in the strategy that determine the availability of levels of command and specialist resources, such as search teams, 24 hours a day.

The strategy also has a list of tactical options that can be used depending on circumstances. These include anything from deploying senior officers for specified periods to requesting inter-force aid.

CONTEST explainedCONTEST is the UK Government’s counter terrorism strategy. It aims to reduce the risk to the UK from international terrorism and was revised in March 2009.

The strategy involves a partnership of police and intelligence officers, the emergency services, local authorities, businesses, voluntary and community organisations, governments and others. It has four key elements, which complement and reinforce each other:

• PURSUE to stop terrorist attacks

• PREVENT to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting violent extremism

• PROTECT to strengthen our protection against terrorist attack

• PREPARE where an attack cannot be stopped, to mitigate its impact

Assistant Chief Constable Steve Thomas leads BTP’s planning team for the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games and has also been appointed by the Government as National Transport Security Co-ordinator covering road, rail, maritime and air transport.

BTP’s Olympic programme has moved into its operational phase with detailed planning taking place around specific venues and deployments.

Much of what can be expected during the Games is business as usual for BTP, which is well versed in dealing with large events all over the country. However, the sheer size and

extent of the Games, which take place over several weeks at 34 venues across Britain, add a new dimension.

BTP is putting a 64 day policing plan in place and as well as the Games, 2012 will also see the Queen’s Jubilee and the European football championships, in addition to the usual summer events and festivals and a host of Olympic parallel events.

The 2012 Games are also the first public transport games with virtually 100% of spectators expected to use public transport. Everyone, police and rail operators, will be working at capacity with a train estimated to arrive into the Olympic Park every 13.5 seconds at peak times; keeping disruption to a minimum will be a key priority for everyone.

BTP’s bronze commanders, those who will be in charge at venues around the country, are continually being briefed, are liaising with local partners and have drawn up initial operational plans.

The programme is also looking at officers’ skills to determine where there are gaps that need to be filled over the next two years and key issues such as enhanced fatality management.

Planning for London 2012 is well advanced

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Appendix 05

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StaffPaul Crowther was appointed deputy chief constable in September 2009.

Ellie Bird was promoted to chief superintendent and took over as Area commander for Scotland in February 2010 following the retirement of Martyn Ripley after a distinguished 36 year police career. She is the first female Area commander and first female officer to reach chief superintendent rank in BTP.

British Transport Police has:

• 2,914 police officers

• 190 special constables

• 322 PCSOs

• 1,316 police staff (including PCSOs)

189 or 6.5% of police officers and 320 or 19.5% of police staff/PCSOs are from visible ethnic minorities.

463 or 15.9% of police officers and 796 or 48.6% of police staff/PCSOs are women.

HonoursThree officers were honoured in the 2010 Queen’s New Year’s Honours and a further two in the 2010 Birthday Honours.

Assistant Chief Constable Steve Thomas, who is the National Co-ordinator for Cross Modal Transport Security for the 2012 Olympics, and Detective Chief Superintendent Michael Field (now retired) were awarded Queen’s Police Medals (QPMs). Superintendent John Hennigan from the London Underground/DLR Area was awarded an MBE in the New Year’s Honours.

In the Birthday Honours, Superintendent Phil Trendall of the Counter Terrorism Support Unit received a Queen’s Police Medal (QPM), whilst PC Zaheer Ahmad, currently seconded as President of the National Association of Muslim Police (NAMP), was appointed an MBE.

BudgetBTPA has agreed a budget for overground policing in 2010/11 of £204.095m. Police Service Agreement charges have been increased by 1.3% as a result. That increase is less than needed to meet the costs of inflation and other budgetary pressures, so savings totalling £4.354m have been approved, mainly from a review of Force Headquarters expenditure.

The L Area budget funded by TfL for 2010/11 is £49.7m. This is a reduction of 3.9% from 2009/10 and incorporates £3.02m of savings.

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Have your say BTP and the British Transport Police

Authority welcome feedback. For more information or to send us a comment, you can visit our website at www.btp.police.uk or write to:

Media and Marketing British Transport Police 25 Camden Road NW1 9LN

Email: [email protected]

To contact the British Transport Police Authority, write to:

The Forum 5th Floor North 74–80 Camden Street London NW1 0EG

Tel: 020 7383 0259 Fax: 020 7383 2655 Email: [email protected]

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Documents

British Transport Police Annual report 2009/10 Annual report 2009-10 3...British Transport Police Annual report 2009/10 03 BTP overview Contents A view from the Police Authority The