Body-worn cameras to be given to South Western Railway workers in Hampshire to counter anti-social behaviour and abuse towards staff

South Western Railway (SWR) has started rolling out body-worn cameras across its network, which runs along the south coast.

The cameras are being introduced to deter and reduce anti-social behaviour on trains and stations, as well as to act as a deterrent to assaults, threats and abuse experienced by staff.

It comes following a trial at Fratton railway station which began last June, with Portsmouth, Eastleigh, Bournemouth and other stations now also lined up.

The cameras will be worn by guards, customer service assistants – including gateline staff – rail community officers, and revenue protection staff.

Christian Neill, SWR’s customer experience director, said: ‘Customer and colleague safety will always be our top priority. We are always looking for ways to help our customers travel with greater confidence and ensure that colleagues feel safer at work.

‘These body-worn cameras are designed to do just this, by deterring anti-social behaviour on our services and reducing the number of assaults our colleagues experience at work.

‘While we wish that we could prevent every incident, we expect that the new footage will help authorities in any prosecutions by providing good quality evidence.’

Over the past couple of years, body-worn cameras have become far more popular in a number of industries.

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In November 2020, staff at the Co-Op store received cameras in a bid to protect both employees and other customers.

The move came after violence, threats and abuse against retail workers doubled during the height of the Covid-19, with staff subjected to aggressive customers as panic buying led to shortages on the shelves.

During the pandemic Chris Caesar, from the Portsmouth Business Crime Reduction Partnership, said criminals typically target places that have fewer security measures.

Alongside assault and anti-social behaviour, railway stations also have to deal with fare-dodging – where passengers don’t pay for tickets.

In the past, extra workers have been deployed to railway stations that don’t have ticket barriers, such as Cosham and Portchester.

However, these body-worn cameras may help to catch these fare-dodging passengers in the act.