Devon & Cornwall Police and Cornwall Council are supporting a ‘zero tolerance’ policy to address the issue of violence, aggression and unacceptable behaviour directed towards Taxi & PHV Drivers. Together we are delivering a clear message to the public that violence and aggression towards any Taxi or PHV driver is unacceptable.
Violence and aggression at work
- Violence and aggression at work is – ‘any incident in which a person is abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances relating to their work’
- Physical assault is – ‘the intentional application of force from one person to another, without lawful justification, resulting in physical injury, personal discomfort or damage to property’
- Non-physical assault is – ‘the use of inappropriate words (including, but not exclusively, verbal/written/social media) or behaviour causing alarm, distress and/or constituting harassment’
- Persistent unacceptable behaviour – refers to behaviour both within one contact and/or a number of separate contacts over an undefined period (this includes telephone contact)’
Zero tolerance
Together we will no longer accept or tolerate any violence or aggression towards Taxi & PHV Drivers and any such act/behaviour will result in appropriate action or sanctions.
Safeguarding Yourself
- If you become aware of, or are a victim of a situation you need to do the right thing as soon as is practicably possible.
- Follow your company policy and make a written record of what has happened, or what you’ve heard and seen (but not what you “think” has happened, facts only). Make sure you secure any available evidence such as CCTV & witness details.
- Don’t take any action against the accused leave it to the appropriate authorities (no matter how slow it seems, they need to gather evidence and it takes time) and remember not everyone tells the truth.
What if an allegation is made against you? What do you do?
Some people can feel that they have no power, especially if you have had to stand up to them due to their behaviour towards you, so they have found in the past that they can get attention by saying something has happened to them in order to get lots of fuss , attention and people wanting to help etc. which can feel empowering and exciting to that individual.
How can you protect yourself, your family, your job, your life?
Do’s
- Try to remain calm and be polite no matter how the passenger acts towards you, it’s your job, nothing personal
- Discuss the price before setting off to avoid surprising the customer – consider asking for up front payment (at least you can have the argument before you go anywhere)
- Be sensitive to culture, religion & gender, maintain boundaries and consider what is appropriate
- Be aware that physical contact may be misconstrued
- Record any incident in writing (have an incident book in your vehicle) – as they say in healthcare “If it’s not written down, it didn’t happen.”
- Secure any CCTV evidence and make copies
- Be aware and protect yourself, evidence is key – always be prepared to explain your actions!
Don’ts
- Try not to raise your voice or argue, show anger or use language that could inflame a situation, or go head to head with a passenger
- Is it safe to get out of your vehicle, if you do not need to get out of the vehicle, then maybe you shouldn’t, don’t be a hero
- Do not communicate with passengers in ways that could be interpreted as sexually suggestive or provocative, or discuss your own personal relationships/matters with a passenger – be professional
- Do not disclose personal contact details or access Social Networking Sites with passengers
- Do not assume that the passenger seeks physical comfort if they are distressed
- Never touch a passenger in a way that might be considered indecent, perhaps avoid touching altogether
- Don’t leave your vehicle unlocked
It is vitally important that as a licensed driver you do the right thing as much as possible, as this will help greatly in dealing with abusive behaviour cases and pursuing possible convictions by the Police, or at the very least, help Licensing to refute any malicious complaints against you. Also consider depositing money to a safe location through your work shift to limit your loss should someone attempt to steal it. Simple, practical measures can sometimes make a very big difference. Safety first!
In the event of an abusive incident, what do I do next?
If you are the victim of an abusive situation, you can report it to licensing at Cornwall Council for review, to consider if any further action should be necessary, but if not, then it can be kept on file should the perpetrator decide to submit a malicious complaint, allowing your Licensing Officer to then refute the complaint as unjustified or inappropriate. (Remember to keep copies of everything for yourself).
You can contact licensing on 01726 223433 or licensing@cornwall.gov.uk
In the event of a more severe abusive or violent incident, what do I do?
If you have been the victim of a more severe abusive experience, it may be a criminal offence under the Public Order Act 1986, especially if it is with threats of violence or actual physical abuse or violence. You can report it to Devon & Cornwall Police as well as Licensing for further action to be taken.
Non-emergency: You can contact Devon & Cornwall Police on ‘101’
or email: 101@devonandcornwall.pnn.police.uk
Emergency: Dial ‘999’ immediately.
Devon & Cornwall Police website: https://www.devon-cornwall.police.uk/
Incident & Intelligence Reporting
If you witness any non-emergency incidents or crimes, please report to Crime-stoppers by calling: 0800 555 111, or use the anonymous online form:
https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/forms/pre-form