Spooks' technology sends bus crime plummeting

Police armed with ‘Spooks’-style gadgets have cut bus crime in half on one of Birmingham’s busiest routes. Officers from the Safer Travel unit saw offences along the Stratford Road plummet by 56 per cent in just six weeks after they equipped themselves with futuristic surveillance equipment. Officers are using high tech transmitters to tap into the on-board CCTV systems of passing buses and then beaming the live images to their nearby police car. Using handheld TV screens, the officers can observe what is happening on the bus and respond instantly to any incidents. It’s the first time the innovative technology has been used on buses outside London and can be fitted to any National Express West Midlands vehicle. Police have spent six weeks trialling the system under the codename ‘Operation Invariance.’ They targeted bus routes along the Stratford Road between February 17 and March 28 following reports of crime and anti-social behaviour from passengers. A team of 14 police officers were involved in the operation. Plain clothed officers tapped into bus CCTV and pictures were beamed up to 700 yards away to unmarked police cars. If an incident occurred police and PCSO’s were on hand to immediately board the vehicle.  Overall, crime along the Stratford Road plummeted by 56 per cent during the six week operation, with robberies falling by 75 per cent. Inspector Cate Webb Jones from the Safer Travel police team said: “Just because passengers can’t see a uniformed presence doesn’t mean that West Midlands Police are not watching and ready to respond. “We’ve spent six weeks trialling the kit along the Stratford Road and the results are extremely promising. We’ve seen all types of crime fall along the corridor and now plan to use the technology on a routine basis across the whole of the West Midlands.” Tony Dallison, Safer Travel Manager for National Express, said: “Anti social behaviour is unacceptable to us and unfair on fellow passengers. This technology allows us to target the minority who repeatedly cause problems on our bus network.” Half of the £8,000 cost of the equipment was funded by Centro, the region’s transport authority. Mark Babington, Centro’s Crime Reduction Manager said: “The level of crime on the region’s bus network is extremely low but a handfull of incidents can lead to an unfounded fear of crime. This technology is another powerful weapon in deterring and apprehending offenders.” During the six week operation 11 people were arrested, 34 were stopped and searched and a further 57 given verbal warnings.The Safer Travel police team is one of just three policing units throughout Britain which is dedicated to the bus network.Safer Travel is a partnership between West Midlands Police, Safer Birmingham Partnership, National Express West Midlands and Centro, the region’s passenger transport authority. The Partnership works to make bus travel even safer for passengers by deterring crime and anti-social behaviour on and around the network.

Published 23rd April 2010