Every three years BTPA sets out medium and long-term objectives for the British Transport Police in a Strategic Plan. This is in addition to the annual policing plans, which cover objectives for the three-year period from the date of the plan’s publication.
The latest strategic plan was published in 2008 and replaced the 2005 plan.
BTPA’s 2008-2011 Strategic Plan can also be downloaded in PDF format. You may need Adobe Reader to view PDF files.
Chairman and Chief Constable’s foreword
Sir Alistair Graham, Chair (former), British Transport Police Authority Ian Johnston, Chief Constable (former), British Transport Police
We are pleased to present the Strategic Plan for 2008-11. This is the second Strategic Plan produced by the British Transport Police Authority (BTPA) and has been developed in partnership with British Transport Police (BTP) and stakeholders from the railway community.
During the life of the 2005-08 Strategic Plan, BTP was tested by the terrorist events of July 2005, and its continuing existence was endorsed by the findings of the Secretary of State for Transport’s review of BTP in 2006. This review confirmed BTP’s ongoing role as the national specialist police force for the railways, whilst emphasising the need for it and all its partners to explore new ways in which to work together to reduce crime and the fear of crime, and to promote public safety on the rail network.
The last three years have seen substantial investment and support from the rail industry, which has allowed BTP and the BTPA to address many of the major legacy issues of underinvestment and inadequate infrastructure. This period of change has provided BTP with a solid base from which it now plans to continue to improve the service it provides.
The operating context and environment within which this new plan has been developed is significantly different from that of three years ago. Key themes for 2008-11 will be:
- strengthening our partnership arrangements and building on the neighbourhood policing style to reduce crime, the fear of crime and disorder on the railway
- commitment to annual increases in charges to Police Service Agreement holders with respect to BTP’s revenue budget to be no more than Retail Price Index (RPI) inflation
- capitalising on the investments made to date
- securing long lasting efficiencies
The operating environment during the life of the 2008-11 Strategic Plan will be extremely challenging. Passenger numbers and the size of the railway infrastructure are expected to continue to grow rapidly. The Government has estimated that there will be a 22.5% increase in passenger journeys by 2014. More passenger journeys will inevitably place increased demands on BTP’s resources, and the terrorist threat is unlikely to recede; indeed the threat level has never before been at such a high level for so long, and another attack in the future sadly remains highly likely.
Preparation for the London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in 2012 will be a priority for BTP throughout the duration of this Strategic Plan. A viable and safe transport infrastructure will be essential in staging a successful Games, and BTP is committed to working towards this with partner agencies during the build up to the Games.
Policing London offers it own particular challenges, and BTP will work in close partnership with the Metropolitan Police Service, the City of London Police Service and Transport for London to ensure that the capital receives the most effective policing service possible. Joint action around transport interchanges and major events policing is especially important, as is managing the implications of the growth of London Overground and other expansion programmes such as Thameslink, Channel Tunnel Rail Link and the East London Line.
Delivery of this Strategic Plan is heavily dependent upon BTP and its stakeholders working in partnership to exploit all opportunities to achieve best possible value from the funding available.
Over the period of this Strategic Plan, BTP will focus on four key objectives:
- reducing crime and disorder
- protecting the railway economy
- increasing BTP’s capacity and capability through improved efficiency and effectiveness
- providing a better service to passengers, rail staff and the rail industry
We look forward to working together with all our partners over the next three years to make the railways an even safer place.
