British Transport Police Fund Annual Report and Accounts for the year ending 31 March 2020 British Transport Police Fund Statement of Accounts for the year ending 31 March 2020 Presented to Parliament pursuant to Schedule 4 of the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003 Ordered by the House of Commons to be printed 21 July 2020 HC 589 SG/2020/120 © British Transport Police Authority copyright 2020 This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open- government-licence/version/3 Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned. This publication is available at: https://www.gov.uk/official-documents Any enquiries regarding this publication should be sent to us at The Forum, 5th Floor North, 74-80 Camden Street, NW1 0EG ISBN 978-1-5286-1940-0 CCS0120970676 07/20 Printed on paper containing 75% recycled fibre content minimum Printed in the UK by The APS Group on behalf of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office Contents 1 Performance Report 07 Performance Overview 08 Chair's Statement 08 About Us: A Strategic Overview 10 Performance Summary 12 Key Achievements 12 Operational Analysis 14 Policing Plan 19 Financial Analysis 23 Sustainability Report 29 2 Accountability Report 33 Corporate Governance Report 34 Directors’ Report 34 Statement Of Accounting Officer's Responsibilities 43 Governance Statement 45 Principal Risks And Uncertainties 52 Remuneration Report 59 Parliamentary Accountability And Audit Report 74 Losses/Special Payments 74 The Certificate And Report Of The Comptroller And Auditor General To The Houses Of Parliament 75 3 Financial Report 79 Performance Report 1 Performance Overview Chair's Statement About Us: A Strategic Overview Performance Summary Key Achievements Operational Analysis Policing Plan Financial Analysis Sustainability Report 8 Annual Report and Accounts 2020 | Performance report Performance Overview Chair's Statement The following report and accounts Following the success of the 61016 text outline the work and achievements of reporting service, BTP launched an the British Transport Police (BTP) over online reporting tool, which makes it the last year in meeting the objectives easier for people to report crime. This set by the British Transport Police has seen almost 15,000 crime reports Authority (BTPA). since its launch in April 2019. The financial year from April 2019 to Safeguarding young and vulnerable March 2020 was a successful one for people on the railway has remained the BTP and proceeded as expected a priority for the BTP, supported this year until the COVID-19 crisis hit the UK by a huge push to tackle County Lines during the first half of 2020. My offences with the support of the Home Authority colleagues and I are full of Office. A joint effort by the Authority admiration for the way our officers, and BTP achieved major success in PCSOs and staff responded to the crisis, October last year, when the Government dealing with passengers who were approved £1m of discrete additional suddenly discouraged from making funding towards the BTP’s efforts to journeys or using their community crack down on County Lines criminality hub railway stations. The way the BTP on the railway. This was succeeded by adapted so swiftly and professionally a further commitment of £3.3m for the to a new stream of issues raised by the 2020/21 financial year. We will continue onset of the pandemic and lockdown our efforts to work with Government was a testament to the dedication of and raise awareness of BTP’s critical our officers and staff, and to the Force role in tackling national crimes, the as a whole. consequences of which are felt beyond the railway and impact society generally. Notwithstanding the considerable effect of COVID-19, we should not let The force continues to support the the pandemic detract from the Force’s national efforts to tackle knife crime and achievements in the preceding months violence reduction through Operation of 2019 and early 2020. I am pleased to Sentinel. BTP has seen a marginal see the chance of becoming a victim decrease in serious violence and knife- on the railway remains very low, with enabled offences, as well as a welcome thankfully only 22.7 crimes per million decrease in violence against rail staff. passenger journeys made, and the Reduction of trespass and disruption number of crimes being solved has continues to be a priority. BTP and increased since 2018/19. industry partners have this year been working on an evolving list of hotspot locations and have seen, as a result of targeted interventions, a reduction of activity at these locations. Annual Report and Accounts 2020 | Performance Report 9 Report Performance The Scottish Railways Policing model of reassurance or response, Committee, a sub-committee of the relationship management and the BTPA, was established and met for the effectiveness of our different contracts first time in October 2019. Working (Police Service Agreements). The event with the Scottish Government and was hugely effective in broadening 2 Scottish Police Authority, it is designed communications between the to improve the accountability and Authority, the Force and the industry, 3 transparency of railway policing in whilst also giving us invaluable insight Scotland. The committee meets into the industry’s priorities and how quarterly and a programme of work these relate to our own. is being developed by the committee. Looking to the future, we hope to hold The achievements described above more of these events – potentially at a could not have happened without regional level – to get to know our local the excellent joint working between stakeholders and discuss how we can BTP/A and its industry counterparts work better together. We had planned at every level. In September 2019, the to meet with Transport for Wales and Authority hosted a very successful other Welsh partners in March 2020 but industry event at which representatives unfortunately this event was cancelled from train operating companies due to the COVID-19 outbreak. We hope were invited to discuss key strategic to rearrange this and host further events topics facing the BTP. These included across England, Scotland and Wales in debates around the BTPA charging the coming year. Ron Barclay-Smith mechanism, the preferred policing Chair 10 Annual Report and Accounts 2020 | Performance report About Us A Strategic Overview Who we are • Scottish Railways Policing Our ambition and objectives The British Transport Police Committee Protecting People Authority (BTPA) is an executive • Policing Plan Working Group Protecting the network and non-departmental public body of • Pensions Working Group passengers from the threat of the Department for Transport (DfT) • Transformation Working Group established on 1 July 2004 under terrorism, anti-social behaviour and the Railways and Transport Safety crimes that cause the most harm. Our vision Act 2003. Our vision is to collaborate with Reducing Delays and Disruption service operators and businesses Reducing the impact of trespass on What we do in an expanding rail industry to the network, through prevention We are an independent body provide a safe, secure and reliable and working in partnership to responsible for overseeing the transport system for passengers identify lasting solutions, to return work of the British Transport Police and those who work on the railways. possession to the railway operators (BTP) - the national dedicated as soon as it is practically safe to police force for the railways. There Our mission do so. were between 12 and 15 members of Our mission is to keep the railways the BTPA throughout the 2019/20 Providing Value for Money period who provided knowledge safe and protect people from crime, ensuring that levels of disruption Putting our people in the places and experience of issues that where they are needed most, concern passengers, the railway and the fear of crime are as low as possible. investing in technology, identifying industry and railway employees. The additional sources of funding and members currently meet six times providing regular, consistent and a year to set British Transport Police relevant reports to stakeholders. strategy, medium-term financial plans and annual budgets, monitor Building a Skilled and Specialist its operations and allocate funds Workforce for its budget. Members also carry We are an Providing the equipment and tools out supporting business through our officers and staff need to do committees and working groups, independent body their job safely and effectively; the current structure includes: responsible for attracting and retaining a diverse • Audit and Risk Assurance overseeing the workforce by focusing on the Committee work of the British recruitment, development and • Appointments and Remuneration progression of under-represented Committee Transport Police groups and reducing the gender pay gap. • Strategy and Planning Committee (BTP) • Performance and Delivery Committee Annual Report and Accounts 2020 | Performance Report 11 Report Performance 2 3 Our values The values and behaviours required to execute our Strategic Plan and achieve the organisational changes necessary to deliver our ambitions and objectives are as follows: Proud We are proud to be the specialist police force responsible for policing the railways. Compassionate We care about people and put those who are