21.07.16
Anti-hate crime campaign launched at King’s Cross St Pancras
Passengers in London are being urged to report hate crimes on the capital’s transport network as part of a new Transport for London (TfL) campaign.
The #WeStandTogether campaign, which aims to reassure passengers that the transport network is safe and welcoming for everyone, was launched at King’s Cross St Pancras yesterday.
TfL staff and Metropolitan Police and British Transport Police officers spoke with members about hate crimes, which can occur on the basis of someone's race, religion, gender, sexuality, age or disability.
Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, said: “I am proud of the incredible diversity of our city and I will not tolerate hate crimes of any form, anywhere in London. We must stand together and anyone who sees or is targeted by abusive behaviour should report it to the police immediately.”
#WeStandTogether complements Khan’s #LondonIsOpen campaign which aims to highlight that discrimination against foreign nationals in London will not be tolerated.
There has been a worrying spike in reports of hate crimes against immigrants and ethnic minorities since the UK voted to leave the EU last month.
RTM’s sister title Public Sector Executive reported that hate crime complaints were 57% higher in the four days following the referendum than the same period a month ago.
Convictions for hate crimes against disabled people have also increased by 40% in the past year.
Steve Burton, TfL's director of enforcement and on-street operations, said: “We care about our customers and want them to feel safe and secure on every journey they make. By speaking to communities and people individually we want them to understand that all reports will be taken seriously.
“We are proud of the diversity within our organisation and the customers we serve, and we stand together alongside our policing partners to say loud and clear that any form of hate crime will not be tolerated on our network.”
At a time of political uncertainty and worrying social divisions, it is vital that the rail industry takes a firm stance to ensure that trains and stations are a safe and welcoming environment for every passenger.
It is a commendable first step that TfL is tackling this urgent issue. Other transport networks, including those in areas which voted leave, must now follow TfL’s example in making clear that they do not tolerate hate crimes.
Passengers can report a hate crime by texting 61016 or calling 101. In an emergency they should call 999.
They can also report hate crimes online at www.report-it.org.uk.
Anti-Muslim incidents can also be reported to Tell MAMA on 0800 456 1226, WhatsApp 0734 184 6086 or at www.tellmamauk.org.
Anti-Semitic incidents can be reported to the Community Security Trust on 0208 457 9999 or https://cst.org.uk/.
(Image c. TfL)
Have you got a story to tell? Would you like to become an RTM columnist? If so, click here.