Acting MBTA Transit Police Chief Paul MacMillan today announced that serious crime (also referred to as Part I crime) on the MBTA decreased by 10% in 2007.  Violent crime, which includes, robberies, rapes, assaults, and murder, on the MBTA is down 18.5 % over last year. The drop was most noticeable in robberies, which decreased by 20% and aggravated assaults that fell by 17%.

All of the crime statistics may be reviewed at www.transitpolice.us.

“The MBTA continues to be a very safe place,” said Chief MacMillan.  “Considered in the context of daily ridership, the probability of someone being a victim of a crime on the MBTA is less than 1 in 400,000 passengers.”

Chief MacMillan attributed the decrease to the current patrol plan that has created geographical areas overseen by a commanding officer.  “The Officers have taken on the challenge of being accountable for a specific area of the transit system and by doing that, we have seen a downward trend in serious crime,” said Chief MacMillan.   “The Officers have been diligent and thorough in their highly visible patrols in order to deter crime and keep our customers safe.”

Chief MacMIllan cited a number of different initiatives that have also contributed to a decrease in crime.  In addition to the random highly visible uniformed patrols, he said that the strong cooperation of T employees and customers in reporting suspicious incidents has played a role.  The “See Something, Say Something” public awareness program, while designed to thwart terrorism, has alerted employees and passengers to report any suspicious behavior.  “The help of the employees and passengers in alerting the police are crucial as we move forward and continue our concerted efforts to maintain a safe and secure transit environment,” said MacMillan.   He urges passengers and employees to continue to report suspicious behavior.  “No matter how insignificant they feel it is, they should let us know. It’s better to err on the side of caution,” said Chief MacMillan.

The expansion of the MBTA’s closed circuit television system (CCTV) has also assisted Transit Police in investigating incidents and identifying suspects.  Images captured by any of the T’s hundreds of surveillance cameras are used on a daily basis to identify individuals involved in incidents on MBTA property.