FOR B DIVISION STAKEHOLDERS
ISSUE 03 OCTOBER 2014
Make
the difference
Chief Superintendent
Paul Brogden
Welcome
follow Paul on twitter
@BTP_B_Division
to Platform – B Division’s magazine that aims
to keep stakeholders in the know on how we at
BTP are policing the rail network across London,
the East and South of England.
As you know, the organisation has been going through a major
restructure to ensure we meet the needs of our industry partners
and stakeholders to provide greater support as well as greater
protection to the travelling public.
Since April we have been working extremely hard to shape and
implement our new way of working. I’m delighted to say that
the restructure is now complete and across the country frontline
policing has grown by an additional 208 officers, while here on B
Division we have also opened a new station in Stevenage.
We’ve also been instrumental in piloting a number of exciting
initiatives on the Division, including Op Trafalgar, which has seen
us become the first transport policing team to introduce Evidence
Based Policing to reduce crime and disruptions at known hotspot
locations.
Our year-long campaign to reduce workplace violence and
aggression against staff led by Chief Inspector Sue Peters has
been a record-breaking success. So much so, that we are now
working towards rolling out Op Station across the whole of B
Division.
These new resources, and others which are covered in this
month’s Platform, are about making a difference in order to meet
the challenges of the future: First Fix; Problem Solving; Offender
Management, Stopping Crime; and Enforcement.
It’s about how we police, how we work as a Force but also how
we act as individuals in terms of our daily engagement with the
public and rail staff.
Contents
04 In the News
Op station
06 In the spotlight
04
Policing where it matters
08 Special Report
Op Station
New station for Stevenage
11Call of Duty
Make the difference
12 Major campaign
06
Policing where it matters
Tackling level crossing abuse
14Crime update
Court Report
08
level crossings
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PLATFORM ISSUE 03 OCTOBER 2014
03
In the News
One year after the launch of Sub Division
TfL’s Op Station – a major campaign
to reduce workplace violence and
aggression against staff at London
Underground stations – is being rolled out
across the whole of B Division
Such has been the success of the
campaign that a new Hydra exercise
focusing on customer service has been
created following a trial with 16 LU
managers on Thursday, 23 October.
According to former Sub Division TfL
Superintendent Sue Peters, who was the
strategic lead for Op Station, the success
of the campaign was achieved by all
parties having a ‘can do attitude’.
At a special ‘thank you’ workshop at
Broadway in September, attended by B
Division officers, LU and TfL managers
and staff, Supt Peters praised the hard
work and effort of all those involved.
with LU’s Fit For Future and Op Evolve
projects, plus BTP’s Op Trafalgar.
“We need closer liaisons to ensure
customer and staff confidence is
maintained, a continuous focus on
NPT teams working closely with staff to
reduce offences, and we need days of
action to highlight efforts, especially over
the Christmas period,” she said.
Northern Line General Manager Pat
Hansberry, who was part of the strategic
team and present at the celebratory
lunch, said he was impressed by way
everyone had worked together to
improve detection and achieve good
results.
“Thanks to the dedicated work of
you all the campaign has been a
great accomplishment. I’m pleased
that so many of you were able to
make it here today to celebrate your
achievements,” she said.
“This is the first time everyone has
understood the impact of what we are
doing. We worked as a team and are
now getting the details to deal with
instances and hotspots
Addressing those present Supt Peters
admitted: “We could have done this on
our own, but that way you only achieve
so much. Because we did it together,
shared thoughts, ideas and goals, the
end result has been far far better.
“For me, we must continue the good
work and look for further improvements.
We need to prepare for Christmas and
look at the next top 10 stations and then
keep on improving and revisiting stations
so that they are fit for the future.”
“This is a fantastic achievement by all
those involved so give yourselves a pat
on the back, you deserve it.”
Sub Division TfL is about to see
Op Station - its campaign to target
workplace violence and aggression
on the London Underground (LU) introduced across B Division.
