Sadiq Khan launches TfL hate crime taskforce to protect public from antisemitism and Islamophobia

City Hall said the new taskforce will help Jewish and Muslim communities identify “areas of risk and plan improvements” to the sprawling transport network
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Sadiq Khan has launched a new TfL hate crime taskforce that will "bear down hard" on anti-Semitism and Islamophobia across London's sprawling transport network.

The unit will also help police crack down on violence against women and girls, City Hall said.

Transport chiefs and community representatives will form the taskforce, identifying areas of risk and developing safety measures.

It will include responding to racist vandalism more quickly, improvements to CCTV or lighting and a more visible presence from staff or police at stations.

The Mayor announced the new measures at the London Jewish Forum on Tuesday morning, where he discussed the spike in hate crime in the wake of the October 7 Hamas terror attacks in Israel.

Mr Khan said: "No part of London should feel unsafe or unwelcoming to any Londoner, especially our busy transport network.

"There has been a deeply worrying rise in anti-Semitic and Islamophobic hate crime in London and across the country since October 7, and we need to do everything we possibly can to address this.

"TfL and the police have been doing all they can to target offenders, but there's always more we can do. We need to be even more proactive in preventing incidents happening in the first place and targeting the worst hotspots.

"This new Taskforce will work directly with London's public bodies, helping them bear down hard on violence, hate and intimidation, particularly against women and girls.

"This will always be a priority for me as mayor. There must never be any complacency when it comes to fighting hate crime across our city."

Mr Khan also pledged a further £250,000 to support the victims of hate crime and promote community cohesion, on top of the £14.8million already invested in tackling the problem.

There were 4,103 incidents of anti-Jewish hate recorded across the UK in 2023, according to the latest Community Security Trust’s Anti-Semitic Incidents Report. More than 170 were reported on London tubes and buses.

Tell MAMA, which monitors anti-Muslim hate, recorded 2010 cases since October 7. Over 500 of those were in the capital.

A total of 10,420 crimes were recorded on the London Underground between last December and May, fuelled by a four-fold increase in robbery and a 66 per cent hike in thefts.

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