Article: Police to take on train safety as CityRail force faces cut

[ozbob]

From the Sydney Morning Herald click here!

Police to take on train safety as CityRail force faces cut

Police to take on train safety as CityRail force faces cut
Jacob Saulwick
September 3, 2011

THE NSW government is poised to overhaul security on Sydney's public transport, which is expected to include slashing the number of dedicated RailCorp transit officers.

The measures will prompt concerns about how well security will be maintained across the network, but the Transport Minister, Gladys Berejiklian, insists the government will not diminish frontline services.

An internal report for RailCorp's security division, revealed by the Herald a fortnight ago, depicted a poisonous relationship between workers and management within the transit officer corps, created in 2002.

The report recommended handing over ultimate management of transport security to the police, and suggested using one set of security officers across all modes of transport in Sydney.

The government is expected to follow the advice and shift responsibility for managing transit officers to police.

There is also an expectation this will allow significant budget savings. Out of a pool of more than 600 RailCorp employees classified as transit officers, at least 150 are desk-bound and not on the network.

RailCorp insists the 150-odd staff who do not work on the network perform key functions such as intelligence gathering, but transit officers on the ground remain sceptical about the value of a lot of the back-office work.

''There is going to be a change,'' one source said.

There are suggestions that the number of dedicated security officers on CityRail trains could be cut back to as few as 150.

But Ms Berejiklian said the Coalition government would increase frontline services on the rail network, not cut them as did the previous Labor government. She said: "Transit officers and police already work closely together to enhance security on the rail network.

"The new integrated transport authority, Transport for NSW, will examine options for improving security across all public transport.''

The RailCorp review, by security consultants Noetic Solutions, recommends the creation of a transport security division headed by a senior police officer, perhaps at the level of an assistant commissioner, to manage staff who work across trains, buses and ferries.

''The aim would be to form a single and integrated command element comprising police and transport officers, answerable operationally to the senior NSW police officer and responsible for setting operational priorities and drawing up plans to conduct operations across the transport network,'' the review says.

But it warns that unless funding is ''quarantined and guaranteed'' for security services, and unless security officers are given specific responsibilities to cover transport, coverage across the network will suffer.

''What must be avoided is the transfer of control and resources to an alternative organisation that then utilises those resources for operations other than public transport related safety and security,'' the report states.

The Rail, Tram and Bus Union has similarly warned that if management of transit officers was shifted to the police, there could be a risk the police pursue priorities other than railway patrol.

It is not clear whether the government will announce the security restructure, and the expected savings, as part of the budget on Tuesday.

Ms Berejiklian said: ''The NSW government is committed to making public transport as safe as possible for commuters.

"This includes establishing a $40 million park and travel safety fund to provide additional safety measures on the rail network. Safety upgrades will include improvements to platforms, stations, trains and car parks through additional CCTV cameras, better lighting and reliable help points."

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/police-to-take-on-train-safety-as-cityrail-force-faces-cut-20110902-1jq5g.html

[somebody]

<bump>

This is being reversed now.

[longboi]

From my understanding this was the plan all along.

These new guys are solely Revenue Protection and my guess is they don't have the same powers (in terms of arrest, use of handcuffs/batons) that the RailCorp TOs had.

[somebody]

From my understanding this was the plan all along.

These new guys are solely Revenue Protection and my guess is they don't have the same powers (in terms of arrest, use of handcuffs/batons) that the RailCorp TOs had.

So what if you just run away?

[longboi]

From my understanding this was the plan all along.

These new guys are solely Revenue Protection and my guess is they don't have the same powers (in terms of arrest, use of handcuffs/batons) that the RailCorp TOs had.

So what if you just run away?

You might get away...just like TOs and SNOs here. They aren't allowed to 'chase' people. That's why you often see them travelling at least 3 up.

However, there were Police in that news segment. Considering the NSW Police Transit Command is supposed to number 500-600 officers, it wouldn't be a stretch to have one or two officers assist the ticket inspectors on more high risk operations.

[somebody]

Walk away then.

[longboi]

Walk away then.

OK you go first.