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Launched last summer, the yearlong initiative, which saw B Division
officers working in close collaboration
with TfL and LU managers and
staff, was devised to increase staff
confidence by providing high visibility
patrols at vulnerable stations during
key times.
Locations known to have high levels of
staff attacks and chosen for the pilot
saw significant crime reductions during
Op Station.
They included:
• Oxford Circus 60 per cent
• Bounds Green 80 per cent
• Stratford 37.5 per cent
• Leicester Square 37.5 per cent
The highest overall reductions
were on the Jubilee line which saw
an overall reduction of 40 per cent,
followed by the Piccadilly Line.
Much of the campaign’s success has
been attributed to the partnership
workings behind the scenes, including
healthy debates, best practice ideas,
but more importantly, the desire for a
common goal.
Moving forward, Supt Peters stressed
that there was still work to be done before
Op Station could be cascaded across
B Division. And she called on those at
the heart of the project to look at ways
to improve the campaign and align it
PLATFORM ISSUE 03 OCTOBER 2014
05
In the spotlight
Policing where
it matters
B Division is the first rail transport policing
team on the international stage to adopt
Evidence Based Policing (EBP) based on
Hotspot Patrol Strategy – a pioneering
technique that is proven to reduce crime
and disruption in known hotspot areas
Forget the three Rs, it’s the three Ts that
B Division’s uniformed officers are being
schooled in as a new training package is
introduced across London and the south
east which will turn them into expert
police patrollers.
Known as Operation Trafalgar, the three T
policing approach - Targeting, Testing and
Tracking – is designed to build-on, and
strengthen, officers’ skills to assist them
in crime reducing and problem solving
while out on patrol at known hotspot
locations.
“Using these skills to interact with the
public when patrolling is key to increasing
confidence levels and achieving our 20
20 10 vision,” explained Jason Bunyard,
Superintendent for Sub Division South
and operational lead.
“We want to equip every frontline officer
with the skills to have positive interactions
with the public and leave a good and
lasting impression.
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“A large number of individuals already
possess these skills and use them on a
daily basis; this is evident to me
when I go out and speak to our officers
and observe the quality interactions
actually taking place,” he said.
The new policing method follows the
success of a six-month trial at 118
London Underground stations where
academics from Cambridge University
worked with BTP analysts to compare
and collate crime data going back five
years.
By using the crime data, the team was
able to identify the exact locations and
times where resources would be needed
to combat crime and disruption as well as
enhance visibility and increase commuter
confidence.
The pilot trial, codenamed Operation
Beck, after the creator of the
Underground map Harry Beck,
saw dedicated teams of Police
Constables (PCs) and Police Community
Support Officers (PCSOs) tasked with
carrying out on-the-spot high visibility
patrols for a period of 15 minutes at
specific hot-spot locations four times a
shift, four times a week.
Op Trafalgar
differs in that all
uniformed officers
on the new patrol
plan will still have to
respond to incidents
as directed by BTP’s
Control Room.
Police Sergeant
Keith Johnson, one of
two sgts engaged for six months to
oversee Operation Beck said he was impressed
by the results obtained during the trial.
“To see the difference we made to crime and
call crime data during that six month period was
very rewarding,” he said. “The feedback from
commuters and staff was wholly positive and
justified the hard work shown by our officers. I’m
confident that Operation Trafalgar will take this
success forward across London and the south
east, followed by the rest of BTP.”
Results collated at the end of the pilot showed
there had been a massive 21 per cent drop in
crime and calls for service – equal to 1,150
fewer calls.
“The training programme our
officers are being given
will ensure they are the best skilled
police force in the country,” explained
Supt Bunyard.
“This is about shifting our focus to prevention
and deterrence of crime by using techniques
that can identify and direct uniformed patrols
to areas that are proven hotspots for crime.
“The training programme will enhance these
skills and give officers the tools they need to
identify ways to design out crime completely.”
