Our ref: FOI-0002-1819/GH

Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 29 March 2018 asking for information about hate crimes on the transport network.

Your request has been considered under the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and our information access policy. I can confirm that we do hold some of the information you require.

Tackling hate crime is a priority for the Mayor, TfL and its policing partners – British Transport Police (BTP), the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and the City of London Police (CoLP) – and we are working together to stamp out all forms of hate crime on the network and reassure those community groups that feel fearful about travelling and feel vulnerable to victimisation.

Figures provided by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and the British Transport Police (BTP) show that there were around 4,600 hate crimes recorded on TfL services between 1 January 2016 – December 2017 (24 months). Racial hate crime is the most commonly recorded hate crime on the public transport system. Over this period, hate crime accounted for around 7.4% of all recorded crime on our public transport networks.

We do not hold data to answer your questions in full. For up to date figures on hate crime, please make this request to the MPS for the data relating to bus network and to the BTP for data relating to the Tube and rail network. An FOI request can be made to the MPS via their website at:
https://www.met.police.uk/request/request-information-about-the-met/request-information-about-the-met3/?stepid=1 and to the BTP by email to [email protected]
We are working with the police to bring together BTP and MPS data to publish regular and consistent hate crime figures for London’s public transport system.

There is a programme of activity underway to reassure the travelling public that the network is safe, improve the public’s confidence to report offences knowing that action will be taken, and to target those that commit these appalling offences. Key elements include Operation Safer Travel for All (STfA) and the #WeStandTogether communications campaigns to raise public awareness, and training/briefings for our staff and contractors so they are better equipped to deal with any incidents and better able to support victims.

TfL and the police are making use of #WeStandTogether part of a Home Office campaign, which aims to encourage community cohesion and for people to come together to stand against hatred and intolerance. #WeStandTogether is being used for key messages about reporting (including messages about the importance of reporting and how to report it), promoting TfL and police engagement activity and giving a positive message that the network is safe to use, and that Police and TfL’s uniformed staff are there to help and support everyone to travel safely. A copy of the #westandtogther leaflet is included below. The leaflet provides details for third party reporting should the victim not want to report directly to the police.

Safer Travel for All (STfA) is a programme of coordinated days of engagement where local transport policing teams in the BTP, CoLP and MPS, along with TfL enforcement officers, step up their engagement with equality groups, helping to improve their confidence to travel. The focus of the operation is to engage with local community groups to identify any concerns and reassure them about the work we are doing to tackle hate crime and to improve safety and security. Officers regularly visit mosques, synagogues and other places of worship as part of this. A minimum of one day every month is allocated for coordinated TfL and police engagement activities.

TfL has developed a classroom based module and e-learning package for our staff .The module builds on customer service and conflict management training which our staff receive. There are well-established processes for staff to contact the police in the event of a crime or incident taking place. The module sets out to staff when they are expected to take action and how they can act in a safe and effective way when they witness hate crime, experience it themselves or are told about it by a colleague or customer.

If this is not the information you are looking for, please do not hesitate to contact me.

If you are not satisfied with this response please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal.

Yours sincerely

Graham Hurt
FOI Case Officer
FOI Case Management Team
General Counsel
Transport for London