From: Fifer, Steven
Sent: 29 May 2009 16.41
Subject: LN Weekly 29 May 2009

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Weekly update for LN Area
29 May 2009

British Transport Police

 

 

NEWS:     BTP PRAISED FOR EFFECTIVE POLICING OF SOUTHEND FESTIVAL OF THE AIR

NOTICE:   POTENTIAL BONE MARROW DONORS – CAN YOU HELP THE ANTHONY NOLAN TRUST?

NOTICE:   LONDON NORTH AREA SUPPORT UNIT – REVISED FUNCTIONS

NEWS:     CAMBRIDGE OFFICERS ATTEND SCHOOL SAFETY ZONE DAYS

NOTICE:   TRANSPORT BENEVOLENT FUND – HERE TO HELP YOU

NOTICE:   IS YOUR VEHICLE OUT OF SERVICE? THEN DISABLE THE RADIO!

NOTICE:   BUSINESS TRAVEL SOP – REVISED CHANGES

NOTICE:   LN WEEKLY DISTRIBUTION LIST

 

 

 

BTP praised for effective policing of Southend Festival of the Air

 

The Southend Festival of the Air show took place on Sunday 24 and Monday 25 May 2009. The event is located on the sea-front and attracts up to 100,000 visitors with air displays such as the Red Arrows and static ground displays.

 

BTP provided a policing presence at Southend Central, Southend Victoria and Westcliffe stations in support of c2c, National Express and Essex Police.

 

This year, due to the sunny weather, it was the busiest the event has been in the last five years. As a result, there was a dramatic increase in the number of passengers using the railways.

 

Chief Inspector Jason Bunyard and his team provided the majority of the resources, with officers attending from Liverpool Street, Southend, Colchester, Norwich and the Eastern tasking team supported by AHQ Ops (Passive Drugs Dogs).

 

Julian Drury, c2c Managing Director, has since contacted the Area Commander to express his thanks to the Area for the hard work and policing organisation seen at the event.

 

He said: “We were lucky with the weather but this meant that we faced a large organisational challenge. Nonetheless, everything went to plan and despite the numbers and the summer temperatures – the festival ran like clockwork.

 

“Over the two days 28,500 passengers used the c2c service, travelling to and from Southend. This is the same number of passengers in comparison to our peak-time London bound trains. We did it safely, with no accidents, no incidents and followed a strict plan.”

 

“I have thanked Jason for providing an effective and efficient policing service. BTP’s presence helped make sure that people behaved well and went home quietly,” added Julian Drury.

 

Chief Insp Bunyard, who had overall responsibility for the BTP policing presence over the two days, said that through working in partnership with both c2c and Essex Police, BTP was able to ensure that members of the public were able to attend the event in safety.

 

He added: “Although some people had consumed a large amount of alcohol we made sure that the opportunity for disorder and antisocial behaviour was kept to a minimum.

 

“I was extremely impressed with those officers working with me, who, despite the long hours, remained professional throughout and dealt with all incidents in an effective and proactive manner.”

 

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Potential bone marrow donors – can you help the Anthony Nolan Trust?

 

The Anthony Nolan Trust and British Transport Police are launching an appeal to encourage all employees to register as potential bone marrow donors in a bid to help save the life of one of the thousands of patients currently looking for a match.

 

Every 21 minutes someone in the UK is diagnosed with a potentially life threatening disorder – e.g. Leukemia or plastic anemia – where often the only chance of a full cure is to have a bone marrow transplant.

 

Fewer than 30 per cent of these patients will find a family member with compatible blood stem cells to donate. For the rest – an unrelated donor is the only chance.

 

The Anthony Nolan Trust is working with BTP to raise awareness surrounding the need for more bone marrow donors and has set up a special event.

 

If you wish to register as a potential lifesaver and find out more about The Anthony Nolan Trust please come along to Force Headquarters on Friday 19 June from 12pm to 3pm

 

Lynsey Dickson, from the Anthony Nolan Trust, said: "There are currently 16,000 patients seeking a suitable bone marrow donor. Therefore, we are urging all BTP employees aged 18 to 40 who are in good health to register and potentially help change a life of someone who is ill.  

 

“We are looking forward to working together with BTP on this campaign and we are very grateful for their help and support in our life saving work”

 

For more information please contact Derek Reale, FHQ Welfare Officer, at: 07921943853 or derek.reale@btp.pnn.police.uk.

 

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London North Area Support Unit – revised functions

 

As a result of the Force’s ‘Frontline First’ policy and the realignment of resources within the Force’s Criminal Justice Unit structure, a restructuring programme has recently been completed in respect of the previously named ‘Area Justice Unit’.

 

This has seen a number of changes which have impacted across London North. A significant change is the function of the ‘Evidential Review Officer’, which was previously undertaken within the pre existing AJU. This has now been delegated to all First Line Supervisors.

 

All crime files and case papers, once evidentially reviewed, are now submitted straight to the Criminal Justice Unit.

