NCJ Number
13546
Date Published
1973
Length
466 pages
Annotation
THE EXTENT AND SERIOUSNESS OF CRIME AND VANDALISM ON URBAN MASS TRANSIT SYSTEMS, AND APPROACHES FOR DEALING WITH THE PROBLEM.
Abstract
ON THE BASIS OF DATA OBTAINED FROM 37 UNITED STATES TRANSIT SYSTEMS, THE TOTAL NUMBER OF CRIMINAL INCIDENTS ON ALL SUCH SYSTEMS IN 1971 IS ESTIMATED TO RANGE FROM 33,000 TO 39,000. THE TOTAL NATIONAL TRANSIT VANDALISM COST IS JUDGED TO BE FROM $7.7 MILLION TO NEARLY $10 MILLION. THE REPORT BEGINS BY DELINEATING THE SCOPE, SEVERITY, DOLLAR COSTS, AND CHARACTERISTICS OF VANDALISM AND PASSENGER SECURITY PROBLEMS. THE MAIN COMPONENTS OF VANDALSIM COSTS ARE WINDOW BREAKING, DAMAGE TO SEATS, DAMAGE TO STATIONARY FACILITIES, AND GRAFFITI. DEVICES AND PROCEDURES FOR PROTECTING PASSENGERS AND EMPLOYEES, DETERRING CRIMINALS AND VANDALS, KEEPING THEM UNDER SURVEILLANCE, AND HELPING APPREHEND THEM AFTER CRIMES ARE COMMITTED, ARE CONSIDERED. ONE SECTION OF THE DOCUMENT DESCRIBES PROGRAMS AND LIAISON EFFORTS DIRECTED AT MAINTAINING GOOD RELATIONS WITH COMMUNITY AND EDUCATIONAL CIRCLES AND INVOLVING THEM IN THE ANTI-VANDALISM EFFORT. ALSO DISCUSSED ARE RELATIONS BETWEEN TRANSIT SYSTEMS AND INSTITUTIONS SUCH AS THE POLICE, THE JUDICIARY, EDUCATIONAL AUTHORITIES, AND THE MASS MEDIA AS FACTORS IN DISCOURAGING CRIME. THE FINAL SECTION OF THE REPORT PRESENTS SIX CASE STUDIES OF PASSENGER ATTITUDES IN AN ATTEMPT TO ASSESS THE INFLUENCE THAT FEAR OF TRANSIT CRIME AND VANDALISM EXERTS ON PASSENGER DECISIONS CONCERNING USE OF URBAN MASS TRANSIT FACILITIES. (SNI ABSTRACT)