Crime on the Tube registers slight rise

There has been a slight rise in the number of crimes on the Tube this year, with 188 more offences recorded compared to the same period last year, the British Transport Police's (BTP) Annual Report has revealed.

The total number of reported offences on London Underground (LU) between 1 April 2003 and 31 March 2004 stood at 18,329 – less than a third of the number of reported offences than all the other railways in England and Wales, LU said.

There was a significant reduction in crimes such as pickpocketing, with theft cut by 13.1% - a reduction of 1,514 offences; robbery was also down by 6.2%. However, violent crime has risen by 22% to 2,295 recorded offences and theft of railway property also saw a huge rise of 63% to 1,509 offences.

A surveillance project, Operation Hawkeye, aimed at reducing vehicle crime in Tube station car parks, has been hailed as success having resulted in vehicle crime being reduced by almost a fifth (17.9%), with 460 offences compared to 560 offences in 2002/2003, the report found.

Over the last five years, vehicle crime is down 61%, LU said.

LU's Managing Director, Tim O'Toole said: "Transport for London (TfL) and the Underground are working closely with BTP to confront crime. Over the past two years, the Mayor and TfL have provided funding for an additional 200 officers to patrol the Tube.

"But statistically, London Underground is still a safe environment, particularly when you realise that over 3 million passengers use the Tube every day, more than use all the railways in the rest of Britain.

BTP Area Commander of London Underground, Chief Superintendent Paul Crowther said: "Although we have reduced vehicle crime significantly over the past two years, as well as fraud, robberies and theft of passenger property including pickpocketing, we are not complacent."

(gmcg)