Attacks on train attendants are on the rise nationwide. To protect its employees, Nordwestbahn has now joined DB Regio, Saarbahn and Trans Regio in deciding to trial the use of body cameras. ## Nordwestbahn focuses on prevention Verbal and physical assaults on train staff are particularly common in the evenings and at weekends, or during major events such as football matches. This is often due to increased alcohol consumption, but also to groups forming and passengers without tickets reacting aggressively. Following a significant increase from 50-60 attacks on the Bremen/Lower Saxony regional S-Bahn network to 210 in 2022, Nordwestbahn has decided to take action. With immediate effect, Nordwestbahn is equipping 10 train attendants on 6 lines with body cameras from NetCo on a trial basis, which they will wear every day from 7 p.m. According to Benjamin Havermann, Head of Communications at Nordwestbahn, the experience so far has been positive. The body cam has a de-escalating effect on passengers, and employees have not yet encountered any critical situations. As a result, the camera has not yet recorded anything. “Seeing themselves [on the body cam screen] deters most people,” says Kristian Loroch of the Railway and Transport Union (EVG).
Nordwestbahn Find out more about the use of body cams at Nordwestbahn here! ## Body cameras defuse critical situations A DB spokeswoman also emphasises the de-escalating effect of the cameras: “As a result, security personnel wearing body cameras are virtually never attacked.” DB Security has already equipped its security personnel at Germany’s largest railway stations with cameras, and employees in Bremen will also soon be seen wearing cameras at the station. And the EVG is calling for even more security measures for railway employees nationwide, including – according to Janina Pfeiffer, EVG chairwoman in Saxony-Anhalt – double staffing on trains, de-escalation training and body cameras. Above all, the cameras should be used much earlier to prevent attacks on train staff. According to Deutsche Bahn, the number of assaults nationwide rose by 21 per cent to 3,138 cases in 2022. In addition to their positive de-escalation effect, body cameras also strengthen the general sense of security among train staff in their everyday work and, should an incident occur, they record important evidence for the prosecution of the crime. Body cameras are therefore becoming an important part of the security concept for more and more transport and security companies. In addition to Deutsche Bahn and its partners, the public order offices in North Rhine-Westphalia (Enthusiasm for body cameras at the NRW public order offices (netco.de)) are also continuously increasing the number of body cameras in use. From February 2024, security companies insured by the VBG will also have the opportunity to receive a subsidy for the purchase of body cameras (see premium procedure). Secure free consultation ## Further references:
### Deutsche Bahn
Find out more about the use of body cameras by security personnel at Deutsche Bahn AG here! 