A request that this article title be changedto 61016 (text service) is under discussion. Please do not move this article until the discussion is closed.
The service has featured in BTP publicity, with the sloganSee it. Say it. Sorted. and is used alongside the 999 and 101 numbers for emergency and non-emergency police contact respectively.
History
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
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]
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