British Transport Police recording almost 98 per cent of all crimes

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British Transport Police is recording an outstanding 97.9 per cent of crimes committed across the network, the police inspectorates have said.

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An inspection of the service provided to victims of crime by British Transport Police

This compares to a national accuracy of around 90 per cent of crime recorded for all police forces in England and Wales. Accurate crime recording helps forces prioritise investigations by using suitably skilled staff to give victims the service they deserve. It also helps forces to manage their resources and plan effectively for the future.

Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS), with assistance from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary Scotland (HMICS), examined British Transport Police’s performance. They found that the force was particularly strong in its recording of sexual offences, with a rate of 99 per cent being attained.

The joint inspection found that British Transport Police’s investigations are effective and generally progressed in a proportionate and timely manner, and that a high proportion of crime is followed up for further investigation and properly allocated to appropriately trained officers.

However, the inspectorates also found a number of opportunities for improving the service British Transport Police provides to victims of crime. For example:

  • the force needs to get better at identifying repeat victims and vulnerability;
  • the backlog in online reports of crime needs to be reduced;
  • crime arising from reports of anti-social behaviour and for vulnerable victims needs to be correctly recorded; and
  • victims need to be informed when a decision is taken to not investigate their crime further.

Her Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary Matt Parr recently said:

“British Transport Police can rightly be proud of the good service it provides to victims of crime. In some areas, such as the recording of crime, it is very good indeed. However, there is opportunity to build on its successes.“The force offers a variety of ways for the public to contact it. This includes use of online crime reporting, texts, emails, and social media. Call handling standards are high, and resources are generally used correctly and promptly.“Further enhancement to the good service already provided by British Transport Police can be achieved by implementing our recommendations. We expect the force will waste no time in progressing these.”

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An inspection of the service provided to victims of crime by British Transport Police