Almost 83,000 crimes recorded through 61016 text line in ten years of See it. Say it. Sorted.
Rail passengers now send British Transport Police more than 200,000 messages a year on 61016, the Department for Transport says.
The rail announcement passengers hear on the way to work has now run for ten years, and the Department for Transport has put numbers on it.
Almost 83,000 crimes have been recorded through British Transport Police's 61016 text number since the See it. Say it. Sorted. campaign began in 2016, the department said on Saturday. The ten-year total runs to more than 1.5 million texts, and those messages have led to more than 175,000 police deployments on the railway.
Use has grown sharply. The force now gets more than 200,000 messages a year, and last year's total was almost ten times the 2016 level.
The campaign is now required at every train operator and station in England, Scotland and Wales. Alongside the anniversary, the department pointed to £63m of extra funding for British Transport Police over three years, which pays for more than 200 additional officers, and £17m for better station CCTV.
When to use the number
Text 61016 for concerns that don't need an urgent response. It is monitored around the clock, and officers will be sent if needed. It is not for emergencies: call 999 if a crime is happening or someone is hurt or in danger.
