POLICE and bus inspectors will join forces again tomorrow for the latest crackdown on crime on Nottingham’s public transport system.
The ‘Gateway’ check on Friday, February 10, 2006, will see around 12 Police Community Support Officers, police officers and transport staff working together on Nottingham City Transport buses to prevent crime and anti-social behaviour.
For obvious reasons, the times the checks are taking place, and the areas where they are happening, are not being announced in advance.
But PC Derek Pickering, the Transport Beat Manager for Nottingham’s public transport network, who is co-ordinating the Gateway checks, said two areas of concern were vandalism and ticket forgery.
“We have had evidence that forged tickets are in circulation on Nottingham’s buses and trams so we’re going to be particularly vigilant about inspecting tickets,” he said.
PC Pickering added that the presence of officers and inspectors on buses would also offer reassurance to law-abiding passengers.
“One of the good things about the Gateway checks is that they reassure people who are using the transport system lawfully. They see police officers and feel confident that someone is taking their concerns about crime seriously.”
The Gateway check tomorrow is the first in a series of one-day checks being held on Nottingham’s buses and trams in 2006 as part of the on-going Respect for Transport campaign.
The campaign is backed by Nottinghamshire police, Nottingham City Council, Nottingham City Transport, Nottinghamshire County Council, NET, JC Decaux, British Transport Police and Greater Nottingham Transport Partnership’s The Big Wheel.
This year’s Gateway checks follow a number of similar successful day- and week-long events in 2005 which led to the arrests and/or fines of people who were breaking the law and disrupting services.
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