Robberies on London’s rail network drop by 18% following intensified activity by BTP

The “robust” action by the force followed a noticeable rise in reports of robberies on the network, including the London Underground, in 2023.

Between April 2023 and March 2024, 1,527 robberies were recorded as having occurred on trains or in stations in London. Between April 2024 and March 2025, this dropped by nearly 20 per cent to 1,245.

Over the past year, BTP engaged in dozens of operations across London alongside hundreds of plain-clothed and uniformed patrols on trains and in stations, closely working with policing partners and our partners in the railway industry.

These deployments, often utilising specialist assets such as knife arches and search dogs, took place across a range of locations across London. The deployments use data and statistics to ensure they occur where they were most needed and will continue to take place.

During a surge of anti-robbery operations and patrols starting in September 2024, dubbed Operation Invert, 591 people were stopped and searched with 324 of those resulting in officers finding illegal substances, weapons, or stolen goods.

Ahead of the anticipated trend of increasing reports of robbery offences during the winter months, BTP introduced the ‘Grip team’ – detectives who became responsible for progressing fast inquiries into robbery, as well as sexual offences, within Inner London as soon as offences are reported.

Rather than individual cases being assigned to a detective to manage and investigate, cases are passed between officers working morning, evening, and night shifts, from the outset to ensure all lines of inquiry can be addressed at a faster pace by dedicated officers.

Working closely with CCTV and intelligence teams focusing on identifying people linked to multiple robbery offences and hotspots of criminal activity, the Grip team is making arrests for robbery and sexual offences at a significantly faster pace, leading to a decrease in robbery offences following its introduction, says BTP.

“The average time taken to arrest someone identified as being involved in a robbery has dropped by two thirds, leading to fewer incidents of robbery as criminal activity is disrupted,” it added.

Chief Superintendent Chris Casey said: “The public’s safety is our number one priority, and we are extremely pleased to see the significant drop in robbery offences on the railway network over the past year.

“Data in 2023 showed a large increase in robbery offences on the railway network, so we put a robust plan in place to make the railway a more hostile environment for those intent on this criminality.

“I’m extremely proud of the work of our proactive patrols and of the Grip team since their introduction, with their work in identifying robbery suspects is making a huge difference in our fight against robbery and criminality on the railway network.

“We recognise there is still plenty of work to be done – every instance of robbery is one too many, so the public will continue to see regular patrols of uniformed officers alongside our specially trained plain-clothed officers to detect and deter robbery.

“Robbery offences will never be tolerated on the railway, and we are committed to ensuring the railway is a safe and secure environment for everyone.”