Police and crime commissioner?

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Is there a Police and crime commissioner for the British Transport Police, and if so, how was he / she elected by transport users?

[Electric train]

Is there a Police and crime commissioner for the British Transport Police, and if so, how was he / she elected by transport users?

No there is not a Police and crime commissioner for the British Transport Police (Not elected) it has a Police Authority http://btpa.police.uk/

BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) is not funded by the tax payer it is funded by the Railway and Dock Operators.  In many ways BTP is similar to MoD Plod and the CNC (Civil Nuclear Constabulary) they are private police forces.

[swrural]

That is why BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) need such good liaison with 'outside' forces, since I believe once the miscreants leave the property, BTP would in fact be making a citizen arrest as you and I could (I did write 'could'!).

[Chris from Nailsea]

Not quite right, actually.  Section 31 of the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003 gives BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) constables powers and privileges of a constable throughout Great Britain for a purpose connected to a railway or to anything occurring on or in relation to a railway.

[Electric train]

That is why BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) need such good liaison with 'outside' forces, since I believe once the miscreants leave the property, BTP would in fact be making a citizen arrest as you and I could (I did write 'could'!).

They are actually warranted police officers the can and do make arrests off or railway premisses.  They are duty bound like any other police officer to intervene if they suspect a criminal act is taking place or about to take place, however they will usually call it in to the local police unless there is a risk to life or injury to a member of the public or a potential victim.  One major difference between BTP and local police are the number of railway and docks bye laws at their disposal.   BTP were the only National (mainland) civil police force they are now joined by the CNC.

[paul7575]

Not a problem with following people off and away from railway property, (as CfN pointed out), BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) officers have nationwide juridiction for purposes connected directly with the railway.  Hence them being regular visitors to many scrapyards...  

But since 2001, under the Anti Terrorism, Crime and Security Act, there's a system called 'spontaneous requirement outside natural jurisdiction' that allows a BTP (or MoD etc) officer coming across a crime at random when going about their normal duties to intervene with the normal powers of a territorial constable.

a) if requested by a constable of a local police force to assist them in the execution of their duties in relation to a particular incident, investigation or operation;

b) when they suspect on reasonable grounds a person of having committed, being in the course of committing or about to commit an offence, or that they need the powers and privileges of a constable in order to save life or to prevent or minimise personal injury. British Transport Police officers can only act in these circumstances if they are in uniform or have documentary evidence that they are a member of the British Transport Police, and they believe on reasonable grounds that they should exercise these powers without securing the attendance of, or a request for assistance from, another constable under (a) as this would frustrate or severely prejudice the purpose for which they believe the power should be exercised;

Paul

[grahame]

That's a very interesting set of follow-ups and some good information - thank you.

The Home Office's site says

Do you want more of a say about how your area is policed? Do you feel victims of crime need more of a say or that more needs to done to tackle antisocial behaviour on your street?

These are the important issues that police and crime commissioners will take up on your behalf.

and they clearly feel it was worth spending a lot of money putting the elected Police and Crime Commissioners in place.

However, the Department for Transport's site could say

Do you want more of a say about how your station and train is policed? Do you feel victims of crime need more of a say or that more needs to done to tackle antisocial behaviour on your railway?

These are the important issues, but there's no-one in place in high authority to take them up on your behalf.

or have I missed some other senior elected user's representative?

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the British Transport Police Authority website:

The fifteen members of the British Transport Police Authority oversee the police force, set its targets and allocate funding for its budget. Read about BTPA^s main duties and its plans for British Transport Police strategy until 2014. We also deal with complaints, recruitment, our independent custody visiting and Freedom of Information requests.

There are fifteen places for membership of BTPA, including a chairman and a deputy chairman, appointed by the Transport Secretary. Members are required to have knowledge of a range of views from the rail industry and rail passengers. Vacancies are publicly advertised by the Department for Transport and filled when required.

Authority meetings are open to members of the public. Anyone wishing to attend should contact Lucy Yasin, Business Manager.

The next meeting for The Full Authority is on Thursday 13 December 2012

Regarding the introduction of Police and Crime Commissioners, the British Transport Police Authority explain:

Police and Crime Commissioners: candidate briefing
15th October 2012

British Transport Police Authority has today published a briefing document for Police and Crime Commissioner candidates to help them understand the role of BTPA and BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) in policing the railways.

Elections for the first Police and Crime Commissioners in England and Wales are scheduled to take place on Thursday 15 November. BTPA was not affected by the provisions of Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011, which replaces territorial police authorities, and will retain its existing structure after the election next month.

The British Transport Police Authority briefing sets out how they will continue to be accountable to all users of the railways:

Accountability to industry and our stakeholders

Stakeholder trust is our most valued asset, and for our investors we must demonstrate that we provide a good return on their investment ^ and to be sure we create that value as effectively as possible.

Working in partnership with the rail industry is essential to successful policing on the network. By working with the people who manage and run the railways we combine our resources and consolidate our expertise. Working in collaboration means we are stronger than we could ever be alone.

BTP^s work with communities is an integral part of our commitment to safeguard the rail network and the millions of passengers who use it every day. We work closely with the communities we serve to develop our strategic and policing plans. By engaging with the rail industry, individuals and groups we understand their needs and respond accordingly. Neighbourhood policing is just one example of how we work in partnership with local communities to determine local policing priorities. Through our dedicated and accessible teams we ensure we are responsive to the needs of the travelling public.

Community Safety Partnerships are key partners in dealing with anti‐social behaviour (ASB) in the longer term. In South Wales BTP's Neighbourhood Policing Teams have had huge success by moving beyond simply ejecting problem youngsters from stations to collaborative work with Arriva Trains Wales and Network Rail, trading standards and street workers. In the West Midlands the regions Safer Travel Partnership was established in 2006, the partnership now includes transport authority Centro, West Midlands Police, British Transport Police, National Express West Midlands and the region^s seven Community Safety Partnerships. BTP became involved in 2010 and the policing team became operational in August 2011. Working to make journeys safer for passengers by deterring crime and antisocial behaviour, the partnership is successfully helping reduce crime and create a more pleasant travelling environment.

Hope this helps. 

[Electric train]

If a Police and Crime Commissioner were elected for BTP^▸ (British Transport Police) he / she would potentially have the mandate of 65,000,000 plus people and I thought the TVP one had a big mandate of 2,000,000   

I do fin the job title strange in the NHS commissioners commission medical procedure does this mean these police guys commission crime and then commission the police to detect it