JamesMoore-Square-800x800-NEWheadshot-23

Managing Editor, IFSEC Insider

Author Bio ▼

James Moore is the Managing Editor of IFSEC Insider, the leading online publication for security and fire news in the industry. James writes, commissions, edits and produces content for IFSEC Insider, including articles, breaking news stories and exclusive industry reports. He liaises and speaks with leading industry figures, vendors and associations to ensure security and fire professionals remain abreast of all the latest developments in the sector.
August 18, 2022

Sign up to free email newsletters

Download

Whitepaper: Multi-residential access management – The move to digital

Public transport teams urged to rethink security strategies as data shows growth in threat of attacks by lone actors

A new study has found that there is a growing risk of attack to public surface transportation hubs and their staff, particularly in “economically advanced countries”. Commentators have urged for security strategies to be reconsidered as a result.

While developing countries continue to account for most attacks in the sector, the threat of attacks has changed significantly in the past 20 years in countries such as the USA. This is according to the authors, Brian Michael Jenkins and Bruce R. Butterworth, of a new study, Changing Patterns of Violence Pose New Challenges for Public Transport, from the Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI).

TrainStation-AttackSecurity-22It found that countries with advanced economies (Group 1) account for a growing percentage of incidents worldwide, with the USA taking the lead in the total number of incidents and number  of fatalities in those countries. There is a particular surge in low-level attacks carried out by lone actors, highlights the research.

By analysing data from 5,611 attacks against all public surface transport targets that occurred worldwide between January 1970 and July 2022, the authors observed a growing problem of violence against passengers and staff on passenger trains and at train stations, buses and bus stations, rail infrastructure, and operating and security staff.

They not only included explosives and incendiaries, but physical attacks—stabbings, shootings, arson, unarmed physical assaults and other acts of random violence.

“Our analysis indicates a fundamental shift in the threat facing public surface transportation. At the beginning of the decade the people responsible for security were worried about suicide attackers, particularly those motivated by Jihadist ideologies and bent upon causing mass casualties, with large scale bombings as well as the possibility of chemical or biological attacks. However, controls on explosives and precursor chemicals have been strengthened, especially in economically advanced countries,” explained Jenkins.

The authors are quick to warn that large-scale attacks such as Madrid (2004) and Mumbai (2008) should not be dismissed as a potential threat and that bombings continue to constitute more than 55% of all attacks on public surface transportation in developing countries – particularly in South Asia.

However, in economically advanced countries, security planners now face a more complicated and insidious threat in the form of increasing attacks by individual criminals, persons described as mentally disturbed, or, in many cases, unknown attackers. The violence is increasingly random and carried out by lone individuals, who can make potentially lethal bombs, which very often do not work. At the same time, there has been an increase in incidents of sabotage by anarchists and environmental extremists.

“Many of the attacks are not ordinary criminal activities such as armed robberies; and most have no political nexus,” explains Butterworth. “The increase in violence at transportation venues appears to parallel a general increase in random public violence and reflects broader societal trends occurring on the streets and elsewhere. Some observers blame the behavior on the pandemic, but the trends precede COVID-19, and are contributing to a sense of insecurity.”

Figure: Number of attacks in Country Groups over time (Group 1 are economically advanced countries with the exception of Israel, Turkey and Colombia; Group 2 are other all other countries with the exception of the West Bank & Gaza)


As the majority of attacks appear to be random, risk reflects exposure. Passengers are more numerous than operating personnel but are exposed for shorter periods, so their risk is lower. There are far fewer operating personnel, but they spend longer times on the job, therefore their exposure to risk is greater. Transportation employees are on the frontline in dealing with violent incidents–often on their own or as targets of the violence. They require protection and training.

“A public fearful of traveling adds to economic difficulties for transportation operators and reduced resources for facilities improvements, service and security. The fact that there are fewer riders may contribute even further to a sense of insecurity and it is possible that increased ridership actually contributes to security,” said Jenkins.

The increasingly individual and spontaneous nature of attacks on surface transportation targets make such attacks less predictable and harder to detect. Intelligence operations, while essential, are less likely to obtain warnings. Rapid intervention is often required to prevent or mitigate casualties, but that in turn requires greater security presence, which is costly to maintain.

While the study is limited to public surface transportation, the phenomenon of increasing violence appears to be much broader and notes that unruly, and sometimes violent, passengers are also a growing problem in civil aviation.

Butterworth stated: “The shift from terrorist to anti-social violence particularly in economically advanced countries is probably far greater than what we include in this report, which is why we call on the governments and transportation operators to better record what is happening to passengers and staff so that we can rethink our security strategies, preparedness and training.”

 

EBOOK: Lessons from IFSEC 2023 – Big Tech, Martyn’s Law and Drone Threats

Read IFSEC Insider’s exclusive IFSEC eBook and explore the key takeaways from the 2023 show!

Navigate the impact of Big Tech on access control, gain insights from Omdia’s analysts on video surveillance trends, and explore sessions covering topics like futureproofing CCTV networks, addressing the rising drone threat, and the crucial role of user proficiency in security technology.

There's also an exclusive interview with Figen Murray, the driver behind Martyn's Law legislation.

 

IFSEC-Ebook-FrontCover-23

Related Topics

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments