Supplementary memorandum submitted by
FirstGroup plc
Further to your letter dated 28 April 2006 seeking
additional information, we have outlined a response to each of
the questions tendered.
Question 12: Exactly how many stations do
you manage, and how many of these are accredited under the Secure
Stations Scheme?
For purposes of clarity the response to this
question has been broken down to reflect the current position
within each of our four Train Operating Companies,
First Great Western (FGW): The Greater
Western Franchise which started on the 1st of April 2006 includes
the direct management of 210 stations (Prior to the 1st of April
First Great Western and First Great Western Link managed a total
of 86 stations, of which 41 had secure stations accreditation).
Of the 124 former Wessex stations which joined FGW on the 1st
of April 2006 none had secure stations accreditation. Within the
first two years of the new franchise FGW are working towards the
accreditation of 105 stations and a further 63 within the first
three years. Accreditation will also be maintained at stations
where it has already been achieved.
First Capital Connect (FCC): FCC commenced
operations on 1st April 2006 and directly manages 74 stations.
Of these, 22 have achieved accreditation under the Secure Stations
scheme and most have already gone through at least one re-accreditation.
This demonstrates that measures needed to obtain secure stations
accreditation have been maintained. Of these stations 16 are within
the TfL area. Through a targeted investment programme FCC is also
committed to achieve Secure Stations accreditation at a further
12 stations by April 2008, as well as re-accrediting all 22 currently
held.
First TransPennine Express (FTPE): FTPE
directly manage 30 stations. Of these, nine have achieved secure
stations accreditation. FTPE are working towards achieving secure
stations accreditation at the remaining 21 stations within the
next 18 months.
First ScotRail (FSR): FSR directly manage
341 stations and despite having a strong CCTV infrastructure in
place has not sought secure stations accreditation as the Scottish
Executive and SPT, the two co-signatories to the franchise, monitor
the condition of stations and trains through SQUIRE (the Service
Quality Incentive Regime). In support of this different approach
recent BTP figures show a 12% drop in recorded crime in Scotland.
Question 41-44: What would the extra cost of staffing
all your stations at all times when trains are running?
Unfortunately, it is not possible to supply
the cost of staffing all stations at all times trains are running.
Many stations are permanently unstaffed halts with no accommodation
for staff. Clearly the cost of providing new buildings and
services could only be determined after substantial research and
it would not be possible to do this in the timescale set for reply.
Full time station staffing at all stations is not prescribed in
franchise agreements and our evidence made clear that station
staffing would not of itself deal with the crime and security
issues discussed. In particular, it would have little value
at stations with very low footfall.
Question 55: How many times in each of the last
five years have you asked the BTP to prosecute on the basis of
CCTV evidence?
The BTP regularly use CCTV footage in the investigation
of their cases and this has lead to a significant number of convictions.
The BTP have built up good relationships with our CCTV centres
and are well aware of the areas that CCTV covers. Their objectives
are very much focused on crimes against the person on stations
and trains and for every reported crime of this nature, at CCTV
covered stations, they will request the footage.
A number of significant cases have been solved
using our CCTV footage. Two such instances are of note. There
was a serious assault on a woman at Sutton Common and the CCTV
footage was shown on Crimewatch. The person was apprehended, charged
and sentenced to a custodial sentence. Another case was at Elephant
and Castle where the Police identified a person committing a robbery
on a person and the CCTV footage was used to not only prove the
guilt of the individual committing the crime but also had to be
used to identify the victim as they hadn't come forward at the
time of the persons arrest.
CCTV footage has been especially useful in prosecuting
those committing theft from vehicles in car parks and on assaults
on staff. An area that we will be working more closely with the
BTP on is on using CCTV footage to gain convictions for vandalism
and damage on stations, which is not currently within the BTP
priorities or objectives but adds to the fear of crime to the
travelling public.
Question 64: How many of your staff monitoring
CCTV cameras are in radio contact with BTP officers? What proportion
of staff does this figure represent?
None of our staff monitoring CCTV cameras are
in radio contact with the BTP officers but all our CCTV staff
has access to a direct line to the BTP Control Room, which is
also BTP's preferred method of managing communication. However,
during special operations BTP may provide a mobile phone number,
which provides direct contact to an Inspector in charge.
As part of an FGW/local crime partnership initiative
in Reading, the station cameras can be accessed by the town centre
control room where the staff are in contact with the Thames Valley
Police Officers and BTP officers by radio.
Question 87: How many prosecutions have been brought
for violence against your staff, in each of the past five years?
And what is the breakdown into different into different categories
of violent crime?
Due to the limited timescale the BTP are not
in a position to provide a breakdown of crimes against Staff for
the past five years at present. Thankfully we have not experienced
many cases where staff have suffered a major assault which resulted
in a serious injury. In all these cases we have worked closely
with the BTP to obtain a prosecution where the assailant has been
identified. There were two cases where a prosecution was not pursued
and a caution issued. In both these cases civil actions was funded,
by the company, on behalf of the staff members. Both of these
lead to a civil compensation payment to the staff members.
The vast majority of assaults on staff are however
of a more minor nature, predominantly verbal abuse and threatening
behaviour of which there has been little success in prosecuting
these cases as they do not fall within the Home Office guidelines
to the CPS that it is in the public interestpursue the cases.
Where a physical assault occurs, most fall within the area of
common assault. On nearly every occasion these have lead to the
assailant, where identified, receiving a caution and no further
action being taken. Once again this is in line with Home Office
guidelines.
Question 89: What targets do you have for reducing
the number of cases of violent crime against your staff?
First are currently targeting a 20% reduction
in the number of cases of violent crime against our staff.
8 May 2006
| 
