Long-term Crime Trends and Policing Strategies on UK Public Transport

Apr 25, 2026, 11:49

Introduction

Statistics from the House of Commons Library show a significant change in crime on British public transport between the 2018/19 and 2024/25 financial years. This has led to different policy suggestions from various groups.

Main Body

Data over time shows that robberies increased by 136%, from 705 to 1,663 cases over six years. Similarly, theft and hate crimes rose by 32% and 30%, respectively. Sexual offences increased by 17%, but the British Transport Police argued that this is due to more victims reporting crimes, not necessarily more crimes happening. In contrast, harassment fell by 8%. Even though some crimes increased over several years, the Department for Transport reported a 3% drop in overall railway crime last year, while the number of passenger trips rose by 7%. The Liberal Democrats used these numbers to call for more police on the network. Party spokespersons Max Wilkinson and Olly Glover argued that regular patrols are necessary for public order and commuter safety. A University of Cambridge study, done with the British Transport Police, supported this view. It found that 15-minute patrols four times a day at stations with high crime rates led to a 28% drop in crime. The study described a 'phantom effect,' meaning that the crime reduction continued even when police were not actually there. In response, the British Transport Police stressed that the risk of being a victim is still low, at 26 crimes per million journeys. They highlighted the success of recent targeted actions in London, which cut robberies by 35% during the busiest winter months over two years. To deal with security worries, the Department for Transport promised to increase the budget for the British Transport Police by 15% over the next three years. This money will be used to hire over 200 more officers to maintain and improve the current 80% passenger satisfaction with safety.

Conclusion

Although long-term data shows a big increase in some types of crime since 2018, recent official reports suggest that overall railway crime is going down. Future policy will focus on increasing the budget and placing officers strategically.

Vocabulary Learning

harassment (n.)
behaviour that is intended to trouble or annoy someone騷擾
Example:While some types of crime increased, reports of harassment actually fell by 8%.
patrol (n.)
the act of moving around an area to provide security and check for trouble巡邏
Example:The study found that regular 15-minute patrols at stations led to a large drop in crime.
respectively (adv.)
in the same order as the people or things already mentioned分別地；依次地
Example:Theft and hate crimes rose by 32% and 30%, respectively.
significant (adj.)
important or noticeable顯著的；重要的
Example:Statistics show a significant change in crime on British public transport over the last few years.
strategically (adv.)
in a way that is part of a plan to achieve a specific goal策略性地；戰略性地
Example:Future policing policy will focus on placing officers strategically to maintain public safety.

Sentence Learning

Even though some crimes increased over several years, the Department for Transport reported a 3% drop in overall railway crime last year, while the number of passenger trips rose by 7%.
Linking Words: 'Even though' introduces a contrast between the increase in specific crimes and the overall decrease in railway crime.連接詞：「Even though」（雖然）引導了一個讓步狀語從句，用來對比特定罪案的增加與鐵路整體罪案率下降之間的矛盾。
They highlighted the success of recent targeted actions in London, which cut robberies by 35% during the busiest winter months over two years.
Relative Clause: The non-defining relative clause starting with 'which' provides additional information about the 'targeted actions'.關係子句：由「which」引導的非限定性關係子句，為前面的「targeted actions」（針對性行動）提供了額外的補充資訊。
This money will be used to hire over 200 more officers to maintain and improve the current 80% passenger satisfaction with safety.
Passive Voice: The future passive 'will be used' focuses on the application of the budget rather than the person spending it.被動語態：使用將來時被動語態「will be used」，將焦點放在預算的用途上，而非執行撥款的人員。
The study described a ''phantom effect,'' meaning that the crime reduction continued even when police were not actually there.
Participle Phrase: The present participle 'meaning' acts as a reduced relative clause to explain the 'phantom effect'.分詞短語：現在分詞「meaning」在此充當簡化了的關係子句，用來進一步解釋何謂「phantom effect」（幻影效應）。
Although long-term data shows a big increase in some types of crime since 2018, recent official reports suggest that overall railway crime is going down.
Linking Words: 'Although' is used at the start of the sentence to contrast long-term trends with more recent improvements.連接詞：句首使用「Although」（雖然）來對比長期數據趨勢與近期官方報告中顯示的改善情況。