05.06.14
Crime on London’s transport system continues to fall
New annual figures have revealed that crime on Transport for London’s (TfL’s) transport system fell 11.3% in 2013-14, compared to the year before.
The data, from the Metropolitan Police Service and British Transport Police (BTP), which covers 2013-14 (1 April 2013 to 31 March 2014), show that there are now just 7.7 crimes per million passenger journeys on the transport system, down from 8.9 in 2012-13.
The reduction also means that the rate of crime for London Underground, Docklands Light Railway, London Tramlink, London Overground and buses remain at their lowest level since recording began.
On London Underground/Docklands Light Railway, the rate of crime has nearly halved since 2007-08, when levels were at a rate of 14.4 crimes per million passenger journeys. Last year, London Tramlink also saw a 16.5% fall in crime, bringing the rate of crime down to just 10.3 crimes per million journeys.
However, despite the low levels of crime across London’s transport system, increases have been seen in some crime types on some parts of the network. On London Underground and Docklands Light Railway, ‘violence against the person offences’ rose by 9.5% compared to the previous year, but offences resulting in injury reduced by 3.4%.
Chief constable Paul Crowther, of BTP, said: “Recorded crime on TfL’s rail networks (London Underground/Docklands Light Railway, London Tramlink and London Overground) continues to fall, with crime down by 16% compared to 2009-10.
“Partnership work has been key to this success and we continue to develop new initiatives with TfL and the Metropolitan Police Service to tackle those crimes which have the greatest impact on rail staff and the travelling public.”
In the last year TfL, the Metropolitan Police Service and the BTP launched Project Guardian to raise public awareness of unwanted sexual behaviour on the transport network. This initiative focuses on encouraging victims to report these types of crimes - historically significantly underreported - alongside more proactive police enforcement and engagement.
Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: “When I was elected as Mayor I made a firm pledge to make travelling in the capital safer for Londoners and visitors to our city. Thanks to the sterling efforts of the Metropolitan Police, BTP and TfL we've seen crime steadily reducing year on year and it now stands at its lowest ever level.
“Of course there is more that needs to be done and there can be no room for complacency, but these latest numbers show that we are heading in the right direction when it comes to tackling crime on our buses, Tube and trains.”
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