Details of each sub-division with the new divisional structure. Is there a map showing areas of cover?

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1 Freedom of Information request Further to my withdrawn FOI request from last year, can you now provide me with the following information based on the Force restructure which came into effect on 1st April 2014:- The revised number of uniformed and CID officers within BTP. It seems that the number officers has gone up from 2880 to around 3200, if the information on the restructure put out by the Force is correct? Details of each sub-division with the new divisional structure. Is there a map showing areas of cover? The list of BTP stations within each new sub-division, along with their force code (ie EC Cambridge). Please include details of all new police stations that have beeen or are being created and their coding. Is there a map showing each station's area of cover? Can you advise if the police stations on the old LU Area have two letter codes, as I have seen a version produced in January 2014 that, for some reason, doesn't give them. Can you advise whether specific units, ie NPT/Response/Hub have their own two letter coding. Please confirm that the current police station in Colchester is to be retained, as, again, from within the Jan 14 document it shows Ipswich (which I understood was closed some time ago and replaced by a larger unit at Colchester) and a two letter EI code, and nothing for Colchester. Can you advise manpower strengths at each police station by rank? If you are able, can you advise which stations are/or will provide 24h cover. Can you advise which BTP locations provide custody facilities with cell capacity. Having mentioned the earlier increase from 2880 to around 3200, can you break down the total strength, forcewide, at the time of your reply for a) police oficers, b) PCSO's and c) Special Constables.

2 RESPONSE Section 1 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) places two duties on public authorities. Unless exemptions apply, the first duty at Section 1(1)(a) is to confirm or deny whether the information specified in a request is held. The second duty at Section 1(1)(b) is to disclose information that has been confirmed as being held. Where exemptions are relied upon Section 17 of the FOIA requires that we provide the applicant with a notice which: a) states that fact b) specifies the exemption(s) in question and c) states (if that would not otherwise be apparent) why the exemption applies. In relation to your request for the manpower of each station in British Transport Police, the following exemption applies: Section 31(1)(a)(b) - Law Enforcement Section 31 of the Act states that information is exempt if its disclosure under this Act would, or would be likely to prejudice: The prevention or detection of crime and/or the apprehension or prosecution of offenders. This exemption is a qualified and prejudice based exemption and therefore the legislators accept that there may be harm if released. The authority has to consider and describe the harm that would occur if the information were released and carry out a Public Interest Test. Public interest considerations Factors favouring the release of the man power at each police station Disclosure would allow for greater public awareness and openness in the way British Transport Police deploy resources and police the railways. This would provide greater trust and confidence in the police and promote a feeling of safety in the general public. Releasing information about the allocation of resources would assist the public to understand how the railways are policed and provide a clearer picture of our commitment to public safety. Factors favouring withholding of the man power at each police station Disclosure of specific information about how British Transport Police resources are allocated would jeopardise British Transport Police s ability to prevent and detect crime. Detailing exactly how many officers are deployed at each station could expose a weakness in a particular area which could be taken advantage of by the criminal fraternity. This would threaten the ability of the Force to protect the public and respond to criminal activity appropriately. Harm Test To disclose specific detail about allocation of resources to a station level could adversely affect the efficiency and effectiveness of the law enforcement function of British

3 Transport Police. There is a significant risk that the release of the requested information could lead to deliberate and malicious actions to divert police resources in areas where there are a small number of officers. This would lead to the law enforcement function of British Transport Police being compromised and could put members of the public in danger of harm. By mapping the tactical capabilities in specific stations or force areas, a clear picture can be produced showing where resources are concentrated. If this information was provided over an extended period, criminal groups could also draw conclusions on any increase or decrease in the staffing levels, leading to possible identification of ongoing operations or changes in proactive focus of forces. Balance of the Public Interest The public interest is not what interests the public, but a test of whether the community benefit of possession of the information outweighs the potential harm. In this case, we have identified that there would be a small benefit to the public by the release of this information. However, there is a very strong factor favouring nondisclosure, this being the negative impact on the effectiveness of the police force in being able to respond to incidents successfully and to prevent the malicious redirecting of resources. If there is a risk that the future law enforcement role of the force could be compromised and the public s safety be put at risk, it cannot be justified that the public interest would be served in releasing this specific information if either of these aspects were to be compromised in any way. I have determined that the disclosure of the requested information would not be in the public interest. I believe the harm considerations and the importance of the factor favouring non-disclosure outweigh the public interest in disclosing the information. My decision, on balance, is that it would therefore not be in the public interest to release this information. In accordance with the Act, this letter represents a refusal notice for part of your request. However, please find below the other information you have requested: Question 1 The number of current uniformed officers and CID officers are shown below: Employee type Number of individuals Uniform Officers 2539 CID Officers 394 In order to establish the number of CID officers, we have included all officers with Detective as part of their rank including those who are on Higher Grade Duties for example, an officer who is Temporary Detective Inspector would be counted.

4 Question 2 Please see the attached maps showing British Transport Police Sub Divisions and Districts and the area covered by each one. Questions 3 and 4 Please see the attached map showing British Transport Police stations (including old LU area stations), the area covered by each and their force code. Question 5 Where it has been identified that a specific unit (including NPT, Response and Hub) would operate more effectively with an individual call sign (two letter coding), one has been provided. However, not all units are given two letter codes. Question 6 The British Transport Police station in Colchester will be retained. Question 7 Your request for the manpower strengths at each police station is exempt under section 31 of the FOIA. The reasons for this are set out above. The following British Transport Police locations will be open 24 hours a day/7 days a week. All other locations will operate normal shift patterns but retain 24/7 capability if there is an operational requirement to do so. B Division East Sub Division Colchester Euston Liverpool Street Paddington Southend St Pancras Transport for London Sub Division CLPS (Central London Police Station) Finsbury Park Hammersmith Wembley Park West Ham South Sub Division

5 Ashford Maidstone Waterloo Holmes House C Division Pennines Sub Division Carlisle Leeds Liverpool Manchester Piccadilly Newcastle Midlands Sub Division Birmingham New Street Nottingham Peterborough Wales Sub Division Cardiff Western Sub Division Bristol Temple Meads Reading D Division Scotland Sub Division Edinburgh Waverley Glasgow Central Question 8 The following locations have custody facilities: Brewery Road Central London Police Station Ebury Bridge Hammersmith Wembley Park West Ham

6 Question 9 The table below show the total number of Police Officers, PCSO s and Special Constables within British Transport Police as of 25 th April Employee type Number of individuals Police Officers 2933 PCSO s 344 Special Constables 273 Total 3550