Interventions to reduce offences on public transport.
Multi-faceted approach
Research has suggested that in order to reduce sexual offending on public transport, a coordinated package of complementary initiatives is the most effective approach (Gekoski and others, 2015).
Some of the interventions that can be combined in such an approach include:
- increased surveillance, in the form of extra transport staffing and police (both uniformed and plain clothes) and technological surveillance, such as CCTV
- crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) measures, such as increased visibility, lighting, alarms, phones and good maintenance of transport facilities
- alternative means of reporting, such as the use of hotlines, texting and phone apps
- awareness campaigns through advertising, grassroots action and online platforms
- new technology, such as smartphone apps to report incidents, track passengers, record experiences and create maps with hotpots of offending
Moderate evidence.
Project Guardian
A long-term strategy from British Transport Police, Transport for London, Metropolitan Police Service and the City of London Police, which incorporates many of the interventions listed above.
These interventions include teams of specialist officers to target hot spots of sexual offending and look out for suspicious behaviour, social media campaigns, and hotline and SMS text reporting numbers to make reporting easier.
- Untested