23 April 2007
Police officers to patrol Glasgow Subway
Four year £317,000 contract with British Transport Police approved
Following the success of the pilot scheme to introduce British Transport Police (BTP) officers to patrol Glasgow's Subway system, SPT has reached agreement with BTP to make the arrangement permanent.
The three month trial to deploy two BTP Officers on day to day policing duties on the Subway began in January. The daily presence of the Officers involved has offered public reassurance for all Subway users and the experiment was warmly welcomed by passengers and staff alike.
During this time, the BTP officers dealt with the full range of police activities including maintaining law and order, crime prevention advice and public safety. An important element of the work involved crowd control duties when the Subway network is particularly busy, such as match days. They have made arrests, and to date their detection rate stands at 47%.
SPT's Head of Security welcomed the decision to enter into a permanent Police Services Agreement with BTP: "Passenger safety remains our top priority. Often the fear of crime is much greater than the actual reality so by having BTP Officers policing the system on a daily basis, we are providing visible and effective reassurance to our passengers.
"This agreement was reached through working closely with British Transport Police as well as Strathclyde Police and SPT places a high value on these links."
Superintendent Ronnie Mellis, area commander for British Transport Police in Scotland added: "The trial period went extremely well and we are pleased that we will now be working with SPT on a permanent basis. BTP is experienced at policing this environment and our officers bring a wealth of skills and experience to the Glasgow Subway.
"BTP will not tolerate crime and disorder on the rail network and we will continue to work closely with SPT and colleagues from Strathclyde Police to ensure the safety of staff and passengers."
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