Since September, both PCs and PCSOs
officers have been carrying out the new
policing patrols at its hub London stations.
By the end of this year, all B Division frontline
officers, as well as the Counter Terrorism
Support Unit including police sergeants and
inspectors will be using the new EBP patrol
method.
While Operation Beck was carried out using a
group of dedicated late turn officers to carry out
the patrols, Op Trafalgar will deliver a new 24/7
patrol strategy, based on the core EBP principles
of Targeting, Testing and Tracking.
Joining officers on patrol at London Bridge
Station, Supt Bunyard said hub teams has
worked exceptionally hard to embed the
patrols.
During the pilot officers were ‘ring fenced’ from
responding to any incidents occurring in their
station so they could concentrate on patrolling
their designated patches.
“There have been challenges but the teams
have risen to these and the new patrols are
now working well on a day-to-day basis and
we have already seen reductions in crime.”
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PLATFORM ISSUE 03 OCTOBER 2014
07
With more than 1,000 motorists
each year are charged or
summonsed in the UK for level
crossing misuse BTP recently ran
a campaign called Operation Look!
which saw officers, volunteers and
National Rail carrying out extra
patrols across the country during a
week of action in September. On B
Division, the campaign is just one
of many new schemes helping to
reduce crossing misuse
Special Report
Level crossings
Between 1 April 2013 and 31 March 2014,
732 motorists were charged or summonsed for
crossing misuse across the country, with a further
740 issued with fixed penalty notices, and 102
cautioned for traffic offences.
A further 2,125 drivers were sent on
safety-awareness courses. The vast majority
completed the course, with very few going on to
re-offend.
In line with recommendations from the Office of
Rail Regulation, Network Rail is committed to
closing crossings where possible and replacing
them with alternatives, such as footbridges. In
the last four years some 800 level crossings have
been closed but there are still more than 6,000
crossings on the rail network.
For B Division’s mobile CCTV safety vehicles,
covering the whole of Kent, Sussex and
Wessex is no mean feat. But now thanks to a
revolutionary idea to add a motorcycle response
unit the team can now reach parts of these
counties that the response vehicles cannot.
In Suffolk, Lakenheath had a reputation of
being one of B Division’s most dangerous
level crossings – now it’s one of the safest.
The crossing, which is on a busy rural main
road, is also the main access route for two
nearby American airbases at Lakenheath and
Feltwell as well as the RAF at Mildenhall.
“In the past this led to numerous level
crossing offences committed by US personnel
on attachment to the UK because they
were unaware of how the crossing worked,”
explained Sub Division South PC, Matt Vyse.
“Together with PC Paul Glover from Ministry
of Defence Police we put together a plan for
joint working in enforcement and education of
level crossing safety.”
The campaign, along with support from the
American bases’ Safety Wing Staff Sgt, led to
a video being produced explaining how to use
level crossings safely.
The video is now shown to all US air force
officers and their families before they arrive
in the UK to make them aware of the driving
regulations and restrictions.
The American Air Force has been very
supportive and have also invited us attended
their many community events to help promote
the safe use of level crossing safety.” PC Simon Spencer Briggs, who recently passed
his compulsory basic training (CBT) test, said
the new form of transport is making it easier for
the team provide assistance across the three
regions.
“There are certain crossings where it’s impossible
to park our vans, either because there are no
parking spaces available or because of their
locations,” explained PC Briggs.
“With the bike, it means we can provide more
dedicated coverage across the area as I can offer
a quick response to a call.”
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PLATFORM ISSUE 03 OCTOBER 2014
09
Make the difference
Rail staff jailed for ticket fraud
A joint investigation by B Division officers
and South West Trains that uncovered a
major ticket fraud has led to six rail staff
being sentenced.
pocketed the cash, in what the
prosecution described as a ‘sell one get one
free’ scam.
