YEP says: We need the staff to police and protect our railways
THe rise in crime on our trains and railways is deeply worrying.
British Transport Police have a tough job on their hands. This weekend will see commemorations to mark the first anniversary of the London Bridge and Borough Market terror attack, and it was an heroic British Transport Police officer, Wayne Marques, who was one of the firs people to confront the terrorists.
He suffered multiple stab would while trying to save lives.
Thankfully he is able to walk by himself again and hopes to return to work next month. And he’s likely to be kept busy.
As we report today the number of violent crimes committed on Yorkshire’s railways has doubled in the past two years.
The figures seem to be a consequence of increased passenger numbers and a reduction in staffing levels since 2015
And this leads us right back to the issue of guards on trains. They don’t just open and close the doors, one of the issues which led to a series of strikes after it was argued that guards were not needed on all trains.
They are a figure of authority on the train and often a first line of defence in calming passengers before situations get out of control.
Unmanned stations and trains are not going to make passengers feel safer, nor deter people from unruly or criminal behaviour.