TOKYO (TR) — Odakyu Electric Railway will equip station staff with wearable body cameras across all 70 of its stations to combat a rising tide of passenger violence and harassment, the company has announced.
The full-scale deployment, slated for April 16, aims to crack down on a surge in so-called “kasuhara” (customer harassment), which includes severe verbal abuse, physical assaults and other criminal acts committed by unruly commuters.
A total of 90 cameras will be distributed, with one to three units assigned to each station along the Odakyu Line.
According to the operator, the LINKFLOW P3000 cameras will be activated during trouble and emergencies to record real-time evidence. The footage will be utilized to assist in police investigations and ensure authorities can make swift, fact-based judgments regarding criminal behavior.
To maximize the deterrent effect, the body cameras will visibly display a “Now Recording” screen to hostile passengers, a tactic aimed at immediately de-escalating confrontations and forcing aggressive individuals to back down.
Odakyu officials stressed that the drastic measures are necessary to protect the physical safety of their employees and prevent abusive individuals from disrupting train services for surrounding passengers.
During routine operations, the cameras will also be utilized during station patrols to document suspicious items and equipment failures.
Footage will be strictly controlled under the management of station masters and routinely erased after exceeding its 50-hour storage capacity. However, if a confrontation spirals out of control, staff will also be armed with an “ALSOK Emergency Pendant,” allowing them to instantly summon security backup with the push of a button.
The system’s official rollout follows successful trials at Setagaya-Daita Station last August, where staff praised the devices for their stability and quick activation in the heat of a dispute.
