Met police cease working with TfL on fare evasion as officer convicted
A Metropolitan police officer has been convicted of assault after an incident during checks on fare evasion in Croydon.
The officer was attached to the Roads and Transport Policing Command (RTPC) and found guilty today at Westminster Magistrate’s Court.
Of wider note is an issue highlighted today with the potential for substantial ramifications as the Met stated: “Since this incident happened, we have stopped our involvement in supporting Transport for London fare evasion operations, but we continue our presence on the bus network tackling violent crime.”
With no ability of TfL staff to hold people suspected of not paying, this opens up a potential range of issues.
Joint working over?
The Met work alongside British Transport Police and TfL staff on issues relating to transport and fare evasion, with TfL funding some police across the network.
Whether the stretched BTP alone can function without the Met and what happens now remains to be seen.
It’s quite a common issue to hear passengers complain about those who, for example, push through barriers though rail staff are told not to intervene and have no powers to hold anyone. They log incidents and revenue blocks utilising police can sometimes result.
If the Met won’t take part, the ability to do appears to be lessened in future.
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That will embolden many to not pay. I’m not sure anyone comes out of this looking good. The person refused to show their ticket when asked three times so the officer put cuffs on. Could have just showed the ticket. The magistrate said that was too strong an action. Perhaps the officer was too quick to do so. Then the entire organisation of the met wholesale stop working on these operations so now word will get out quick it’s even more of a free for all and more people will just get on buses and refuse to pay. People pushing through barriers is really common now too.
The police stated she was asked three times though the IOPC statement today presents a different story whereby she was stopped and arrested. It doesn’t mention being asked a number of times but she was walking as in a hurry and possibly in process of getting it out for inspection.
The incident is covered widely and this post isn’t really about that alone but the wider impact and decision of the Met to cease working with TfL. A pretty serious step.
Well that should be curtains for barriers then. What’s the point of them? The honest people will pay and the rest won’t. They’ll ALWAYS find a way round them. Just have validators for the honest people, rather than barriers that constrict movement. Huge swathes of glass walls to hem platforms in won’t be needed any more for a start.
Surely the whole point of having a Mayor is so that the different authorities under his control work together optimally.
The moment Sadiq Khan orders any number of police officers to work with TFL, the Conservatives will scream that he’s turning the city into a warzone by taking brave officers away from the streets to protect his revenues. Not true at all, but the way the Conservative press portrays it, London is little better than Badbadoo and Sadiq’s ‘vanity projects’ (i.e., anything) are keeping everyone in the city at risk of stabbing.
If just a single officer gets seconded to revenue protection, it would be enough to get Lee Anderson or Susan Hall out of hiding and ready to denounce our further slide towards the Islamic Republic of Hackney.
Fare invasion is rife a cross London costing TFL millions of pounds each year. Bur is not being enforced properly by The Mayor of London or TFL who need to get on top it. Fare evasion is not a victimless crime and genuine fare payers see cuts to services etc as TFL struggle to manage budgets.
I strongly believe there should still be a police presence to support and protect TFL Revenue Officers. As many fare evaders can be abusive or threatening when approached. Passengers are normally given two or three chances to show their pass (oyster).
However. If you pay by contactless card then a ticket should be issued by the driver as proof of payment of fare otherwise you have no immediate proof you have paid your fare. The same should apply to barriers at stations. This is something TFL needs to look in to as a matter of urgency.
Fare evasion is a major problem for TFL and train operators costing both millions of pounds each year which could be spent improving services and employing more staff at barriers and working as enforcement officers.
Paying by contactless (bank card) I am not sure how you prove you have paid. But if you have a oyster card just show it to the Revenue Protection Officers. Saves a lot of time andc problems. Revenue Protection Officers do face a lot of abuse from passengers trying to evade fares which sadly i have witnessed on several occasions. So Revenue Protection Officers should continue to accompanied by Police Officers.
I will not comment on the incident thar took place with the lady concerned as I was not there and do not know what happened before she left the bus. I was concerned for her son who was distressed.
Why anyone would join the police today I really dont know. The rank and file as well as units like armed response have been thrown under the bus by the more senior rank of the police and the legal system time and time again. Why do a potentially dangerous and hard job for what’s lets face it is not a great salary just to be abandoned in favour of criminals. Pass
I know that many stations don’t have ticket barriers and are easy targets for fare invaders or ticket dodgers avoiding paying a train ticket and using trains free of charge.
And some have succeeded and others who haven’t have been fined and prosecuted. It’s happened a lot in Essex that stations are poorly maintained.