29.05.15
New targets set for rail police
New targets have officially been handed over today to the officers who police Britain’s railways.
The 2015-16 national targets, which have been influenced by the British Transport Police’s (BTP’s) first ever public consultation as well as through the National Rail Passenger survey, include reducing crime by at least 3%.
On top of this, the BTP is expected to reduce violence against the person offences by at least 10% and achieve at least a 78.8% confidence rating for passengers measured by the National Rail Passenger Survey.
To maximise resources there will be an emphasis on more intelligence-led policing this year via Operation Trafalgar, a method which uses years of data to analyse crimes by time and location, allowing the Force to focus on preventing rather than reacting to crime.
Millie Banerjee, chair of the BTPA, which oversees the work of BTP, said: “This year’s targets capture the big issues affecting those who travel or work on the railways because we’ve worked with passengers and rail employees to develop them.
“They support the Force to make the greatest impact by encouraging partnership working, whilst focusing policing where it is needed most.”
As well as the national targets there are also a series of local targets, which include:
For London and East /South of England:
- Reduce violence and aggression towards London Underground and DLR staff – last year there were 417 offences
- To carry out a total of 588 on-train patrols during Friday evenings
- Reduce bicycle offences, which includes theft, by at least 10 %
For Pennine, Wales, Western, Midlands:
- Reduce theft of passenger property by at least 5%
- Work with the rail industry to create bespoke problem solving plans to address anti-social behaviour and trespass
For Scotland:
- Reduce the number of violent offences at Edinburgh Waverley by 20%, Glasgow Central by 10% and Glasgow Queen Street by 10%
- Work with Community Rail Partnerships at a minimum of six locations to improve confidence
(Picture by: British Transport Police)
To view the full targets visit: www.btpa.police.uk/policingplans