Publicity – British Transport Police History Group

Open Day 2022

The BTPHG Open Day was held at Euston BTP station on Thursday (13/10/2022).

Those who attended are agreed that the Open Day was a great success.

There were 187 items on display, including pictures, posters and 4 video clips and numerous electronic photos. Approximately 70 visitors attended over the course of the day, mainly members – both retired and serving – and quite a few serving officers and guests, who hopefully were impressed with their first taster of the group. We are grateful to the Force publicising the event on the Force intranet.

Chair Phil Trendall comments:

“When the idea came up I underestimated the amount of labour that would be required in the run up and on the day. This meant that a few people ended up doing a huge amount of work.

John Owen and Ed Thompson carried the brunt of the preparation work and we ended up with a proud shop window for the Group and for our history. Our collection is our jewel in the crown and if the Group had not worked to safeguard it we would have had nothing to display.

Please can I say a big well done to everybody concerned. Our visitors enjoyed it and I know I did.

A special thank you to CI Tara Doyle for the use of the police station and thanks to her staff, and Karen, Rae and Stuart for their help on the day.”

Thanks to Kristine Hendrickson for the loan of her uniform.

Photos courtesy of Viv Head and Phil Trendall.

Some comments on Facebook from attendees:

AT: “It was an excellent display. Super work being carried out by the BTP History Group.”

RP: “Respect to the team who put on the show. Really informative and a trigger for fond memories. Good to catch up with a few old colleagues.”

DE: “A huge thank-you to The British Transport Police History Group who offered a fantastic amount of memorabilia on display at Euston today, it was a pleasure to meet ex colleagues, who all looked so healthy and happy. Very interesting visit. Thank-you once again.”

A Date for the Diary

On Thursday 13^th October 2022 the British Transport Police History Group (BTPHG) will be holding an Open Day at Euston BTP Station.

The day will provide an opportunity for BTPHG Members, members of the Force, invited guests, members and staff of the BTPA and BTP Support Groups to see and hear about the work of our Group. There will be a display of items of historical interest and a number of presentations. The Chief Constable will attend during the day.

The event will not be open to the general public and will be a relatively modest affair with displays spread over several rooms. The Force have been very helpful in allowing this to go ahead and in giving practical support.

Further information about the content of the day and arrangements for registering attendance will be published nearer the time.

Phil Trendall (Chair)

Appointment of Biometrics and Surveillance Camera Commissioner

by Phil Trendall

History in the making….

For the first time an ex-BTP officer has been appointed as the Surveillance Camera Commissioner AND as the Biometrics Commissioner. Both posts were created under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 and are high profile public appointments. Dr Fraser Sampson will take up his work later in March 2021. The Home Secretary said: “It is vital the government works to empower police to use technology to keep the public safe while maintaining their trust and Fraser Sampson’s extensive experience in law and policing makes him the right person to take up this role.”

Fraser joined the BTP in the early 1980s and served in the North East Area. He was later seconded to the Home Office Central Planning Unit at Harrogate (now the College of Policing) where he worked as a legal researcher specialising in the application of the criminal law in operational circumstances. He returned to the force and later, in 1992, became an Inspector at the Tadworth Force Training Centre. His work included introducing many innovations in training as well as leading the training team in their own development. His time at Tadworth coincided with a particularly active PIRA campaign so he led operational deployments in the south east when required. He returned to Leeds as an Inspector and was later seconded back to central service. He left the force as a superintendent in 1996. After BTP he qualified as a solicitor working in the area of police law. He wrote several of the Blackstones Police Promotional Manuals and is a prolific author. He became Director of the Civil Nuclear Police Authority and went on to carry out similar roles with West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire Police. During his time at Tadworth he offered support to officers who were working to preserve and collect material relating to the history of the force. We wish him well in his new job.

Official Announcement: Gov.uk

History of Women in BTP

March is Women’s History Month and the BTP is taking the opportunity to celebrate women in the railway police.

It is especially fitting as this month sees the appointment of the BTP’s first female Chief Constable, Lucy D’Orsi.

The BTP History Group were pleased to be able to assist the BTP Communications Department in this endeavour. BTP will be sharing regional highlights on various social media channels – keep an eye out.

Also see:

Policewomen on the Railways 1917 – 2017

Policewomen in Pictures

20th Anniversary of the Great Heck Rail Crash

There will be two Memorial Events for the 20th Anniversary of the Great Heck Rail Crash on Sunday 28th February 2021.

The 20th anniversary of the Great Heck Rail Crash will be remembered with commemorative events taking place at Newcastle upon Tyne Central Railway Station, the Great Heck Memorial Garden, and in Selby Abbey.

National coronavirus regulations and lockdown restrictions in England severely limit what is legally permissible, so these acts of remembrance will be live-streamed.

More details on this HistoryBank page: GH20

UPDATE:

Tony Thompson advises that the Great Heck 20^th anniversary memorial service on Sunday went well.

If you missed it here is a link https://youtu.be/YTdyEfeJYYcV

Lucy D’Orsi announced as new BTP Chief Constable

The British Transport Police Authority (BTPA) have announced that Lucy D’Orsi has been appointed as Chief Constable of the British Transport Police (BTP). She will take up her appointment early in the New Year.

Lucy is currently the Metropolitan Police’s Deputy Assistant Commissioner (DAC) for Specialist Operations. The current BTP Chief Constable Paul Crowther CBE is set to retire in February 2020 after 40 years of distinguished continuous service with the Force.

