TFL: Our approach

London’s transport system is a safe and low crime environment. The risk of becoming a victim of crime is at its lowest level in over six years. Despite this, safety and security on the transport system continues to be a top priority for us and our policing partners. We are working in partnership with the British Transport Police, City of London Police and theMetropolitan Police Service to reduce crime and antisocial behaviour even further and help people feel safer travelling in London.
Our anti-crime measures include:

  • Visible and accessible policing
  • Targeted and intelligence-led enforcement
  • Staffing of stations
  • Improvements in design
  • Introducing new technologies such as CCTV

Find out more about what we are doing to keep you safe.

London Transport Community Safety Partnership

The London Transport Community Safety Partnership (LTCSP) is made up of a number of organisations which are all working in partnership to make journeys within London safer.  The partnership leads on delivering ‘The Right Direction‘, the Mayor’s three-year strategy to improve transport safety and security in London. Its members are:

  • Association of Train Operating Companies
  • British Transport Police
  • City of London Police
  • Greater London Authority
  • London Criminal Justice Partnership
  • London Councils
  • London Travelwatch
  • Metropolitan Police Service
  • Metropolitan Police Authority
  • Network Rail
  • Transport for London

The partnership has been vital in reducing crime and antisocial behaviour on the Capital’s transport system over the last six years.

Directorate of Community Safety, Enforcement and Policing

Our Directorate of Community Safety, Enforcement and Policing (CSEP) is responsible for community safety, enforcement and policing across London’s transport system. This means it coordinates a range of schemes that aim to improve safety and security when travelling in London. CSEP works with partners to:

  • Set the direction, priorities, and policies for policing services on and around the transport system
  • Undertake intelligence, analysis and research activities to identify and inform responses to community safety and network disruption issues
  • Undertake activities to minimise fare evasion and ticket irregularities on buses
  • Manage the 11-18 free travel scheme on London’s buses
  • Manage performance and evaluating policing and crime reduction activities
  • Provide specialist crime and anti-social behaviour reduction advice
  • Deliver crime and anti-social behaviour reduction projects and activities in partnership with the police and other organisations
  • Investigate and prosecute fare evaders and other offenders
  • Coordinate and provide support for CCTV activities on the bus network
  • Provide support for community safety, policing and enforcement activities
  • Manage requests from  police and law enforcement agencies for customer information and CCTV footage to address policing, national security and law enforcement issues affecting London

The theory behind our thinking

Our approach to improving safety and security on the system is based on the theories of Signal Crimes and Broken Windows and a focus on crime prevention and problem-solving. These theories state that by tackling low level crime and disorder, more serious crime can be driven out of the system and that focusing on certain priority crimes can also reduce fear of crime.

Quite simply, by tackling antisocial behaviour and crimes such as fare evasion and criminal damage, we are able to have a greater impact on more serious crime. This approach also brings great benefits for staff and passengers alike, as it is these types of crimes that can have an impact on how safe people feel.

All of our activities are aimed at preventing crime and disorder on the transport system and are undertaken within a framework of problem solving. This focuses on identifying key issues, understanding why the incidents are occurring and identifying ways to prevent them from re-occurring. All these activities are supported by intelligence gathering, analysis and mapping and are constantly being evaluated. This underpins the Neighbourhood Policing model on the transport system which has been adopted by the Metropolitan Police Service and the British Transport Police.

Section 17 of the Crime and Disorder Act

We are subject to Section 17 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 which means we have to do all we reasonably can to reduce crime and disorder on the transport system.

The legislation gives a focus on how our delivery of core services, along with our public authorities, can make a significant difference to crime reduction in local communities.