York's taxi drivers targeted by thugs and thieves (From York Press)

York's taxi drivers targeted by thugs and thieves

8:54am Wednesday 17th March 2010 in

By Mike Laycock » Chief reporter

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TAXI drivers are being targeted by thugs, thieves and vandals more than once a week in York, prompting fresh demands for measures to protect them.

New figures have revealed that in 2009, there were 68 crimes committed against taxis and their drivers, including 18 assaults, 11 cases of criminal damage, nine thefts and four other crimes.

Four of the assaults were considered to be racially or religiously motivated. There were also 26 frauds reported – people making off without paying their fare. The statistics, compiled by the Safer York Partnership, today led to renewed calls for CCTV cameras to be installed in cabs by the authorities to deter criminals and help identify offenders.

York Taxi Association secretary Graham Phillips and York Private Hire Association chairman Barry Hamer claimed such measures had cut crime by 50 per cent in Sheffield, and should be publicly funded in the same way in York. Mr Hamer said some drivers, particularly older ones, decided it was not now “worth the hassle” of going out at night.

The Press reported last year how a camera fitted in a taxi as part of an East Riding of Yorkshire Council trial had helped catch a 19-year-old Bridlington fare dodger who also assaulted the driver. Police used CCTV footage to track the thug down and he was convicted of assault and criminal damage.

Figures for crimes against York taxi drivers in 2008 have not been compiled yet, but the partnership is understood to be planning to research this in coming months.

Mr Phillips said that after 26 years in the taxi trade, his “gut feeling” was that such crimes had increased in recent years.

One of last year’s assaults involved a woman passenger who hit a taxi driver and hurled racial abuse at him in Bishopthorpe. The 49-year-old Dringhouses woman was fined £100 by magistrates and ordered to pay £100 compensation.

Recently, a woman taxi driver was robbed at knifepoint in Acomb, and a 35-year-old cabbie was punched by passengers in Rougier Street.

City of York Council said it was not responsible for private vehicles’ security, but licence conditions allowed drivers to install their own cameras. The council was working with Safer York Partnership to look at portable cameras that could be put in vehicles.

A PRIVATE hire driver told today how he ended up with a black eye – and was left about £600 out of pocket – after being robbed in Acomb.

Chris Beech, 32, of Acomb, who works for 659 Taxis, said he had dropped off a passenger in Danebury Drive and was preparing to get out to stretch his legs when two lads standing nearby came over.

“One punched me in the face, giving me a black eye, while the other one opened the door and grabbed my money box, which contained about £600 in takings,” he said.

“I made the mistake of chasing them into a woodland area, where we had a tussle. I managed to land a punch, but they managed to run off with the money.”

The father-of-three, who has been driving for about three years, said he returned to work a day or so after the incident, which happened earlier this year.

He revealed he had installed a CCTV camera in his cab about two years ago – at a cost to him of about £250 – and he believed this had helped deter passengers from running away without paying or assaulting him.

“I have not had any other problems,” he said.

Comments(30)

Garrowby Turnoff says...
9:11am Wed 17 Mar 10

I think its a problem everywhere, not just York. Personally I would have a sawn-off shotgun mounted on a bracket.
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BTW. A digital still camera is cheaper and it it's possible to recognise people from the pix providing they don't use blurry face masks as the CCTV cameras demand.