Farewell message from the Chief Constable

Friday, 31 July is my last working day in BTP, and I want to say a final very big thank you to everyone in the Force for making my life over the last eight years such a terrific experience.

I am immensely proud of what you all have achieved, and it has been a real privilege to have been a part of the team here. Because of all of you, our organisation now has the reputation it has long deserved. The way the Force responded to the tragedy of the London bombings will remain etched in my mind for ever. But so too will the rugged determination of all over many years to improve what we do, in every part of BTP, to raise our standards of performance, and to improve our relationship with those for whom we work.

I will greatly miss BTP in the future, although I very much hope that I will be able to retain contact with all the friends I have made here since I was given the honour of becoming Chief Constable in 2001. It has been the best job in my life.

Andy Trotter has been a fantastic deputy to me, from the first moment he came to BTP, and I am absolutely delighted that he beat ‘all comers’ from across the UK to become your next Chief Constable. I know he will do a brilliant job.

Thanks again to everyone for your friendship and your tremendous achievements. I wish you all every success in the future.

Sir Ian Johnston

Chief Constable

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BTP police staff 2009 pay review

The current economic climate has put considerable pressure on all public and private sector companies. BTP is not immune to these changes and there is considerable pressure on our budget. We know police staff are waiting for a decision regarding pay reviews which are usually announced at this time of year.

Unfortunately any decision on pay has had to be delayed as BTP needs to balance the impact the economic environment against the obvious desire to reward the commitment and essential role police staff play within the organisation. Against this backdrop, BTP is working with the Authority to establish appropriate parameters around this year’s pay review.

These parameters are likely to be set in the autumn and in the meantime police staff should be reassured that they will be notified of further developments as they occur.

Head of HR, Lorraine Jainudeen, said: “Police staff are a valuable part of the organisation and, if possible, we would like to reward them with a pay award. However, these are exceptional and uncertain times. As a responsible organisation, seeking to protect as many jobs as possible, we must consider the economic climate and reflect the pressure currently being placed on our budget.  

“I would like to reassure all police staff that we are working closely with the Authority to establish a way forward and as soon as there are any developments we will let staff know.”

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Forcewide roster for 24/7 police stations

A letter from Assistant Chief Constable (Operations) Alan Pacey has been sent to all those affected by the change to a Forcewide roster system.

To ensure consistency across London as BTP heads towards the Olympics, a single key roster for all 24/7 police stations across the Force will be introduced in January 2010 following a vote next month.

The proposed roster has already been adapted for local L Area needs and so the version that goes to vote has been amended to reflect the feedback from officers gained during the recent roster consultation process.

Area Commander Miles Flood said: “I understand it’s frustrating for L Area Neighbourhood Support Team officers who have just gone through the consultation and voting process for a new roster.

“However, it’s important that we work closely with our London North and London South colleagues and comply with the new Forcewide roster. Many elements of the proposed roster are similar to the roster we recently agreed and so I hope that it will not cause significant disruption.

“Please be assured that we have looked to adapt the Force key roster in line with the feedback we received during our recent consultation process so I hope that it will be a smooth transition.

“I’m confident that this new roster will enable us to continue to meet the demands placed upon us and also helps BTP deliver a consistent policing service across London and the rest of the UK.”

Sector chief inspectors, members of the Senior Management Team and Federation representatives will be visiting stations over the coming weeks to answer your questions about the proposed roster.

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Policing the Tube alcohol ban – updated guidance

It’s now just over a year since Transport for London’s alcohol ban came into play and it’s a timely opportunity to clarify any remaining questions on how the ban is best policed.

Chief Superintendent Miles Flood said: “Our aim was always, and continues to be, to take an educational approach. Officers should let people know that the ban is in place and give people the opportunity to discard their alcohol before taking any further action.

“If they become aggressive or disorderly after they’ve been asked to discard their alcohol then officers should deal with them under relevant legislation such as public order.

“People should always be given the opportunity to discard their alcohol or take it outside the station before any action is taken against them.”

The alcohol ban is a condition of carriage, which is a contractual obligation, not a statutory obligation. This means that nobody can be arrested or issued with a PND for breaching the ban but if they refuse to comply when made aware of the ban, their behaviour can be dealt with.

The posters put up across the Tube network and the widespread media publicity of the ban have educated many passengers about the ban and officers can use byelaw 4(2) which refers to “reasonable notice” of a dry train but people should always be given opportunity to take their alcohol outside the station first.

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Getting to work during the East Anglia line strike

Officers and staff who use National Express’ East Anglia line to get to work are asked to make alternative travel arrangements during strike action by ASLEF and RMT train unions. The strike follows dispute over conditions, pay and reorganisation, and will affect the majority of stations served by the East Anglia line.

