New bobbies on the beat

Tuesday June 30, 2009

Two new teams of beat police are tackling criminals who use public transport.

Hammersmith bus station and the rail and tube stations around the Westfield shopping centre have now been assigned elite squads of beat bobbies.

Each transport team is nine-strong and is made up of one sergeant, one police constable and seven police community support officers.

The new transport teams mean there are now record numbers of police operating in the borough, following Hammersmith & Fulham Council's funding for extra town centre police.

The two new teams are jointly funded by Transport for London and the Met Police and are part of the Mayor of London's drive to tackle crime.

H&F cabinet member Greg Smith said: "These 18 extra officers will make travelling around the borough even safer.

"It is positive to see the Mayor of London putting the extra resources in to tackling the criminal minority."

Combined with the council funding for extra beat bobbies in our town centres, this borough is now one of the best in terms of police numbers in the capital."

Meanwhile, Inspector Bill Heasman from the 24/7 Shepherds Bush Green Safer Neighbourhoods Team said: "These new teams will greatly enhance our 24/7 community policing project in Shepherds Bush by giving us more resources to concentrate on these busy transport hubs.

"This will make travelling on public transport safer and cut down on antisocial behaviour."

Two years ago, the council joined with local businesses to pay for extra beat bobbies in Fulham and Shepherds Bush town centres.

Last April, the council agreed to pay for a third extra squad in central Hammersmith.

Council bosses say that, combined with a 'zero-tolerance approach' to crime, the teams have cut crime.

Hammersmith bus station is the second busiest transport interchange in London and Westfield is the biggest inner city shopping centre in Europe, served by two tube stations, a rail station and a bus station.