The new artwork, designed by an agency on behalf of British Transport Police and the government's transport department, has sparked a row with some onlookers suggesting the posters resemble images of the Jewish persecution in Nazi Germany.
If you see unusual behaviour on the rail network report it to staff or text @BTP on 61016 #SeeItSayItSorted pic.twitter.com/rdk39CszDr
— Dept for Transport (@transportgovuk) November 1, 2016
Commuters troubled by the posters said that rather than encouraging people to report suspicious behavior, the images were anti-Semitic.
If you 👀 something suspicious #seeitsayitsorted let us know; your report is never a waste of time👍Thank you! @EMTrains @CrossCountryUK pic.twitter.com/ZnLOI4visy
— BTP Leicester (@BTPLeicester) November 4, 2016
Defending the posters, the UK government's department for transport said they were "carefully designed" to avoid stereotypes.
We understand there are some concerns about the #SeeItSayItSorted campaign with @transportgovuk launched this week. Here's our response. pic.twitter.com/1VDZBM15KV
— BTP (@BTP) November 3, 2016
The British Transport Police issued a statement: "We're saddened that people may have been upset by parts of this important campaign. That certainly wasn't the intention.
"The campaign uses illustrations rather than photographs to avoid singling out any group or part of the community.
"Our priority is the safety and security of the public, and the intention is to show specific examples of what people should look out for, focusing on the behavior rather than the person."
If you see something that just doesn't look right tell us you can #TextBTP on 61016 #SeeItSayItSorted @NetworkRailBHM pic.twitter.com/khseOhEi2E
— BTP Birmingham (@BTPbhm) November 2, 2016
"We have listened to this feedback and will take it on board along with our campaign partners — the Government and the rail industry."
Many people took to Twitter to vent their outburst and intentions to report the posters to Britain's Advertising Standards Authority.
Please work together @MayorofLondon @rydermc @SophieKLinden @ValShawcross @justinesimons1 to get the racist posters removed ASAP HT @19pst https://t.co/u8tZwZfbqz
— Philip Black (@philiblack) November 3, 2016
This is appalling https://t.co/kZaBm5MCQv
— Angie Pedley (@AngiePedley) November 3, 2016
Twitter user, London Crawling, has requested under the Freedom of Information act the design brief and correspondence between the UK government's transport department and AML Group, the team that designed the #SeeItSayItSorted posters.
Hi @transportgovuk I request, under the freedom of information act, the design brief & correspondence with @aml_group over #seeitsayitsorted
— London Crawling (@LondonerAlex) November 3, 2016
'Horrible Shock'
Susie Symes, chair of the Museum of Immigration and Diversity in East London told newspaper, Evening Standard, that she had a "horrible shock" when she saw the posters and said they reminded her from images seen in the Nazi era.
Shocked by this poster at L'pool St. Sadly, near memorial to child refugees from Nazi Europe.@Woolf_Institute @wienerlibrary @TellMamaUK pic.twitter.com/WpNwUkYwbp
— 19 Princelet Street (@19pst) November 2, 2016
"For anybody who is old enough to remember them or who's studied them or who has ever seen images from the Nazi era, this is the same imagery," Ms. Symes said.
"I'm sure these must have been completely unintentional, I don't think they knew what they were doing."
Posters commissioned by Britain's Transport Police or the Department for Transport urging members of the public to be more aware of what's going on around them also came under fire for scaremongering the public.
Meanwhile the UK's terror threat remains "severe" which means an attack is "highly likely."
