Six new TSOs have joined the Transport for West Midlands’ Safer Travel Team to help tackle and deter offenders on the region’s bus, train and tram networks.
TSOs have the power to hand out fines to offenders, with their role being to deal with “low-level nuisance, disorder and antisocial behaviour”.
The specialist officers target routes, stops and stations across all of the region’s public transport network and act on reports submitted by transport staff and members of the public.
There is now a total of 16 TSOs in the West Midlands who are divided into four teams – one focused on buses, another on rail and Metro, a third on specifically targeting violence against women and girls and a fourth which acts as a response team that deals with specific issues as and when they arise.
The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) said that tackling violence against women and girls is a “key focus,” with three of the six new recruits being women.
TSOs are trained to assist female passengers who may feel threatened, escorting them to safety or checking they are not being followed.
The Mayor of the West Midlands, Richard Parker, said: “People deserve to feel safe when taking public transport – whether that’s on our buses, trains or trams.
“While reports of crime on our network are relatively low, I want to keep it that way, and any one incident is one too many.
“That’s why I’ve increased the number of officers we have in our Transport Safety Team.
“It means you will see more staff on patrols on our network, especially in the evenings, ensuring safer journeys for everyone.”