 

The re-named Area Support Unit, under Alan Jackson’s management, still performs a number of relevant and significant functions. Full details, in this regard, are posted on the London North Intranet Departments pages. Their primary responsibilities, however, can briefly be summarised as follows:

 

  • To quality assure all penalty notice disposals, to ensure compliance and evidential proof in line with Force Policy.
  • To provide training and advisory support to officers and supervisors regarding Penalty Notice Disposal (PND) policy, form completion and minimum evidential requirements. Comprehensive advice and guidance regarding PNDs and the required content, including template examples, are now posted on the London North Intranet “Guidance” pages.
  • Warrants management
  • Bail and summons progression enquiries
  • Youth liaison and crime co-ordination, providing an advisory link for all LN Officers, and a single point of contact for Home Office Forces, external agencies, and youth offending teams.

 

Detective Inspector Dave Aiton said: “The ASU provides extremely valuable and significant administrative support for London North officers and staff.

 

“The unit’s remit has recently been extended to incorporate bail and summons progression enquiries. In this regard, some commendably diligent work by Lynne Smith and Laura Williams has already resulted in tangible progress being made in this area, with over 30 previously unrecorded offence detections being identified.  

 

“The unit’s typists also provided excellent interview transcription support in relation to Operation Cook, the Area’s recent successful investigation and prosecution of an organised gang of Australian graffiti vandals.”

 

The relevant contact number for the unit are:

 

Lynne Smith – 0207 391 8248

Alan Jackson – 0207 391 8246

 

Alternatively, email “LN-ASU” or “LN-PND- Gatekeepers” (in relation to  any PND queries).

 

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Cambridge officers attend School Safety Zone Days

 

On Thursday 7 and Friday 8 May Officers from BTP Cambridge attended the Babraham Institute where schools from South Cambridgeshire were invited to attend the School Safety Zone Day.

 

The two-day event focused on educating school children on how to be safe and what to do in an emergency situation.

 

250 pupils from a number of infant and primary schools were given talks from the Cambridgeshire Fire Service, Cambridgeshire Police, Environment Agency, Trading Standards, St Johns Ambulance, Environmental Health, Cambridgeshire County Council Road Safety Project and British Transport Police.

 

PC Paul Gray, PCSO Coordinator, and PCSOs John Philpott, Lynn O'Brien and Jane Ambrose gave presentations on behalf of BTP. They gave the children safety advice on rail and level crossings and trespassing on the railway lines.

 

PC Gray said: “The event was well-attended and the kids were really interested in what the BTP do. They retold stories of what their parents had done at level crossings and enjoyed pointing out which miniature models were committing trespass offences on our model train set. “

 

“All the children were given a goody bag of leaflets, pens and magazines to reinforce the message to their friends and family,” added PC Gray.

 

 

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Transport Benevolent Fund – here to help you

 

The Transport Benevolent Fund (TBF) is a registered charity that works to benefit anyone who works in public transport – including the BTP.

 

TBF is supported by all the major transport group and trade unions and Lew Adams, of the BTPA, is one of the patrons

 

TBF offers a number of services that can benefit you as a BTP employee. This can include: legal advice, complimentary medical treatments, welfare advice, bereavement benefit and physiotherapy sessions.

 

The fund’s main aim is to help keep you at work and to ease your worries. All these benefits are available to you for £1 a week.

 

The local contact is Lee Adams and he can be contacted at: lee@tbf.org.uk, 07545 208378

 

For more information on TBF please click here.

 

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Is your vehicle out of service? Then disable the radio!

 

From Monday 1 June, radios in vehicles that have taken out of service – must be disabled.

 

All BTP’s Airwave radios are provided under licence from the Home Office and it is a licence condition that all radios in vehicles must be disabled when the vehicle is out of service.

 

“Airwave is a digital encrypted system, so it is very important that access to the network is strictly regulated,” says Steve Lumley, Airwave Tactical Advisor from the FHQ Communications Team.

 

“Whenever a vehicle is taken out of service, either permanently for decommissioning or temporarily for service, maintenance or repair, the radio must be disabled.

 

“This applies to any vehicles taken out of service for any reason, where they are out of BTP control.  If you hand the keys to a third party, ensure the radio is disabled.”

 

Radios can be disabled by contacting one of the Force Control Rooms

 

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Business travel SOP – revised changes

 

The Business Travel and Expenses Standard Operating Procedure was revised by FHQ in January 2009 and will be in operation till Jan 2011.

 

The SOP provides guidance for staff booking or going on business travel.

 

Please make sure you are familiar with the revised changes. You can find a link to the document by clicking here.

 

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LN Weekly distribution list

 

Please can line managers check and make sure that all their officers, PCSOs or members of staff are receiving LN Weekly.

 

LN Weekly is an effective communications tool for the benefit of all BTP employees and everyone should be receiving the weekly notification.

 

Please send contact information to Steven Fifer so that he can update the mailing list.

 

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LN Weekly is the news update for BTP LN Area. It is sent out to all LN Area officers and staff every Friday. If you have a story you think should appear here, email Steven Fifer  Copyright © 2009 British Transport Police.

 

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