British Transport Police - UK

INNOVATION: Project Minerva, a collaboration between Essex Police and Nottingham Trent University, is using data-driven mapping to highlight both offences of violence against women and girls (VAWG) and areas where the fear of crime is greatest, to enable the force and community partners to tackle VAWG more effectively, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

ANALYSIS: A new study by the N8 Policing Research Partnership has found a lack of effective evaluation of police activity to tackle drugs markets, leading to responses built on an evidence base that is “distressingly weak”, a “whack-a-mole” approach to police operations, and forces resorting to short termism, as Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons reports.

OPINION: Policing’s growing focus on equality, diversity and inclusion, and fears that officers will be increasingly dragged into adjudicating “abusive spats” online under Scotland’s new Hate Crime Act, are the latest example of a wider debate that needs to be had, argues former Police Scotland Superintendent Martin Gallagher – one which considers what the police are really for, and the danger that policing’s key purpose is being sidelined in favour of diversity.

ANALYSIS: As organisations, individuals and communities around the world look to mark International Women’s Day, Dr Sarah Jane Fox of the University of Leicester Law School looks at the progress and challenges around women’s representation and roles in policing globally, and considers what more policing could and should be doing to achieve gender equality and equity.

OPINION: When a social media post earlier this month announced Met Police Commander Karen Findlay as the new Assistant Chief Constable of the British Transport Police, the response included a barrage of misogynistic and homophobic comments that drew strong criticism from the leaders of both forces and many other senior officers; former police officer Oliver Laurence, now host of the Protect and Serve podcast, believes more could and should be done to protect officers from online abuse.

OPINION: The UK’s complicated policing landscape of 45 territorial forces alongside specialist services and other national law enforcement agencies has often been regarded as one of the challenges to improving police efficiency and effectiveness; resilience expert Robert Hall, former Head of Analysis at the National Criminal Intelligence Service, argues that now is the time to revisit the potential of a centralised UK police force.

OPINION: The proposed closure of 29 police stations in Scotland is symptomatic of a wider problem in UK policing’s role and relationship with the community, believes former Police Scotland Superintendent Martin Gallagher – one which will require innovative thinking coupled with a refocusing on policing’s core functions if it is to be successfully addressed.

FEATURE: A new survey published by London TravelWatch has found that one in five LGBTQ+ people have experienced hate crime while using the public transport network in London over the past year, but more than 80% felt unable to report the incident to police, prompting calls for the Met and British Transport Police to renew efforts to build confidence in policing among members of the LGBT+ community, as Policing Insight’s Thomas James reports.

ANALYSIS: Last month the cross-party UK Home Affairs Committee published its latest report on drugs, which included calls for a reform of legislation, greater cross-departmental collaboration in combating drugs, and more emphasis on protecting children and adopting a trauma-informed approach to the problem; Policing Insight’s Sarah Gibbons explores some of the key recommendation from the Committee.

FEATURE: Earlier this month WeCops – ‘the Twitter home of continuous professional development for policing’ – held its latest Tweet chat event focusing on communications, hosted by West Mercia Chief Constable and NPCC comms lead Pippa Mills; WeCops’ Sgt Kerri Monaghan looks at the key points and comments made during the discussion, and highlights some of the potential learning that resulted from the chat.

OPINION: Last week it was confirmed that most police forces across the UK have now adopted the Right Care, Right Person approach to those in mental health crisis; but given its unique policing environment, the British Transport Police will be implementing an alternative initiative, as Chief Constable Lucy D’Orsi explains.

OPINION: As the police service in the UK waits for the recommendations of the Police Remuneration Review Body regarding the pay settlement for 2023-24, British Transport Police Chief Constable Lucy D’Orsi sets out why it’s crucial that the underpayment of police must stop – and that government support is essential if a ‘positive’ settlement is confirmed.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: Digital transformation is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in policing – from data analytics and mobile workforce optimization to online citizen engagement and investigations. But when it comes to delivering on the promise of digital transformation, one technology that police departments are embracing in growing numbers is cloud-based DEMS (Digital Evidence Management System). This article explores 12 powerful ways that DEMS is transforming policing, from crime to justice.

