Andy Street: Bad behaviour is putting people off using buses
Andy Street has called for a 'zero tolerance approach' to anti-social behaviour which he says is stopping people from using the region's buses.
The West Midlands Mayor has launched the crackdown as police and bus crews step up operations for Mischief Fortnight – the annual spike in nuisance behaviour around Halloween and Bonfire Night.
He said: “While crime on the buses is actually low, witnessing anti-social behaviour can undermine people’s sense of security and that can lead to an unfounded fear of crime.
“The result is that some people choose not to go by bus and that means more congestion and pollution.
“No one, neither staff nor passengers, should have to put up with bad behaviour which is why officers and bus inspectors will be operating a zero tolerance approach, taking firm and effective action whenever they encounter it.”
This week Mr Street joined Safer Travel officers in an anti-social behaviour operation in central Birmingham – one of dozens being staged over the fortnight.
The partnership was launched in 2006 and includes West Midlands Police, British Transport Police and Transport for West Midlands (TfWM). It has helped cut crime on the network by 70 per cent over the last eight years, and there is now just one offence in every 60,000 bus journeys.
Last year saw reported incidents of anti-social behaviour double on the bus network in the two weeks around Halloween and Bonfire Night.
Action against culprits can range from warning letters to Acceptable Behaviour Contracts and even civil injunctions which can see offenders banned from the bus network.
Safer Travel Inspector Rachel Crump said the partnership’s policing teams were committed to tackling anti-social behaviour throughout Mischief Fortnight, focussing on hot spots identified by intelligence information.
“We are not out to spoil the festive fun,” she said. “We are simply asking people to be mindful of their surroundings and think ‘would they like their family members to be subject to such behaviour?’
“But there is an issue at this time of year and with the nights getting dark early which is why we use a number of tactical options including plain clothes operations.”
Inspector Crump said the team also had access to more than 1,400 CCTV cameras, staffed 24/7, to identify and respond to incidents in bus, rail and Metro stations.
