Questions to the Mayor of London – answered at on 19 December 2019.
What are you doing to ensure people feel safe on London’s transport network considering that for the 2018/19-year thefts increased by 20% on the previous year?
The transport network remains a low crime environment, with only 10 crimes reported for every million passenger journeys made. The recent increase in reported crime has been driven by an increase in theft, usually pickpocketing of wallets or phones, on the bus and London Underground networks.
This increase is partially explained by the British Transport Police (BTP) and the Metropolitan Police Service opening up more channels to report crime. The BTP launched an online reporting facility in October 2018, and theft reports spiked. Our public transport networks are also being targeted by prolific thieves working as part of organised criminal networks.
The police are using a range of tactic to deter, detect and disrupt criminal activity, including plain clothes and uniformed patrols, large scale operations and weeks of action with clearly visible interventions. Transport for London is also supporting this work by publicising crime prevention advice to customers through a variety of channels, including station PA announcements. Successful outcomes against offenders are also publicised to deter offenders and make passengers feel safe.