Railway crime, trespass and vandalism is not only dangerous, but it can also cause great disruption to the rail network leading to delays for passengers and freight, and increased costs for the industry and ultimately, end users.
Engaging with our communities
During 2010/11, our team of dedicated regional community safety managers continued to work in communities nationwide, primarily engaging in ‘hotspot’ areas which represent the greatest risk to railway users and to the infrastructure. They work with a variety of organisations including local police, sports clubs, schools and local councils to raise awareness of the dangers of taking risks on the tracks and to get young people involved in more fun activities.
"Establishing a new and robust baseline of community safety data will be a focus for 2011/12."In 2010/11, we changed the way we collect community safety information. As a result, this year we do not have data that is comparable to that which has been reported in previous years. Establishing a new and robust baseline of community safety data will be a focus for 2011/12.
No Messin’!
The No Messin’! campaign targets young people throughout the 100 worst offending locations for rail crime. Now in its sixth year, recent interventions have included a Streetgames sports project in Bristol and South Wales, an Active Schools extra-curricular programme in South Lanarkshire, and a DJ music project in the southwest of England.
Working with Samaritans
Sadly, suicides continue to occur across the network with 208 incidents recorded in the past year (2009/10: 233). In 2010, we launched a groundbreaking five-year partnership with Samaritans with the aim of reducing incidents of suicide on the railway by 20 per cent by 2015. Work in partnership with Samaritans this year has focused on:
- communication; with a targeted awareness campaign including posters and awareness materials in over 100 priority locations, distribution of 3,600 Samaritans contact cards and over 7,500 British Transport Police witness cards. In the first year of the partnership there have been over 100 million opportunities to see the campaign
- training; with over 900 frontline railway industry staff receiving training in a one day ‘managing suicidal contact’ course. The course provides employees with the tools to manage potential suicide incidents
- outreach; with The Emotional Support Outside Branch programme established since 1 January 2011. This service allows frontline staff to alert Samaritans advisers to a location where an individual could benefit from their support. In the three months to 31 March 2011 there had been no calls to use this service
We also funded a high profile joint national awareness campaign, Men on the Ropes, to reduce the more than 4,000 male suicides that occur each year by persuading men in distress to talk about their problems and consider calling Samaritans’ helpline
With its boxing theme, the campaign specifically targeted working-class men in their 30s, 40s and 50s who are the most likely of all to die by suicide, including on the railways. Nearly 80 per cent of rail suicides are by men
The campaign, launched on 8 September 2010, included prominent posters and advertising around stations, at automatic ticket barriers, in bars and around towns on telephone booths and at bus stops.