No Tranquility for Wales and Western railway offenders

Operation Tranquility II, the latest WW-wide week of action aimed at preventing, disrupting and detecting crime and disorder on the railways, has proved a success after more than 130 offenders were dealt with by officers across the WW Area.

Officers took part in a variety of operations at locations across the region including targeting anti-social behaviour, people trespassing on rail lines and misusing level crossings, and those intent on carrying weapons or drugs.

In total, 136 offences, including assault, breach of the peace, possession of drugs and offensive weapons, fraud and money laundering were recorded.

In Devon, two men spotted smoking on a platform at Plymouth railway station on Tuesday 12 May were discovered to be carrying �6,400 in cash and had suspected stolen property worth �6,000 hidden in their rucksacks.

The pair, a 25-year-old and a 30-year-old, both from Manchester, were charged with money laundering and possession of cannabis.

Sgt Paul Curtis, based at Plymouth, said: �This is the second such arrest by Plymouth officers in recent weeks. Officers are certainly earning their wages, and then some!�

In Wales, 28 people were detected for line of route offences, which include trespassing and misuse of level crossings, as officers heightened patrols across the country.

And in the West Midlands, seven men were arrested in connection with football-related disorder that was captured on CCTV at Telford railway station in early April.

Details of Operation Tranquility II were covered by a number of newspapers and radio stations including: the Birmingham Mail; South Wales Argus; North Wales Daily Post; BBC Radio Shropshire; Exeter FM; and Touch Radio (Coventry).

Operation Tranquility III will run from Monday 22 June to Sunday 28 June.

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Vehicle out of service? Disable the radio!

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

All of 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,� said 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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Police Awards deadline looming

Anyone still planning to submit nominations to the Jane's Police Review Gala Awards 2009 is rapidly running out of time.

The deadline for submissions is Monday 1 June, with the Gala awards evening taking place on Wednesday 28 October at the London Hilton Park Lane Hotel.

The Award Categories are:

• Community Police Officer of the Year Award
• Student Officer of the Year Award
• Diversity in Action Team Award
• Lifetime Achievement in Policing Award
• Community Support Officer of the Year Award

To find out more about the Jane's Police Review Gala Awards, go to: http://www.janes.com/events/awards/policereview/

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�Crucial Crew� to benefit from BTP safety advice

BTP�s Schools Liaison Officer for Bangor and Rhyl, Bill Rogerson, will be offering vital rail safety advice to 1,500 children at a 10-day event designed to teach 10-year-old kids key life skills.

Bill will be part of the Shrewsbury and Oswestry Crucial Crew event which puts the Year 6 pupils through a series of scenarios with the aim of teaching them life skills, good citizenship, how to avoid dangers and deal with incidents.

As well as learning about the potential dangers of the railway, topics include water safety, fire safety, farm safety, vandalism, theft, and road safety. The event has been running for 14 years and about 18,500 children have already benefited from the crucial safety messages.

The management committee of �Crucial Crew' is made up of representatives from the police, education, health, military and the communities of both Shrewsbury and Oswestry.

This year's event, which runs from Monday 1 June until Friday 12 June, will see Bill demonstrate safety issues and highlight some of the potential perils of the network by using an innovative method.

He said: �For my scenario I use a model railway which has a number of dangers associated with the railway located on it and the children are asked during my presentation to identify the dangers.�

�This is the first time for quite a number of years that rail safety has been included in the scenarios. I welcome the fact that it is included because the main Chester to Shrewsbury line runs nearby, and it�s a golden opportunity to see some many young people in a short space of time.�

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Got a story you would like to see published in WW Weekly? Are you member of a BTP social group that needs some extra coverage? Do you assist on an external charity and want to advertise a campaign you are working on among your Wales and Western colleagues?

WW Weekly is the news update for BTP WW Area. It is sent out to all WW Area officers and staff every Friday. If you have a story you think should appear here, email Brian Price, Media and Marketing Manager, at [email protected]. Copyright � 2009 British Transport Police.