NCJ Number
58370
Date Published
Unknown
Length
108 pages
Annotation
THE NATURE AND EXTENT OF CRIME ON NEW JERSEY BUSES, COMMUTER TRAINS, AND SUBWAYS ARE EXAMINED AND COUNTERMEASURES ARE PROPOSED IN THIS STUDY. METHODS ARE GIVEN FOR EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SUCH ACTIONS.
Abstract
THE STUDY INVOLVED A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ON TRANSIT CRIME AND ITS PREVENTION, INTERVIEWS WITH NEW JERSEY TRANSIT AUTHORITIES, AND AN ANALYSIS OF DATA ON TRANSIT CRIME AND VANDALISM IN NEW JERSEY. ONE FINDING WAS THAT DATA ON TRANSIT CRIME ARE INCONSISTENT AND UNRELIABLE. THE MOST EXTENSIVE TRANSIT CRIME WAS FOUND IN THE NEWARK AREA. ROCK THROWING, VANDALISM, AND PUBLIC DISTURBANCES WERE THE MOST COMMON TYPES OF INCIDENTS FOR ALL MODES OF TRANSIT. MORE SERIOUS CRIMES AGAINST PASSENGERS TOOK PLACE IN SUBWAY STATIONS. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT COUNTERMEASURES SHOULD BE AIMED AT INCREASING RIDERSHIP AND REDUCING CRIME THROUGH QUICKER, MORE EFFECTIVE DETECTION OF CRIMINAL ACTS AND IDENTIFICATION OF OFFENDERS; REDUCTION OF PASSENGERS' VULNERABILITY AND PROPERTY LOSS; AND IMPROVEMENTS IN POLICE AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL RESPONSE. TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION COULD ACHIEVE THESE OBJECTIVES ON BUS AND SUBWAY SYSTEMS, WHEREAS HELICOPTER PATROLS WOULD BE MORE EFFECTIVE FOR COMMUTER TRAINS. THESE BASIC SECURITY MEASURES SHOULD BE COMPLEMENTED BY OTHER MEASURES, SUCH AS FLASHING HAZARD LIGHTS, UNBREAKABLE MATERIALS, COMMUNITY EDUCATION PROGRAMS, AND UNIFORMED GUARDS. SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPLEMENTING SECURITY MEASURES IN THE NEWARK AREA ARE PRESENTED, TOGETHER WITH CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS, COSTS, EFFICIENCY, AND ADMINISTRATIVE IMPACT OF THESE MEASURES. ALTHOUGH THE SUBWAY SYSTEM STANDS THE BEST CHANCE OF REDUCING CRIME THROUGH STEPPED-UP SECURITY, THE BUS SYSTEM IS MOST LIKELY TO INCREASE RIDERSHIP. STATISTICS AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE PROVIDED. (LKM)