The three men and three women, all ticket
office clerks with South West Trains at
Richmond station in south-west London,
embarked on a massive ticketing fraud
that netted them £100,000-plus.
They were arrested in January 2013 when
evidence emerged they had also been
taking advantage of the till systems in order
to create and use illicit travel cards which
were found in locations including their home
addresses.
All six were found guilty of conspiracy to
commit fraud between October 2011 and
January 2013 when they appeared for trial
at Kingston Crown Court in September.
Linus Okrah (45) from Wanstead in
London, received 18 months; Julia Cann
(33) from Brentford in London was
sentenced to nine months; Alicia Dunn (34)
from Luton in Bedfordshire was given nine
months; David Rudland (67) from Epsom
in Surrey was sentenced to 13 months.
Grace Oyegoke (33) from Greenhithe in
Kent received nine months, suspended for
two years, 150 hours of unpaid work to be
completed within 12 months, and ordered
to wear an electronic tag for three months;
Olufisayo Dada (35) from Brixton in
London was sentenced to 18 months.
Officers from Sub-Division South were
asked by South West Trains to investigate
an anomaly their accounting system and
discovered the problem centred around
Richmond station. Further investigation revealed several members of staff had been
defrauding the ticketing and Oyster card
system.
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Fraudulent cards were being sold illicitly
unsuspecting customers, while the six staff
Officers estimate the value of the Oyster
Card fraud at around £68,000 and, while an
exact figure cannot be placed on the travel
card fraud, the court was told that it is also
believed to run into tens of thousands of
pounds.
Speaking after the gang was sentenced,
Detective Constable Becci Crampton said:
“Between them, these people had more
than 50 years service with South West
Trains, yet they chose to throw that away for
the sake of greed.
“Throughout their trial, they denied any
responsibility for the fraud, claiming the
irregularities had been caused by technical
faults with ticket machines. Thanks to the
hard work of BTP officers, South West
Trains and TfL, we were able to prove this
was a lie.”
Tim Shoveller, Chief Executive of the South
West Trains-Network Rail Alliance, said: “I
am very pleased that the work of the BTP
and our own teams has led to such a
successful result.
“This sends a clear sign that there is a
severe price to pay for people who behave
dishonestly and fraudulently. We would like
to thank BTP and our own employees who
have worked very hard in bringing this
complex and detailed case to justice.”
Off-duty BTP officer
praised for bringing serial
sex attacker to justice
Off-duty PC Sarah Christiansen from
B Division’s Piccadilly neighbourhood
policing team has been commended
for confronting a man who exposed
himself to two women on a DLR train.
At Southwark Crown Court in
September, Francis Olawole (48)
from Newham was sentenced to
16-months in prison and placed on
the sex offenders register for seven
years after pleading guilty to sexual
assault and exposure.
The court was told that the officer had
seen Olawole exposing himself and
informed his two victims.
One of the women said that she had
been aware of a man pressing against
her during the journey and had moved
away as a result.
PC Christiansen accompanied the
women and Olawole off the train at
Canning Town station where he was
arrested by Sub Division TfL officers.
Olawole was handed another four
months in prison, to be served
consecutively with the rest of his
sentence, for committing the offence
while serving a suspended sentence
for a previous offence.
He had previously been sentenced to
six-months suspended for two years
after being found guilty of a sexual
assault that took place on the rail
network in February.
Speaking after the case Inspector
Ricky Twyford said: “Olawole’s
behaviour frightened his victims.
“Any unwanted sexual behaviour is
completely unacceptable and we work
hard to keep the rail network safe.
“I would like to commend the officer
who intervened and thank the victims
for supporting the prosecution.”
Two year youth detention for violent robber
Good joint detective work by BTP
officers and Kent police has led to
a violent robber being detained in
a young offenders’ institute for two
years.
Sean Elliot, from Pembury in Kent,
was sentenced by Maidstone
Crown Court in September to three
counts of robbery in March after
pleading guilty at an earlier court
case.