Members will be striking on the following days:

00.01am on Thursday 30 July to 11.59pm on Friday 31 July.

00.01am on Thursday 6 August to 11.59pm on Friday 7 August.

00.01am on Thursday 13 August to 11.59pm on Friday 14 August.

00.01am Thursday 20 August to 11.59pm on Friday 21 August

National Express has confirmed that limited services will be running, details of which can be found via the following link: Industrial action altered timetables.

Alternative journey options are also available on the National Rail Enquiries website at nationalrail.co.uk

Limited parking for BTP officers has been secured at West Ham Rugby Club, although please note that there are a maximum of 50 free spaces available. Officers are asked to park sensibly to maximise space and be considerate to the land owner who has kindly offered this facility at such short notice. The car park is located at 71 Holland Rd London E15, off Memorial Ave near to West Ham underground station. Spaces will be allocated on a first come first serve basis. 

In line with the BTP Attendance SOP, all line managers should refer any requests for alternative working arrangements to a member of the Senior Management Team before authorisation, and individuals are reminded that any request to take annual leave must not compromise service delivery.

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Presentation skills course

A two-day course in improving your presentation skills is available to officers and staff. The course is a chance to practise presenting in a safe environment with the opportunity for individual mentoring and feedback.

Aimed at both people who haven’t presented before and those who want to build on their existing skills, the course will explore different methods of delivery while also teaching new skills and opinions. Both verbal and non-verbal communication skills will be considered as a method of selling your ideas and reinforcing your persuasion techniques.

It will be run over two days with a break in between each day to give opportunity for reflection and development. Held at Parnell House in Victoria, the course dates are:

13 and 27 August

23 September and 8 October

21 October and 6 November

To apply, fill in a training course application form and, once authorised by your line manager, forward it to Area Training Unit Administrator June Sears stating your preferred dates.

For further information and course aims and objectives please contact L Area Trainer Melanie Boyle on 0207 027 3808.

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Busy time ahead for large event policing

Between 29 August and 11 September L Area is policing a series of large events that will prove a challenging time in terms or resources.

The end of August sees the Climate Camp and Notting Hill Carnival on the same weekend and 8 September is the start of the Defence Systems and Equipment International exhibition – one of the biggest policing events in our calendar. In between those dates are two England football matches and a rugby union game at Wembley, as well as the start of the domestic football season.

Superintendent John Hennigan said: “While we’re very experienced at events policing, the sheer number taking place in such a short space of time puts a significant amount of pressure on the planning team and our resources.

“We’re trying our best to minimise disruption to shifts and ensure an adequate number of rest days but officers will unfortunately face a certain amount of changes and overtime.

“Please bear will us, it’s a huge logistical operation and your flexibility is appreciated. If we all pull together, I’m confident our experience and professionalism will see us through.”

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Body armour fitting session on 10 September

There will be a body armour fitting session on 10 August between 11am and 4pm at L Area Headquarters (Jubilee Room, 8th Floor, North Wing).

It will be on a first come, first serve basis but you must email Tanika Gaudoin beforehand as there are limited places available. Officers with body armour that is due to reach its five year expiry date within the next six months will be given priority.

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Peter Stringfellow gets a jump start

Two Stockwell officers going to the aid of a stranded motorist on 13 July were surprised to see the well-known club owner, Peter Stringfellow, with a set of jump leads in his hand.

PS Richard Windsor and PC Natalie Kunath were getting some food and petrol from a local supermarket when a staff member pointed out a stranded Vauxhall Tigra.

Richard said: “I found Peter and his wife standing there without a clue what to do with the jump leads. We were more than happy to help him out and he was very thankful, even putting our photo up on his website’s blog.”

On his website, Peter has written: “Two of London’s nicest policeman/woman immediately sorted out the problem.

“So a big thank you to Sergeant Richard and PC Nat who are just two of the reasons that the London police are respected all over the world.”

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Drugs packaging dos and don’ts

The Scientific Support Unit (SSU) has put a printable page on the Briefing System outlining how to package drugs and sharp objects to be sent for drugs analysis.

It includes the correct methods for packaging liquids, knives, powders, biohazards and plant/herbal material. You can find it on the Briefing System here or if you’d like any advice or information you can contact the SSU on 0207 253 8113 or [email protected]

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Incoming phone calls to PDAs

Officers are warned that some PDAs have been receiving unwanted phone calls from a telephone number ending 757066.

Should you receive a call from a number ending with these digits, do not answer it but instead press the red phone button to cancel the call. Please do not engage in conversation with any callers.

The Mobile Data Team is working with BTP’s service provider to resolve the issue.

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