Train operator Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) has a 50-strong, in-house team of Rail Enforcement Officers (REOs). They work alongside Officers from British Transport Police (BTP) daily.
Wearing distinctive uniforms to provide a high visibility and reassuring presence, the REOs deal with low-level crimes and anti-social behaviour: vandalism, graffiti, fare evasion and disruption on trains. REOs are often deployed to cover specific train stations or routes to deter more serious issues that emerge from time to time, such as aggressive loitering or begging, theft, burglary, knife crime, assaults and county-lines drug activities.
By providing a uniformed presence during their day-to-day duties, they are also well-placed to be of assistance to passengers who are in need of help, such as the homeless or those with mental health issues who may be a suicide risk. GTR’s REOs work with BTP on education and community activities with schools and youth groups to raise awareness of the dangers presented by the railway, such as playing near level crossings and on the tracks. They also run security awareness days at larger rail stations. GTR’s REOs won the Outstanding Teamwork category in the National Rail Awards 2019 – the equivalent of the railway industry’s Oscars.
GTR’s group of companies includes the rail brands Thameslink, Great Northern, Southern and Gatwick Express.
Of Britain’s 28 train operating companies, GTR is one of three companies who have employees accredited with specific but limited police powers by the Chief Constable of British Transport Police under the Railway Safety Accreditation Scheme (RSAS), a voluntary scheme, the rail equivalent of community safety accreditation.
The GTR team of REOs, based at Brighton, Purley, Hitchen and London Blackfriars (pictured), are accredited under RSAS by the BTP Chief Constable. In GTR’s 12-month summary submitted for the National Rail Awards 2019, its REO team was highlighted as having carried out:
– 801 deployments to assist emergency services
– 126 arrests for BTP of individuals wanted for offences including theft, burglary, knives and drugs
– 542 Police National Computer checks for ‘wanted’ or ‘missing’ persons resulting in ‘numerous’ missing persons being returned home safely
– 980 ‘intelligence reports’ for BTP
– 2,248 sanctions for fare evasions
– 141 potential lives saved following the team’s intervention to assist people who had expressed a desire to end their lives.
Over the same period, the REOs joined forces with BTP, and independently, to run operations to combat vagrancy, cycle theft and drugs at targeted railway stations and have assisted BTP at regional events. These have included football matches at Brighton and Luton, bonfire celebrations at Lewes, East Sussex, and Alexandra Palace, north London; and the Farr Festival of electronic music, Hertfordshire. Also achieved:
– 14,000 children informed about rail safety
– 100 cycle advice surgeries leading to reductions in cycle crime in those areas
– 14pc reduction in cycle crime on the Southern network
– 64pc reduction in cycle crime at Redhill Rail station following uniformed patrols and cycle surgeries
– 43.7pc reduction in crime at Gatwick Airport station, traditionally a hotspot for theft of passenger property
– 21pc reduction in crime at Eastbourne station
Adam Dear, GTR Rail Enforcement Manager North, said that having gone through lengthy recruitment and training processes, the REOs spend most of their time in the front-line assisting BTP. “By providing a high visibility, uniformed presence REOs can address certain issues immediately to free-up BTP officers for other priorities whilst increase public reassurance and confidence.
“The team receives specialist training to identify vulnerable persons and by listening to them and understanding their needs, they can help arrange the necessary care and support to keep them safe. Seeing someone on a platform who is clearly vulnerable, or pulling someone back from the edge of the platform who is preparing to jump onto the tracks or in front of a train, is never easy but the work they do to save lives is exceptional.”
Adam’s own team of 22 REOs, who cover Thameslink and Great Northern, helped educate more than 4,600 children about railway safety, even hosting school trips on trains in the area of the Great Northern rail network during 2019.
“The REOs do a great job, sometimes in the most challenging of circumstances, and they make me extremely proud,” he added.
And Thameslink and Great Northern Customer Services Director, Jenny Saunders, said: “We are very proud of our RSAS-accredited employees. They all go through a lengthy recruitment process and extensive training, so they are ready and able to work on the front-line every day to keep the railways safe for everyone.
“Passengers gain a lot of confidence and reassurance from seeing staff in uniform who are there to look after them and ensure they have a safe journey and experience on the railway.
“The RSAS-accredited employees also do a lot of work in the community to educate children to be safe around the railway network. They make a huge difference and their work is recognised not only by members of the public but also by officers from British Transport Police.
“Having a recognised police organisation assess us, only provides further endorsement of the quality of the service we are seeking to provide to all our passengers and staff, to keep the railways a safe place for everyone.”
PCPI Compliance Manager, Ken Meanwell, leads on RSAS. He said: “The Railway Safety Accreditation Scheme operated by Govia Thameslink is an excellent example of how a train operating company can work with the British Transport Police to reduce crime and increase passenger satisfaction on the railways.”
About RSAS
Any train operating company, business or railway security or safety body can apply for the Railway Safety Accreditation Scheme (RSAS). Companies or organisations seeking to run a scheme are assessed by Police Crime Prevention Initiatives (PCPI) to see whether they are ‘fit and proper’ in their management, supervision and accountability to exercise RSAS powers. PCPI issues a report with recommendations to BTP’s Chief Constable, who decides whether to accredit employees of those businesses already working in roles that contribute to community safety with powers under Section 43 of the Police Reform Act 2002. Private security companies seeking to run a RSAS are required to have a contract with a train operator or have bids or proposals in place. All staff will be vetted before being accredited.
PCPI review companies taking part every three years. The purpose of RSAS; a safer and more secure railway for passengers and rail employees by helping to tackle low level crime, incivilities and anti-social behaviour without involving a police officer; plus improving intelligence and maximising public confidence by providing a high-visibility presence.