ANALYSIS: A series of recent reviews and reports have highlighted issues around misogyny and gender inequality in UK policing; in this article Dr Wendy Laverick, Professor Peter Joyce and Dr Emma Cunningham explore the context of some of those issues, and consider the advances as well as the continuing challenges in relation to gender equity in British policing.

OPINION: When a Police Misconduct Panel ruled a British Transport Police officer found guilty of gross misconduct should keep his job, Chief Constable Lucy D’Orsi was forced to continue employing someone she believed was a danger to women; a successful judicial review of the decision now means the officer has been sacked, but CC D’Orsi believes the system has to change if the service is to regain the trust of women.

FEATURE: Disability hate crime has increased significantly in recent years, with autistic people and those with learning disabilities often targeted; Dr Mark Brookes, Advocacy Lead at support and campaign group Dimensions UK, outlines some of the work the organisation is already doing with policing to improve the response to disability hate crime, and the resources and training opportunities available that could help police to tackle such crimes and provide better support to victims.

OPINION: The case this week of serial rapist PC David Carrick has once again highlighted gaps in the vetting and misconduct processes that could have identified the threat posed by the Met officer much earlier; British Transport Police Chief Constable Lucy D’Orsi believes there are a number of steps that can be taken quickly and easily to close those gaps, and ensure patterns of complaints lead to a swift identification of any underlying issues.

INTERVIEW: The period of mourning and subsequent state funeral for HM Queen Elizabeth II involved one of the UK’s largest ever policing operations at multiple locations; Chief Constable Lucy D’Orsi, who led Operation London Bridge, spoke to Policing Insight Contributing Editor Sarah Gibbons about the scale and complexity of the operation, the pride and professionalism of officers and staff, and the “hidden heroes” behind the scenes.

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE: As a national force covering a broad swathe of rail lines and properties, the British Transport Police (BTP) faces unique policing challenges. That’s precisely why NICE Investigate is at the heart of everything BTP is doing to manage its digital evidence ecosystem moving forward. In the first of a series of case-studies highlighting NICE's work with UK police forces, read about how NICE is helping BTP streamline the flow of digital evidence and keep UK railways safe from crime, through digital transformation.

OPINION: The Police Race Action Plan for England and Wales was published this week. British Transport Police Chief Constable Lucy D'Orsi explains what needs to happen to ensure the plan brings about meaningful and sustainable change.

FEATURE: The growing demands placed on police officers are contributing to increasing levels of mental ill-health within the service, yet research has highlighted the continuing stigma around asking for support with mental health problems; British Transport Police Temporary Special Sergeant Shawny Dixon, who is currently studying for her MSc in Policing and Law Enforcement Leadership, looks at some of the existing research around the issue, and what the service could be doing to tackle the problem.

POLICING FRIENDSHIP TOUR: With carbon footprints and sustainability high on the agenda for law enforcement agencies, Jersey Police Chief Officer Robin Smith believes the Crown Dependency force could be the first in the UK to run a fully electric fleet, as he explained to Policing Insight Publisher Bernard Rix on a recent leg of the Policing Friendship Walking Tour.

FEATURE: The police use of Taser has been a topic of much debate, with widening training and deployment, the intense scrutiny, and a lack of understanding about less lethal weapons among both the media and the public some of the key issues; many of those points were raised during a recent #WeCops debate on less lethal weapons, which is summarised in this article by PC Francesca Tamblyn, Taser Lead Instructor for Dorset Police and one of the hosts of the debate.

INTERVIEW: After 38 years in the police service, British Transport Police Temporary Chief Constable Adrian Hanstock is shortly due to retire, having become the only openly gay male police officer to lead a UK force; he spoke to Policing Insight Deputy Editor Sarah Gibbons about his fears when he first joined the job, the progress policing has made on diversity, and the challenges that still need to be tackled.