Sexual harassment on public transport is on the rise. Here is how Victoria Police are combating it

An 80-year-old old man was one of 60 people police have arrested for alleged unwanted sexual behaviour on Melbourne’s public transport network. Here’s the simple tool they are using to crack down on sex pests.

More than 60 arrests have now been made via Victoria Police’s operation dedicated to investigating sex crimes on public transport. Picture: David Crosling

A grubby old man was one of 60 people arrested for alleged unwanted sexual behaviour on Melbourne’s public transport network.

The 80-year-old was brought to the attention of police after an alleged victim reported his sexual offending travelling on a train in January.

The 27-year-old female victim reported him using the force’s STOPIT program, a hotline and operation dedicated to investigating sex crimes on trains, buses and trams.

More than 60 arrests have now been made via the service since its inception three years ago.

Notifications to the STOPIT text line surged 36 per cent over the past year.

A witness travelling on a metropolitan train managed to take a photograph of a man who was allegedly directing sexual activity toward another traveller.

Police launched an investigation based on the information provided through the text service and moved to arrest a 43-year-old man.

More than 5,400 notifications of sexual offending, threatening behaviour and drug use have so far been made to the service. Picture: David Crosling

More than 5400 notifications of sexual offending, threatening behaviour and drug use have so far been made to the service.

More than 57 per cent of those notifications were made by women or girls.

One in five of those notifications relate to unwanted sexual behaviour, including sexual gestures or non-consensual touching.

Trains in the city and suburbs were the source of the majority of reports (59 per cent) while trams represented 20 per cent and buses nearly 12 per cent.

Transit Safety Division Acting Superintendent Jamie Hill said the STOPIT service allowed police to quickly begin investigating using the network’s cameras.

“We’re receiving more and more notifications each year which is pleasing because we know this behaviour often goes unreported,” he said.

“Sometimes people might think unwanted behaviour on public transport isn’t serious enough to report to police or they feel unsafe speaking up.

“STOPIT removes these barriers and gives the power back to victims and bystanders

“Any form of unwanted sexual behaviour on public transport is unacceptable, and we should not tolerate it as a society.”

Trains in the city and suburbs were the source of the majority of reports (59 per cent) while trams represented 20 per cent and buses nearly 12 per cent. Picture: David Crosling

Every Metro Trains carriage is fitted with CCTV but there is a push for Yarra Trams to follow suit and install cameras on their sprawling network.

A Melbourne woman, who was allegedly assaulted while on a tram in Brunswick in December, was shocked to learn that not all trams are fitted with security cameras.

“When I reported it to police … they told me actually there’s no CCTV so we can’t do anything about it,” she told the ABC.

“Yarra Trams explained to me that those older model of trams … don’t have any CCTV and if they were to get any it would needed to be funded by the Department of Transport.

“It’s a really important issue. This is such an actionable step that can be taken, it’s such a practical step.”