Operation BusTag’s 2,000th arrest
The Metropolitan Police Service Transport Operational Command Unit and Transport for London have this month achieved a landmark 2,000 arrests for criminal damage to London's buses - through the award winning Operation BusTag.
Since BusTag's inception, the BusTag team has tripled its arrest rate of offenders of bus criminal damage, which takes the form of graffiti, window etching, seat and window damage, and arson.
The key to their successful investigations is through applying a forensic-style methodology to CCTV image identification.
Over 95% of the 2,000 cases dealt with by BusTag have resulted in serious consequences for the offender, such as police reprimands, and court sentences ranging from fines and community service to imprisonment.
Operation BusTag is a CCTV investigation unit, which was set up in November 2004 by the Met's Transport Operational Command Unit (TOCU) which works in partnership with, and is funded by, Transport for London (TfL).
Since BusTag's inception, the BusTag team has tripled its arrest rate of offenders of bus criminal damage, which takes the form of graffiti, window etching, seat and window damage, and arson.
BusTag's mission is to:
Tackle criminal damage being committed on London's buses
Identify and bring to justice those who have committed criminal damage on London's buses
Work in partnership with bus companies and other authorities to tackle criminal damage and anti-social behaviour
Chief Superintendent Joe Royle, Transport OCU said:
"The Transport OCU is dedicated to reassuring the travelling public and fighting crime, disorder and anti-social behaviour on London bus routes. A particularly successful way of doing this is through the identification expertise of Operation BusTag.
"Without successful identification there can be no arrests. BusTag's significant achievement demonstrates that people who commit acts of vandalism on London buses will be caught with the help of CCTV pictures and then prosecuted."
"Without successful identification there can be no arrests. BusTag's significant achievement demonstrates that people who commit acts of vandalism on London buses will be caught with the help of CCTV pictures and then prosecuted."
Bulletin 0000000788 05 November 2007
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