Comparative Study of Four Transit System Police Departments

• NCJ Number: 96898
• Author(s): C M Quidgley
• Date Published: 1981
• Length: 13 pages
• Corporate Author: Massachusetts Cmtte on Criminal Justice
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Prepared for Richard L Whelan, Chief of Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Police Department.

Annotation

Three transit system police departments -- those of New York City (MTA), Philadelphia (SEPTA), and Washington, D.C. (WMATA), -- of somewhat similar size and regional proximity to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) are compared.

Abstract

Analysis reveals that the MBTA has the lowest percentage of total annual budget allocated to police and security. Moreover MBTA has 1 officer for every 62,500 persons, as compared to 1 officer for every 2,733 persons in New York City, 1 for every 16,304 persons in Washington, and 1 for every 52,703 persons in Philadelphia. The MBTA rates second only to New York's Metropolitan Transit Authority in number of arrests made in 1980. Finally, the MBTA was found to be vastly understaffed considering the population it serves and the large amount of crime with which it must deal. Five tables and study instruments are included.