Neighbourhood policing in a railway context

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Neighbourhood policing in a railway context
National Community Safety Network 14th
conference June 10-11, 2009 Supt Paul Brogden
(Crime and Neighbourhood Policing) British
Transport Police Sue Nelson, Community Safety
Partnerships Ltd
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Background

• National police force for Britains railways
• Safer station, safer journey philosophy
• Working in partnership to build a safer railway
  environment free from disruption and fear of
  crime
• 2,835 police officers and 1,455 support staff
• Policing 6 million passenger journeys a day over
  10,000 miles of track and at 2,500 stations
• Also police
• London Underground
• Docklands Light Railway
• Channel Tunnel Rail Link
• Croydon Tramlink
• Railway arches/land

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BTP Area map

• 7 areas -
• Scotland
• North Western
• North Eastern
• Wales Western
• London North
• London South
• London DLR

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BTP engagement structure

• Assistant Chief Constable Operations maintains
  Government Office (GO) overview and strategic
  input to industry
• Area Commanders link with GO Regional Crime
  Directors, plus LSPs
• Sector commanders link with CDRPs and local
  industry groups
• Officers in Charge and NPTs link with ward teams,
  community forums and CDRP sub-groups

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London North area

• 678 staff
• 19 train operating companies
• 5 major London stations
• Paddington, Euston, Kings Cross, St Pancras,
  Liverpool Street
• 19 Met Police boroughs
• 90 CDRPs
• 52 LSPs
• Olympics/Stratford

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Policing Pledge

• Neighbourhood policing teams now 72 in number and
  growing
• Central to railway policing agenda
• Agree local plans with partners
• Sharing of crime mapping data
• London borough hotspots

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Neighbourhood policing teams

• Defined teams with geographic responsibilities
• Station hubs and/or line of route
• Core principles
• Visibility (meaningful numbers)
• Engagement (industry and public)
• Reassurance perceptions of safety
• PACT meetings
• KIN data
• Problem Solving Plans

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Engagement challenges (1)

• Stations are gateways into wider communities as
  well as gateway to railway
• Railway often seen as background feature of
  communities where people live and work
• Home Office force NPT versus BTP?
• Railway is linear and passes through
  neighbourhoods each with own territorial
  resources
• Transcend local authority and policing boundaries
• Has to be relationship between railway and
  elsewhere if seamless service to communities is
  to be provided

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Engagement challenges (2)

• Good relationships with industry partners
• But how do we engage better with the wider
  community?
• Reviewed activity
• Set challenges around customer engagement
• Assisted NPT sergeants in developing awareness of
  wider community
• Highlight existing activity SNTs etc.

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Findings

• Industry engagement has to be be strong in the
  first place to develop relationships outside
• Broaden geographic footprint beyond
  station/railway boundary
• Our criminals are your criminals
• Problem solving to root cause
• Public want to engage!

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Case studyEuston NPT

• Longer term problem-solving approach using
  variety of key stakeholders
• Not just industry ones!
• Clear understanding of wider community issues
• Truancy patrols to tackle ASB at Euston
• Prescription drug addicts
• Shopwatch

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Would you say you feel more or less safe in this
area than you did 12 months ago
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How do you feel walking alone in the station
during the day?
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On average how often do you see a uniformed
police presence on foot in this station
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How do you feel walking alone in the station
after dark?
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Have you noticed any change in police presence
over the past 12 months
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Police interaction
How important do you think it is for people in
this station to know a local police officer
How well informed do you feel about what the BTP
have been doing at this station
In the last 12 months have you.
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Would you be willing to be involved with your
local BTP around issues you face here
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Benefits to date (1)

• Industry engagement through PACT forums
• Links outside
• Joint operations with Safer Neighbourhood Teams
• Dialogue with CDRPs and local authorities
• Residents groups/community organisations
• Teams are maturing and growing in confidence
• More ambitious
• Open to challenges

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Benefits (2)

• Crime on rail network fell by 4.5 in 2008/9
• Reduced for fifth consecutive year
• Robbery down 16
• Violent crime down 2
• BTP achieved 11 out of 11 of national operational
  targets

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The future

• Increasing local engagement through community
  safety structures
• Belief in neighbourhood policing reflected in the
  data
• More neighbourhood policing teams being rolled
  out across the network
• Neighbourhood policing is core to BTP activity
• Affects general public, not just railway
  businesses, rail staff, rail users

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QuestionsContact details

• Supt Paul Brogden, British Transport Police
• paul.brogden_at_btp.pnn.police.uk
• 020 7391 8292
• Sue Nelson, Community Safety Partnerships Ltd
• suenelson_at_comsafetypartners.com
• 01904 448 439