Cross Street Neighbourhood Policing Team Celebrate Succesfful Year
Tuesday, 05 February, 2008
The Birmingham Cross City Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) for British Transport Police (BTP) is celebrating their first birthday as a team by reducing reports of crime by over 50 per cent.
The NPT have been a huge success and have been working hard to make themselves known to rail staff and customers alike, with the aim of being more accessible and available to the local communities.
Operating from Birmingham New Street north to Lichfield and south to Redditch, the team consults extensively with communities who use and work at stations to determine policing priorities, find out about the issues concerning local people and to explain what is being done to address local crime and disorder.
High on the agenda for BTP is reassuring passengers and rail staff by tackling anti-social behaviour and low level disorder that contribute to the fear of crime.
Since the team launched last January 2007 reports of crime have reduced on the Cross City line by over 65 per cent, from 58 crimes reported in December 2006 compared with only 20 in December 2007. Latest statistics for end of January show that 75 crimes were reported in January (2007) compared with only 39 last month, almost a 50 per cent reduction. Across the route reports of anti-social behaviour during January has also been reduced from 27 in 2007 to 10 in 2008.
T/Sergeant John Caisley leads one of the NPT teams, he said: "We are really pleased with the impact the NPT has made over the last 12 months. We are continuing to build and strengthen our relationships with the communities we serve.
"Neighbourhood Policing is all about tackling local problems with local solutions.
"The key aim of NPT is listening to members of the local community and working with them to develop tailor-made solutions for their local policing needs."
Sheelagh Whittaker, Head of Crime and Security at London Midland, said: "We wholeheartedly support the concept of Neighbourhood Policing and believe that local police officers serving specific local railway lines encourages better relationships with members of the public, railway staff and local businesses.
"They provide a visible reassurance to members of the public and our staff. Since the inception of the NPT on the Cross City Line, we have seen an overall reduction of crime, which is to be welcomed."
The NPT patrols trains, stations and platforms providing a reassuring high visibility uniformed presence. They have become familiar faces in their neighbourhoods and work together with local communities to identify their policing needs and help improve the quality of life in the area.
Dedicated neighbourhood police officers also provide public drop-in surgeries at their stations, giving members of the community the chance to meet them face to face and discuss any concerns they may have.
T/Sergeant Nicholas Brown from British Transport Police Neighbourhood Policing Team said: 'It is great working with the community and being able to see the positive impact that Neighbourhood Policing has had. We want to continue to improve the service through the public surgeries they will help us to be even more in tune with communities and gain their trust. We want people to tell us if they are concerned about something so we can help.'
