British Transport Police carrying out enhanced patrols in Glasgow to raise awareness of sexual harassment campaign

What’s happening? British Transport Police are carrying out further enhanced, high visibility patrols in Glasgow and Edinburgh to raise awareness of its sexual harassment campaign - to reassure passengers, encourage reporting, and create a hostile environment for sexual offenders.

A similar patrol was launched in the led up to Christmas across Scotland, as a detective chief inspector admitted at the time that “some degree of confidence” in the police has been lost following the murder of Sarah Everard.

BTP claimed they are working closely with their rail industry colleagues to make sure members of the public’s journey are safe and free from harassment or abuse.

Increase in sexual assault: Recorded cases of sexual assault on public transport have increased in the past year despite remaining low in these recorded cases.

According to BTP, there were 16 offences in 2019/20, which fell to four during the same period in 2020/21. However, there are 21 recorded cases in the current crime recording year.

Speaking from a train in Glasgow as the patrols were launched in December, Detective Chief Inspector Arlene Wilson said: "We've increased patrols across trains to hand out the text 6106 cards in relation to members of the public feeling safer and, in particular, to sexual harassment.

"Sexual offences in the rail network are extremely low, but one sexual offence is one too many for British Transport Police.”

Iona Fyfe, the 23-year-old Scots singer, said: “I’d feel safer if there was transport police or even a dedicated train guard for each train. Especially the ones at night, where people could feasibly be followed home in the dark and less people are generally about.

“I moved to Springburn last year, and the thought of a train journey from Glasgow Queen Street to Springburn after a night out – then the walk home – has absolutely terrified me into simply not drinking and taking the car to socialise.

“Trains, especially the night trains and the trains from Edinburgh to Glasgow, are full of rowdy groups, and men are constantly jeering women of all ages. It’s so off putting.”

A version of this article first appeared on our sister site, The Scotsman