Lucy joined the Metropolitan Police Service in 1992. She has extensive experience working across multiple London boroughs and held the role of Commander East London. Lucy is currently Counter Terrorism Policing’s Senior National Coordinator for Protective Security and Preparedness. She works closely with UK businesses, UK military and International law enforcement agencies. Lucy is a gold public order commander and has led the policing of multiple events.

Lucy currently has London responsibilities for Royalty and Specialist Protection, Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection, Aviation Policing and Protective Security. She recently led on the Centenary celebrations for 100 years of Metropolitan Police Women and is also the National Police lead for Taser and Counter Drone UK capabilities.

Lucy says: “I am delighted and honoured to be appointed as the next Chief Constable of BTP. I am looking forward to building on the legacy that Paul is handing over and I would like to thank him for his dedication to policing. Whilst policing the Nation’s capital has given me a wealth of operational experience, I am excited to lead a force that deals with the unique nature of policing Britain’s rail, underground and tram network. Working with industry partners and government to keep passengers safe, the railway moving and protect our critical national infrastructure, particularly during these uncertain times will be very rewarding. I very much look forward to working with the exceptional officers and staff of BTP, and the Police Authority. Finally, I would like to thank my family, friends and colleagues who have supported me throughout my policing career.”

BTPA Chair, Ron Barclay-Smith, says: “We believe that Lucy will bring valuable skills and insightful leadership to BTP, at a time when there is an uncertain future for Britain’s rail landscape. With the changing nature of crime and demand on the railway following Covid-19, and the need for ever closer working between BTP and train operators, we feel that Lucy’s strong blend of experience and aptitude position her well to lead BTP. We are delighted she has agreed to take on this role.”

Lucy will provide effective leadership to a large, dispersed workforce of over 5,000 police officers and staff across England, Scotland and Wales, as well as leading constructive partnerships with the Department for Transport, the devolved administrations and the Rail Industry across Great Britain. She will develop BTP’s Strategy and lead BTP in delivering its service economically and efficiently, whilst simultaneously enhancing its reputation further for its innovative and bold approach on the national policing stage.

Lucy was chosen following a rigorous interview and assessment process led by the BTPA, the oversight body for the BTP. The appointment was approved by the Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps MP and endorsed by Scottish Justice Minister Humza Yousaf MSP.

Source: British Transport Police Authority

The Railway Dogs Benevolent Fund

The Railway Dogs Benevolent Fund was launched recently and we have now added their website to our links page.

“For over 100 years, police dogs have served alongside officers to protect the public. Years spent chasing criminals, detecting drugs and searching for explosive devices can lead to these brave animals experiencing costly medical conditions in retirement.

The Railway Dogs Benevolent Fund was established to support dogs who have completed their service with British Transport Police (BTP).

The Fund provides grants towards the cost of their care, including ongoing medical treatment, so these loyal and hardworking animals can enjoy a long and happy retirement.”

You can also follow them on Twitter at @RailwayDogsFund

HistoryBank

You may have noticed a bit of rebranding on the site.

We’ve renamed Storybank as Historybank. It’s just a bit more descriptive, as it doesn’t just contain ‘stories’, but factual topics such as court reports and research articles.

The contents are as before, but with a better name!

HistoryBank can be found in the PAGES menu, to the right of the screen.

Paul Crowther to be next Chief Constable

Congratulations are due to the current Deputy Chief Constable, Paul Crowther, on the announcement today that he will be the next Chief Constable.

From a historical perspective, Paul will be the first Chief Constable to have served continuously with the BTP throughout his entire career since William Owen Gay was appointed in 1963.

The announcement on the BTP website was published shortly after midnight:

Deputy Chief Constable Paul Crowther OBE has been appointed as the next Chief Constable. The announcement was made by Millie Banerjee, Chair of the British Transport Police Authority. Paul Crowther has been Acting Chief Constable since January whilst the current Chief Constable, Andy Trotter OBE QPM, has been leading the Strategic Command Course at the College of Policing. Paul is expected to take over from Andy Trotter later in the year.

Having joined BTP in 1980, he is currently the ACPO national lead for the Metal Theft Task Force, for which he was recently appointed an OBE, as well as suicide prevention and CCTV.

Millie Banerjee continued: “I am delighted to have Paul Crowther as the Force’s next Chief Constable; Paul has already demonstrated the necessary ambition for the development of the force and the ability to implement the Authority’s strategy out to 2019. I look forward to working closely with Paul as the Authority and Force continue to make strides towards delivering an effective and efficient police Force.”

Commenting on his appointment, Paul said: “BTP is a first class organisation and I am honoured to have been chosen to lead the Force. I am very much looking forward to the challenges ahead and working with exceptional officers and staff that make BTP the innovative and responsive policing service it is.”

Chief Constable Andy Trotter said: “Paul has had an outstanding career in BTP so far and is an excellent choice to take over the leadership of the Force. He has considerable operational experience in crime, public order, and Area command. As my deputy he has demonstrated real grip on the operational and financial performance of the Force, playing a major role in the transformation of BTP into a highly effective and efficient organisation. He also personally led the successful national campaign against metal theft. Paul has the drive, energy, experience and intellect to lead the Force through the challenges ahead.”

The announcement also appeared on the BTPA website.

Newly Appointed BTP History Writer

As with any organisation today, it is the website that is its public face and often the means by which it may be judged. In a history group especially, it is important to have information that is easy to read, easy to find and meaningful. That this website continues to attract many visitors – 36,000 from 82 countries in 2013 and many compliments, is largely due to the dedication of Martin McKay who not only created the site but has been responsible for generating and arranging much of its content. I am pleased to congratulate Martin on his appointment as a BTP History Writer in recognition of this outstanding contribution. It is most certainly well deserved; thank you Martin.

Viv Head (Chairman BTPHG)