Chief constable responds after Bedford taxi driver says police did not attend after he was attacked

Bedfordshire’s police constable has responded to a call for reassurance for taxi drivers after one driver said officers didn’t attend the scene after he was attacked.

During the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) and Chief Constable Accountability Meeting (June 13), commissioner Festus Akinbusoye, said he had been told by a Bedford taxi driver that the police are “not attending all cases involving taxi drivers”.

“They play an important part in our night-time economies, as I’m sure you’ll appreciate”, he said “especially getting women and girls home, or anyone home for that matter, when they need that extra support.

“An example given to me was that someone who came into a taxi, got to the destination and refused to pay the taxi driver.

“This person not only went on to leave the vehicle, but also proceeded to start shouting the racist abuse at the taxi driver, and he basically punched them, I believe.

“The taxi driver said that he called the police and all the police did was to give him a crime reference number or something, there was no attendance.

“What reassurance can you give these important tradespeople in our county that when they need the police they will get a response?” he asked.

Chief constable Trevor Rodenhurst replied: “We do see them as an important part of the community, they do often act as eyes and ears and play, as you say, an important role particularly in the night-time economy.

“We won’t attend every incident in terms of, for example, it might be an accident that a taxi is involved in where no one is injured.

“And it might be that a crime has happened but that’s no longer in progress and the person’s no longer there..,” he said.

The PCC cut in: “So the non-attendance is not because it’s a taxi driver, it’s just because that’s the general rule, if it’s a car accident and no one is injured the police will not attend, generally speaking.”

The chief continued: “We will do what we do with all of our calls – it’s threat, harm and risk.

“But if those taxi drivers are in danger, they’re being a victim of serious crime or anything like that I would expect us to be going to their aid.

“There will be some instances where something has happened, it’s no longer happening, which I can foresee in a busy night time economy, where we might have to then deal with that subsequently.

“But nevertheless, we’re supportive of our taxi drivers and it sounds like a meeting to talk through some of these concerns with the sergeant from the licensing team would be a good thing to do,” he said.