NCJ Number
35338
Date Published
1974
Length
59 pages
Annotation
FIVE PAPERS ARE PRESENTED IN THIS REPORT WHICH DISCUSS THE EXTENT OF CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS AND PROPERTY ON MASS TRANSIT SYSTEMS, THEIR EFFECTS ON SYSTEM PATRONAGE, AND COUNTERMEASURES.
Abstract
THE FIRST PAPER (NCJ-35339) REPORTS ON RESEARCH CONDUCTED USING 18 MONTHS OF VERIFIED CRIME REPORTS FROM ONE CITY'S POLICE DEPARTMENT FILES ON BUS AND RAPID TRANSIT ROBBERY, BATTERY, ASSAULT, AND CRIME AGAINST PERSONS. AN IMPORTANT PART OF THIS STUDY INCLUDES AN ASSESSMENT OF THE PUBLIC'S ATTITUDE TOWARD THE TRANSIT SYSTEM AS RELATED TO THE PERCEIVED LEVEL OF CRIME AND THE GENERAL LEVEL OF SECURITY. THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE A SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM THAT PROVIDES DIRECT RESPONSE TO CRIME PATTERNS AND GREATER ASSURANCE OF THE SECURITY OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC. THE SECOND PAPER (NCJ-35340) DEALS WITH PERSONAL SECURITY IN BUSES FOR A BUS ROUTE IN MILWAUKEE. ON-BUS AND CORRIDOR QUESTIONNAIRE SURVEYS WERE TAKEN TO GIVE AN INDICATION OF RESPONDENTS' VIEWS ABOUT PERSONAL SECURITY AND OTHER TRANSIT SERVICE CHARACTERISTICS. THE RESEARCHERS CONCLUDE THAT THE PROBLEM OF PERSONAL SECURITY IS LESS IMPORTANT THAN SERVICE FACTORS SUCH AS FREQUENCY OF SERVICE, FARE LEVEL, AND TRAVEL TIME. THREE PAPERS (NCJ-35341-35343) ARE BY A PAIR OF AUTHORS. THE FIRST PAPER REPORTS ON FINDINGS OF SIX STUDIES ON WHETHER FEAR OF CRIME AND VANDALISM ON TRANSIT SYSTEMS AFFECTS INDIVIDUAL DECISIONS TO USE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. THE AUTHORS FOUND THAT KNOWLEDGE OF INCIDENCE OF CRIME ON TRANSIT AND THE COSTS OF TRANSIT VANDALISM ARE NOT WELL DEVELOPED. IN THEIR SECOND PAPER THEY REPORT ON THEIR RESEARCH THAT ATTEMPTS TO QUANTIFY THE EXTENT AND SERIOUSNESS OF CRIME AND VANDALISM ON URBAN TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS. THE STUDY INCLUDED DATA FROM 37 U.S. TRANSIT SYSTEMS. THE RESEARCH TEAM DEVELOPED A TRANSIT EXPOSURE INDEX TO COMPUTE THE RISK OF BEING INVOLVED IN A CRIMINAL INCIDENT WHEN RIDING ON PUBLIC TRANSIT. THEY CONCLUDE THAT CRIME ON TRANSIT SYSTEMS MAY BE PROPORTIONATELY MORE SERIOUS THAN HAS BEEN GENERALLY CREDITED. THE LAST PAPER SUMMARIZES THE FINDINGS OF A RESEARCH STUDY OF CRIME, VANDALISM, AND PASSENGER SECURITY ON URBAN TRANSIT SYSTEMS. THE PAPER COVERS THE MEANS OF CONTROLLING THE PROBLEM THROUGH USE OF SEVERAL APPROACHES, INCLUDING SPECIAL VANDAL-PROOF MATERIALS, PROCEDURES AND TACTICS TO PROTECT PASSENGERS, INVOLVEMENT OF THE COMMUNITY IN ANTI-CRIME MEASURES, AND METHODS TO CULTIVATE GOOD RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE POLICE, THE COURTS, AND THE MEDIA. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)