London’s Public Transport Network Cracks Down on Violence Against Staff: A New Campaign Sets the Tone

London’s Public Transport Network Cracks Down on Violence Against Staff: A New Campaign Sets the Tone

(IN BRIEF) Transport for London (TfL) has launched a new campaign to combat violence and aggression against its staff on the public transport network. The campaign highlights the serious consequences for offenders, including recent cases where individuals received significant prison sentences for assaulting or threatening TfL employees. The initiative comes in response to a rise in reports of work-related violence, with over 10,000 incidents recorded in the past year. TfL is also implementing additional safety measures, such as body-worn video cameras and the deployment of Transport Support and Enforcement officers, to protect staff and deter violent behavior. The campaign underscores TfL’s commitment to ensuring a safe working environment for its employees.

(PRESS RELEASE) LONDON, 20-Aug-2024 — /EuropaWire/ — A firm stance against violence and aggression on public transport has been launched with a new campaign aimed at protecting Transport for London (TfL) staff. The initiative is designed to highlight the seriousness of abuse, both physical and verbal, on the capital’s transport network, sending a clear message that such behavior will not be tolerated.

As TfL rolls out this campaign, it emphasizes the real-world consequences for offenders, showcasing recent prosecutions where individuals who attacked or threatened staff received significant prison sentences. This initiative aligns with TfL’s ongoing commitment to ensuring a safe and supportive working environment for its employees, who serve millions of passengers every day.

Rising Incidents of Violence Highlight Need for Action

The campaign comes in response to a noticeable increase in reports of work-related violence and aggression on London’s public transport system. In the last year alone, TfL documented over 10,000 such incidents, marking a 5% rise compared to the previous year. While verbal abuse and threats have surged, there has been a slight decrease in the number of physical assaults reported.

Siwan Hayward, TfL’s Director of Security, Policing, and Enforcement, underscored the importance of the new campaign. “Everyone has the right to work without fear of being assaulted, abused, or threatened,” she stated. “We are committed to doing all we can to protect our colleagues and keep them safe, and to eradicate work-related violence and aggression.”

Real-Life Consequences for Offenders

The campaign brings to light several real-life cases where offenders faced legal repercussions for their actions. One case involved a young man who was sentenced to 38 weeks in prison after assaulting a Customer Service Assistant at King’s Cross St. Pancras station. In another instance, a teenager who spat at and racially abused a staff member at Balham station received a three-week prison sentence. These cases demonstrate the seriousness with which TfL and law enforcement agencies treat such incidents.

Chief Superintendent Tom Naughton of the Met’s Road and Transport Policing Command reinforced this message, stating, “Anyone who is abusive, aggressive, or violent towards staff on London’s transport network can expect to be arrested and prosecuted.”

Proactive Measures to Protect Staff

In addition to the campaign, TfL has implemented several measures to protect its staff. Body-worn video (BWV) cameras have become essential equipment for frontline staff, proving effective in both deterring assaults and providing critical evidence in prosecutions. Research indicates that the presence of BWV can nearly halve the risk of assault, making it a vital tool in enhancing staff safety.

Furthermore, TfL’s Transport Support and Enforcement (TSE) officers are actively deployed across the network to support staff, enforce regulations, and manage conflicts. The introduction of a dedicated Night Team of TSE officers has already yielded positive results, including the removal of non-compliant passengers and the reduction of anti-social behavior during night operations.

British Transport Police Superintendent Dominique Ioannou echoed the importance of these efforts, emphasizing the role of BWV in securing convictions and de-escalating potentially violent situations. “We take assaults towards members of rail staff extremely seriously and it will not be tolerated on the network under any circumstance,” she said.

A United Front Against Workplace Violence

As TfL continues to work closely with the police and other partners, this campaign marks a significant step in the ongoing effort to create a safer working environment for all transport staff in London. The message is clear: violence and aggression will not be tolerated, and those who commit such acts will face serious consequences.

Notes to editors:

• Campaign images are available from TfL Press Office
• The workplace violence incidents reported above are internally reported and not police figures
• TfL invests more than £170m in the Metropolitan Police Service and British Transport Police each year, funding dedicated policing on London’s roads and TfL’s transport networks to keep its customers and staff safe
• A specialist unit within TfL works with both the Metropolitan Police and British Transport Police (BTP) to investigate crimes against staff. This Workplace Violence and Aggression (WVA) Team support staff and their managers, and assists the police in the investigation of physical assault and verbal aggression against TfL staff, which can include public order offences and hate crime. Their purpose is to improve the quality of staff assault investigation and provide feedback to police and other criminal justice partners, as well as improve victim care and support provided by TfL
• Revenue disputes are a precursor to approximately half of all reported work-related violence and aggression incidents towards frontline colleagues across the network. TfL has a comprehensive programme in place to deter offenders, including more than 450 officers undertaking ticket inspection and revenue enforcement activity across every mode of transport every day. Station staff also provide insight and information about fare evaders to TfL enforcement and investigations teams to take action
• TfL’s use of Body Worn Video follows General Data Protection Regulation requirements. Access to recordings is tightly controlled and there are strict guidelines managing who can view footage within TfL. The police can request body worn camera video and audio images from TfL for the purpose of investigating a crime or incident and to apprehend an offender
• Research undertaken by Cambridge University in conjunction with RDG, BTP and Northern Rail in 2019 using trial data, found that assaults on staff were cut by nearly half for those wearing BWV: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0734016818814889

Media Contact:

Tel:  0343 222 1234
email: pressoffice@tfl.gov.uk

SOURCE: Transport for London