South Western Railway expands use of body-worn cameras after surge in assaults on staff
Physical and verbal abuse towards South Western Railway staff has more than doubled since 2020
South Western Railway (SWR) is rolling out body-worn video cameras across its network in response to what it calls an “unacceptable” rise in assaults and abuse against its staff, with more than two incidents reported every day so far this year.
Violent attacks and verbal threats against guards, gate staff and other frontline workers have doubled since 2020-21, according to British Transport Police (BTP).
Jane Lupson, safety and security director at SWR, said: “The rise in abuse directed against our colleagues, including daily assaults, is totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”
While better reporting accounts for some of the increase, the trend mirrors surges in abuse seen in other sectors, including healthcare and retail.
The assaults, which SWR says can have a serious impact on employees’ physical and mental wellbeing, sometimes disrupt railway operations as staff take time off to recover.
Meanwhile, perpetrators could face criminal investigation and prosecution as SWR is determined to crackdown on offences alongside BTP.
Ms Lupson added: “Keeping people safe on our railway is always our number one priority, not least our colleagues who serve our customers with care every day.”
The train operator first trialled body-worn cameras in 2021 and is now extending them to customer-facing roles.
The devices, activated manually by staff, also capture 30 seconds of footage prior to being switched on.
Research by the University of Cambridge, commissioned by the Rail Delivery Group and BTP, found the presence of cameras can reduce the risk of assault against the wearer by almost half.
To coincide with the expansion, SWR has launched a publicity campaign featuring posters at stations to remind passengers of the cameras’ presence and to underline the consequences of abusing staff.
“The introduction of body-worn video cameras will help deter anyone thinking of abusing a colleague and help prosecute those who do,” Ms Lupson said. “We hope this striking new campaign will remind potential perpetrators of the consequences of abuse, for colleagues and for them.”