Request ID: FOI-1806-2425 Date published: 27 September 2024
You asked
Which lines of the London Underground saw the most sexual offences reported from July 2023 to August 2024? Can you please list the lines from most to least?
How many sexual offences were reported on each line between this period?
We answered
TfL Ref: FOI-1805-2425 and FOI-1806-2425
Thank you for your requests received by Transport for London (TfL) on 2nd September 2024 asking for information about sexual offences on the London Underground network. Your requests have been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy.
Specifically you asked the following:
Case ref FOI-1805-2425
“How many sexual offences were reported at each of the 272 stations on the tube network separately in each month from July 2023 to August 2024?”
And;
Case ref FOI-1806-2425
“Which lines of the London Underground saw the most sexual offences reported from July 2023 to August 2024? Can you please list the lines from most to least?
How many sexual offences were reported on each line between this period?”.
I can confirm that we hold the information you require, which is provided in the attached spreadsheets. Data for August 2024 is not yet held. Please bear in mind, stations which service multiple lines carry a higher volume of passengers and this reflects proportionately in the figures.
Please note the following regarding request FOI-1805-2425, the data relates to sexual offences (see Annex for included offences) which have been reported at London Underground stations during the relevant month. Where the station name recorded did not exactly match that of a station (e.g. if an address was present rather than the station name), or if the station could not be identified, then this is recorded under the "Station Not Recorded" row. Where no offences were recorded against a station, the station details are not shown on this extract.
In regard to request FOI-1806-2425, the data relates to sexual offences (see Annex for included offences) which have been reported on London Underground lines during the relevant month. The lines are ranked with most represented (across the time period) at the top and least represented at the bottom. There were no such offences reported on the Waterloo and City line in the time period specified.
We are committed to reducing crime across our network and we continue to work with our policing partners to put measures in place to reduce crime and keep customers and colleagues safe as they travel and work on our network. Tackling violence against women and girls on public transport has long been a priority for us and our policing partners, and concerted action has been undertaken for a number of years. In partnership with the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), British Transport Police (BTP), Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and women’s safety groups, we launched a campaign to highlight our zero tolerance approach to all forms of sexual harassment and sexual violence on the transport network in October 2021. The campaign highlights various forms of unwanted sexual behaviour that can take place on public transport and aims to send a strong message to offenders that sexual harassment and sexual assault is not tolerated on TfL’s services, and the importance of reporting incidents of this nature. The campaign was informed by research, including focus groups, the expertise of violence against women and girls (VAWG) campaign groups and the policing sector.
Since the launch of the campaign, we have seen an increase in reports of sexual offences. October 2021 saw the highest number of reported offences since before the pandemic, and these increased levels of reporting have been sustained. The BTP is now also recording offences such as intrusive staring of a sexual nature and verbal forms of sexual harassment, which they didn’t previously. All this is contributing to a rise in reporting. Increased reporting can help our policing partners build a profile, which could prevent further incidences occurring.
We encourage anyone who experiences or witnesses a crime on London Underground or rail modes to report it to the British Transport Police by texting 61016, or via the free Railway Guardian App. Customers can also report incidents to members of staff. Customers can report an incident on the bus network at www.met.police.uk or by calling 101. In an emergency or if the suspect is still on scene, customers should call 999.
We have more than 2,500 police and police community support officers and 500 of our own enforcement staff patrolling the network at all times of the day to prevent crime and anti-social behaviour, alongside operations to target offenders and hotspot locations. As well as proactive police patrols on public transport, we works with the BTP to pursue all sexual harassment offences using our extensive network of CCTV. All London Underground stations are rostered to be staffed from first train until last train and we have more than 4,500 station colleagues available across the network to assist customers and keep them safe. We are also increasing the provision of on-train CCTV when renewing or replacing our train fleets through projects such as the Central Line Improvement Programme and the Piccadilly line upgrade.
We have made it easier for customers and staff to report crimes and encourage reporting of underreported crimes and sexual harassment. We currently publish our six monthly Crime and Anti-Social Behaviour reports as part of the papers for the Customer Service and Operational Performance Panel (CSOPP), which includes data on sexual offences and are available on our website:
If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed.
Yours sincerely,
David Wells FOI Case Officer FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
