Southend-on-Sea City Council marked White Ribbon Day (25 November) with a Transport Safety Officer (TSO) engagement event at Southend Victoria Train Station.
The event showcased the critical role of TSOs in promoting safety and addressing antisocial behaviour on the city’s rail networks, with a strong focus on protecting women and girls.
Introduced earlier this year through a Department for Transport (DfT)-funded pilot programme, TSOs have been patrolling the Greater Anglia line since February and the c2c line since October. This initiative, working across seven local authorities, addresses key safety priorities, including:
- tackling low-level nuisance and disorder
- targeting hotspot routes and locations on public transport
- issuing fixed penalty notices for antisocial behaviour
- championing Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) prevention strategies
During the event, TSOs engaged with commuters alongside representatives from the Southend Community Safety Partnership (CSP), including police officers, community safety officers, and Southend Street Pastors. This collaboration highlighted the collective effort to enhance public safety across Southend.
Cllr Martin Terry, cabinet member for community safety, said: "White Ribbon Day is a powerful reminder of our commitment to protecting women and girls in Southend. Our Transport Safety Officers are central to this effort, working proactively to tackle antisocial behaviour and ensure public transport is a safe space for everyone.
"This initiative is a shining example of partnership working at its best, with agencies coming together to address violence against women and girls head-on and foster safer, more inclusive communities."
The Transport Safety Officer initiative exemplifies the collaborative work of the Southend Community Safety Partnership (CSP), a multi-agency team which includes Southend-on-Sea City Council, Essex Police, Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, and South Essex Homes. Together, these agencies aim to make Southend safer by focusing on priorities such as hate crime and serious violence.
Chief Inspector Dave Browning, Southend District Commander, added: "Tackling violence against women and girls is a priority for the force and we are working closely with our Community Safety Partnership colleagues to make sure women feel safe and are safe when they're in Southend.
"By being visible in the community, we are sending a strong message that unacceptable behaviour needs to stop, and we are showing that help is available to people who need support or want to change.
"We have operations in place in the city to protect vulnerable women and our live facial recognition vans will be in action across the Christmas period to help track down offenders."
Yesterday's event at Southend Victoria Train Station coincided with the launch of the council's participation in White Ribbon Day and the global 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, running until 10 December.