POLICING URBAN MASS TRANSIT SYSTEMS - PHASE 1 SUMMARY REPORT

• NCJ Number: 60284
• Author(s): L SIEGEL; M MOLOF; W MOY; J STRACK; F JORDAN
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 70 pages
• Grant Number(s): 76-NI-99-0111
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice; US Dept of Justice NIJ Pub
• Corporate Author: Mitre Corporation
• Sale Source: Superintendent of Documents, GPO; National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: NATIONAL EVALUATION PROGRAM SERIES A, NUMBER 23

Annotation

THIS REPORT ASSESSES WHAT IS KNOWN ABOUT CRIME AND POLICING RESPONSES ON URBAN MASS TRANSIT SYSTEMS. REPORT FINDINGS ARE BASED ON A LITERATURE SURVEY, SITE VISITS, AND INTERVIEWS.

Abstract

THE ASSESSMENT CONSISTS OF ANALYZING THE INTERACTIONS AMONG THE TRANSIT ENVIRONMENT, CRIME, AND POLICING OPERATIONS; EXAMINING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF VARIOUS TRANSIT POLICING STRATEGIES AND SUPPORTIVE ANTICRIME MEASURES; AND SUGGESTING NEW EVALUATIVE AND EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAMS. TRANSIT POLICING USES A BROAD RANGE OF STRATEGIES INCLUDING POLICE OPERATIONS (UNIFORMED AND PLAINCLOTHES PATROL, DECOY, STAKEOUT), ELECTRONIC AND MECHANICAL COMMUNICATION AND SECURITY DEVICES (2-WAY RADIO, TELEPHONES, CLOSED-CIRCUIT TELEVISION), SUPPORT ACTIVITIES (DRIVER EDUCATION, LIAISON WITH SCHOOLS, COURTS, AND NEIGHBORHOODS), TARGET HARDENING VIA ENVIRONMENTAL AND VEHICULAR REDESIGN (INCREASED LIGHTING, IMPROVED VISIBILITY, EXACT FARE, AND SCRIP), AND SELECTIVE OPERATING ACTIONS (SKIPPING STOPS, CLOSING STATIONS, ELIMINATING RUNS, REDUCING THE NUMBER OF CARS IN A TRAIN). MANY SYSTEMS FOR IMPROVING POLICE EFFECTIVENESS HAVE USED MULTIPLE STRATEGIES IN THE BELIEF THAT A COMBINATION OF APPROACHES WILL BE MORE ECONOMICAL. THE BASIC ASSUMPTIONS THAT GUIDE TRANSIT POLICE ANTICRIME ACTIVITIES ARE SIMILAR TO THOSE IN GENERAL POLICING. BASED ON A REVIEW OF RELEVANT LITERATURE, ON A SERIES OF 12 SITE VISITS, AND CONTINUING DISCUSSIONS WITH TRANSIT POLICE OFFICIALS, THIS STUDY FOUND THAT THE CRIME PROBLEM IN MASS TRANSIT ESSENTIALLY IS CONCENTRATED IN THE NATION'S LARGE CITIES, THAT CERTAIN TYPES OF TRANSIT CRIME ARE MORE AMENABLE TO CONTROL THAN OTHERS, AND THAT METHODS OF FARE COLLECTION FREQUENTLY INFLUENCE THE SELECTION OF POLICING STRATEGIES. ENVIRONMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS SUCH AS AGE, POOR LIGHTING, MULTIPLE EXITS, AND RECESSED AREAS HINDER SURVEILLANCE, WHEREAS NEW STATIONS ARE DESIGNED TO INCREASE VISIBILITY AND IMPROVE ACCESS CONTROL. SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASED PATROLS GENERALLY REDUCE CRIME, AND STAKEOUT AND DECOY OPERATIONS ARE EFFECTIVE. OTHER POLICING ACTIVITIES HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED FORMALLY IN TERMS OF THEIR IMPACT ON TRANSIT CRIME. THE IMPACT OF VARIOUS POLICING STRATEGIES ON PASSENGER PERCEPTIONS OF SECURITY ALSO IS DISCUSSED. FOOTNOTES, CHARTS, AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE INCLUDED.