The first offence saw Elliot (19), who
was captured on CCTV, stalking a
lone woman who was waiting for a
train at Swanley railway station.
After hiding behind a vending
machine, 19-year-old Elliot
suddenly appeared before his
victim, shouting and demanding
she hand over her bags as she fled
from the platform.
Days later, at Sevenoaks railway
station, officers from Sub Division
South were called to an armed
robbery where a group of teenage
boys had been forced to hand over
their mobile phones.
Claiming to be armed with a knife,
Elliot repeatedly punched one of the
boys to the side of his head before
the four frightened friends handed
over their phones. But a youth onboard who witnessed the attack
grabbed Elliot until police arrived.
Elliot was given bail for the
Sevenoaks offences after being
interviewed, pending further police
enquiries. While on bail photos
from Swanley station CCTV footage
were escalated to local rail and
police stations for identification.
Recognising Elliot from the stills,
officers from Kent Police contacted
B Division to say they knew the
defendant and provided a home
address. Elliot was captured hiding
in a garden shed at his family
home.
Speaking after the court case,
Detective Constable Ostin Elkins
said: “The fast response of officers
and then the swift identification of
Elliot for the robbery ensured that
a dangerous individual was quickly
arrested.
“I would like to pass on my
personal thanks to all the officers
and witnesses who assisted in
securing this conviction against
Elliot.”
Good police work tracks down sex pest
A 43-year-old man who assaulted
a 14-year-old school girl in a busy
tube carriage at Warren Street
station was captured just 24
hours after a major investigation
launched by Sub Division TfL
officers.
The fast paced arrest was down to
good police work by plain clothes
officers and instant access to
CCTV.
At Westminster Magistrates’
Court, Ashutosh Kumar from
Harrow was placed on the sex
offenders register for five
years after pleading guilty to
sexual assault.
Specialist officers from B
Division’s sexual offences
unit launched an immediate
investigation.
Officers were able to recall
CCTV footage from the train
and platform within hours
of the incident taking place
before distributing images
of Kumar to officers working
across London.
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Officers new station
The opening of B Division’s new
Stevenage police station means BTP
now has a dedicated team of officers
ready to respond to incidents on
trains and stations across the whole
of Hertfordshire
The decision to open the new station in
Stevenage means officers will now be closer
to the railway stations they cover – providing
better ties with their Hertfordshire colleagues.
Prior to the station opening, officers from
as far a-field as Kings Cross, Cambridge,
Peterborough and Milton Keynes, were
responsible for policing the area.
The station on Lytton Way, which was
officially opened on Thursday, 2 October by
senior officers from both B Division BTP and
Hertfordshire Constabulary, is now home to
24 BTP officers plus the station’s existing
Herts police officers who already reside
there.
Commenting on the move, B Division’s new
officer-in-charge, Inspector Stephen Cowley,
said: “Our new base allows us to greatly
improve the policing of trains and railway
stations in Stevenage and the surrounding
area. It means there are now more BTP
officers on the beat – detecting and deterring
crime – providing quicker response times to
incidents.
“The fact that Stevenage police station is
also just a short walk from the mainline
railway station makes it the perfect location
for us. It also means we can develop an even
better working relationship with Hertfordshire
Constabulary, improving collaboration and
resulting in more joint operations.”
Chief Inspector Richard Harbon, of
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Hertfordshire Constabulary, said the main
aim of the new working arrangement was
to provide BTP with a base to give them
better access to the large area they cover
north of London.
“The benefits for Hertfordshire include
swifter access by BTP officers to local
stations and greater visibility of uniformed
officers in the community,” he said.
This will really pay dividends with
intelligence-sharing, joint operations and a
greater police presence in Stevenage and
north Herts.”
Since B Division moved to Stevenage
police station, a number of joint HertsBTP operations have already been carried
out, including cycle crime and anti-social
behaviour.
