'Report It To Stop It' Campaign Launched

Authorities in London have announced a joint campaign to encourage passengers to report any unwanted sexual behaviour on the transport network.

The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) are working with the British Transport Police (BTP), City of London Police (CoLP) and Transport for London (TfL) on the new 'Report It To Stop It' initiative, which aims to "tackle under-reporting by raising awareness that people can and should report all behaviour that makes them feel uncomfortable and that the police will take action as a result."

The campaign features a short film - promoted through Video on Demand channels such as All4, Now TV and YouTube – of a woman’s journey in which she experiences escalating incidents of unwanted sexual behaviour on the Tube. Viewers are encouraged to interact with the film by deciding at which point they would 'Report it to stop it' by texting 61016 or calling 101.

Chief Inspector Colin Carswell, Roads and Transport Policing Command MPS said: "The introduction of this new campaign will help us build upon the success that the Project Guardian partnership has achieved so far.

"It is vital that victims feel confident enough to report anything which has made them feel uncomfortable and be reassured that their allegation will be dealt with seriously.

"Committing offences of unwanted sexual behaviour on the transport network is wholly unacceptable and we will continue to work together with our policing colleagues and partners to catch offenders and bring them to justice."

A Tumblr site has also been created to provide information to help break down the barriers that prevent reporting unwanted sexual behaviour. The site will ensure there is one location for all the information people need and actions they can take to report.

All front line staff working for the MPS, BTP, CoLP and TfL have undertaken additional training to raise awareness of unwanted sexual behaviour.

(MH/CD)