Posted 25th May 2010 | No Comments

More police on duty at night, promises BTP Chief

BRITISH Transport Police will be more visible during the evening and night, the Chief Constable is promising.

Andy Trotter is unveiling the latest crime statistics today, which show that in 2009/10 recorded crime on British railways fell by 7.3 per cent. Violent crime was down by 6.8 per cent and robberies down 21.8 per cent. However, sexual offences rose slightly.

Mr Trotter said: “It’s important for us to listen to people’s concerns and be responsive to them, and we know that people are more concerned about travelling at night.
 
“Research from Passenger Focus shows that young men under 26 are most concerned, which is understandable as they are the most likely to be assault victims.
 
“We need to be out there protecting them and reassuring all passengers that the railways really are a very safe environment.  By putting more police on patrol in the evenings, we are aiming to address some of those anxieties and boost passenger confidence.”

Eleven of the 12 BTP crime groups showed reductions in 2009/10.  Only reported sexual offences were up, with seven more than in the previous year -- an increase of 0.7%.

'Low level' problems remain a concern for passengers.  BTP said it has a target this year to reduce these offences, specifically between 20.00 and 02.00.
 
Mr Trotter, who was appointed in September last year, has already introduced other changes, including an instruction to beat officers not to gather unnecessarily in groups of two or three, but to make themselves more available as individuals when on patrol.