Addressing those attending the opening
ceremony, B Divisional Commander, Chief
Superintendent Paul Brogden, said: “We
are working on ambitious targets to reduce
crime on Britain’s railways by 20 per cent,
reduce crime-related disruption by 20 per
cent and increase passenger confidence
by 10 per cent – all by 2020.
Northern, Tony Holland, said: “This is a great
initiative. More police on our Great Northern
trains north of Stevenage will make our
passengers feel more secure and reassure
them that their safety and security is our highest
priority.”
BTP expects to have a
24-hour presence at the
Stevenage station from
January 2015.
“In order to meet these targets, we’ve had
to change the way we work, allowing us to
invest more in frontline policing. I’m proud
that’s meant a new team of officers based
here in Stevenage, bringing our specialist
knowledge of policing the railways closer
to the local community.
“This is the start of a productive new
crime-fighting partnership between BTP,
Hertfordshire Constabulary, Network Rail
and Great Northern.”
Crime Prevention Manager for Great
PLATFORM ISSUE 03 OCTOBER 2014
PLATFORM ISSUE 03 OCTOBER 2014
13
court
Report
18 years
for armed
robber
A armed robber who threatened a security guard
and cleaner with a sawn-off shotgun at South Acton
overground station has been jailed for 18 years.
Harrow Crown Court was told on Tuesday, October 22,
that a week before he threatened staff, 26-year-old Anton
Newell had broken into the booking office stealing a
set of keys which he then used to break into the ticket
vending machine and office to steal the safety deposit box
containing £950.
A week later, Newell returned to the station threatening a
security guard with a sawn-off shotgun as he walked the
man into the ticket office demanding the location of the
safe. Told that it had been stolen, Newell struck the guard
around the head several times with the butt of the gun.
As he left the station, he threatened a station cleaner who
was sitting in a parked van, stealing his wallet and mobile
phone.
Newell from Wood Green,who pleaded guilty to robbery,
was sentenced to 18 years by the court on Tuesday,
October 22.
B Division Commander, Chief Superintendent Paul
Brogden said: “Newell’s actions left two members of rail
staff genuinely frightened for their lives and his willingness
to use extreme violence and a firearm is truly shocking.
“Robbery - and all other violent crime - has no place on
the railway and the lengthy sentence handed down sends
a clear message to would-be criminals that they will be
made to pay for their actions.”
Peter Austin, Managing Director of London Overground
Rail Operations (LOROL), said: “This is a fantastic result
for LOROL and the British Transport Police.
“We do not tolerate assaults on staff and will always do
everything we can, in partnership with the BTP, to bring
perpetrators of crime on LOROL staff and the railway to
justice.”
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Court comes
down hard on
teenage attackers
Two teenagers have pleaded
guilty to harassing and attacking
rail staff after trying to board
a train without a valid ticket at
Cannon Street station.
Yolan Boulange (19) was
sentenced to four weeks in a
young offenders’ institute while
Borys Lachowicz (17) was given
a six month referral order and a
£30 compensation fine.
City of Westminster Magistrates’
Court was told that in June this
year, the two defendants, both
from Abbey Wood in south
east London, were stopped by
a female gate guard as they
attempted to go through the
barriers without a ticket.
Explaining that they would each
need to purchase a valid ticket if
they wanted to travel, Boulange
screamed and shouted at the
staff employee threatening to
“knife” her.
Lachowicz, who had now double
shuffled through the barriers,
was stopped by the station duty
manager and told that even if
they got on the train it would not
leave with them on it.
Angry that he was not going
to be allowed on the train,
Lachowicz punched the duty
manager in the chest before
officers from Sub-Division South
arrived and arrested the pair.
Speaking after the case,
Detective Sergeant Martin Ade
from Sub-Division South’s Work
Place Violence Unit, said: “This
was a nasty attack on two rail
staff who were just doing their
job.”
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Get in touch by email
[email protected]
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