61016
 | A request that this article title be changed to 61016 (text service) is under discussion. Please do not move this article until the discussion is closed. |
| |
| Organisation | British Transport Police |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Launched | 2013 |
| Format | SMS |
| Related numbers | 999 101 112 |
| Website | www |
| Active | Yes |
61016 is a British Transport Police (BTP) text service for reporting non-emergency incidents on the railway in Great Britain. Launched in 2013, the service allows members of the public to contact BTP via SMS about suspicious activity, anti-social behaviour, and other non-urgent matters.
The service has featured in BTP publicity, with the slogan See it. Say it. Sorted. and is used alongside the 999 and 101 numbers for emergency and non-emergency police contact respectively.
History
[edit]The 61016 service was first introduced in 2013. Its purpose is to be able to send a text message to BTP in non-emergency situations rather than calling.[1][2]
By 2016, the service had expanded, introducing the "See it. Say it. Sorted." campaign. It has urged passengers to report suspicious behaviour via text message. As part of the new campaign, train companies started playing the campaign slogan in trains and at stations:[3][4]
"If you see something that doesn't look right, speak to staff or text British Transport Police on 61016. We'll sort it. See it. Say it. Sorted."
Additionally, the 61016 number has been highlighted across stations and announcements to help improve public safety.[5]
Efficacy
[edit]Within the first year of its release, the service received over 4,000 messages.[6]
In 2015, BTP aimed for 61016 to reduce crime by 20%, reduce crime related disruption by 20%, and increase staff and passenger confidence by 10%, while additionally adding a "value to money".[7][needs update]
BTP continues to promote awareness, as victims of sexual harassment have said they were unaware of the service as recently as 2024.[8]
The "See it. Say it. Sorted" campaign has been described as "the most irritating slogan in the history of British transport". Passengers have commented that the station and train announcements were "becoming too frequent and a bit annoying."[5]
In 2022, BTP received 472 reports of sexual harassment, 540 incidents categorised as sexual offences, 573 hate crimes, and 434 reports of theft via the service.[1] Then in March 2023, BTP announced that more than 668,000 texts had been sent to the service in its first ten years.[9] In 2023, there were 320 reports of sexual offences and harassment in London by females under the age of 19 – an increase of 33% over the previous year.[10]
In 2024, BTP collaborated with the four major UK mobile networks to make the 61016 service free of charge. This has eliminated barriers to reporting and ensure that all individuals are able to contact BTP without facing mobile charges.[11][12] By 2025, reports to the 61016 service had increased to 255,000 a year.[13][14]
From TFL (Transport for London) Data, the amount of robberies have increased on London's Tube Network by 318% while passenger reports have gone down when documented by the source by March 2023.[15]
External Links
[edit]61016 'See it. Say it. Sorted.' Announcement
References
[edit]- ^ a b Collins, Mike (10 March 2023). "The 61016 service celebrates its 10th birthday". Emergency Services Times. Retrieved 13 September 2025.
- ^ "Texts to tackle travel crime". ITV News. 6 March 2013. Retrieved 22 October 2025.
- ^ "British Transport Police | TfW". tfw.wales. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
- ^ McAllister, Lizzie (27 December 2024). "Brits are only just learning what 'see it, say it, sorted' slogan actually says". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 13 September 2025.
- ^ a b Sweney, Mark (16 September 2025). "'See it. Say it. Sorted' campaign gets refresh – but slogan stays same". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 21 September 2025.
- ^ "BTP Performance 2016-17" (PDF). July 2016.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Auger, Ashley; Chainani, Jai (November 2015). "2016-2017 Policing Plan" (PDF). British Transport Police.
- ^ "Sharp rise in reported cases of sexual harassment on London's transport system, police say". ITV News. 29 May 2024. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
- ^ "British Transport Police marks more than half a million texts on 10th birthday". British Transport Police. 6 March 2023. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
- ^ "London transport: Reported offences against women up 33% - police". BBC News. 29 May 2024. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
- ^ Devonshire, James (26 November 2024). "British Transport Police's 61016 text service now free across all major UK mobile networks". Emergency Services Times. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
- ^ "Text BTP on 61016". www.btp.police.uk. Retrieved 13 September 2025.
- ^ "See It, Say It, Sorted campaign success". The Times. 16 September 2025. Archived from the original on 17 September 2025.
- ^ "New look, same message: 'See it. Say it. Sorted'". GOV.UK. Retrieved 27 November 2025.
- ^ Marius, Callum (27 March 2023). "'Police train' unveiled as robberies at stations soar to pre-Covid levels". My London. Retrieved 30 November 2025.