NCJ Number
191369
Journal
Crime & Justice International Volume: 17 Issue: 55 Dated: September 2001 Pages: 7-8,28-30,31
Date Published
September 2001
Length
6 pages
Annotation
A series of field tests of strategies available to police agencies responsible for patrolling transit facilities provided illustrations of proactive approaches that can reduce crime, enhance citizens' perceptions of safety, and raise the profile of the agencies.
Abstract
These tests constitute an initial foray by transit police professionals into experimental research based on analysis of crime and high-impact patrol techniques. Transit police, as well as municipal and county agencies that are often responsible for policing transit equipment and parking lots, have developed a variety of techniques that combine elements of community policing, "hot spot" policing, and citizen involvement in crime prevention. These have been used to lower crime and to reduce the levels of fear voiced by patrons. Although patrol models are labor-intensive and require support and enthusiasm from the officers assigned to them, the results were obtained within relatively short time periods. This suggests that the somewhat controlled nature of the transit environment may be a fruitful area for further study of deployment techniques and may contribute to an agency's ability to undertake short and intense proactive measures to encourage ridership by reinforcing the message that transit crime is far lower than most patrons and potential patrons realize. 3 notes and 8 references