Violent crime on T hits a 10-year low

Transit Police say assigned patrol plan, cameras working

BOSTON. Violent crime on the MBTA hit a 10-year low in 2007, with robberies, assaults, rapes and murders down 18.5 percent from 2006, according to MBTA Transit Police.

“Considered in the context of daily ridership, the probability of someone being a victim of a crime on the MBTA is less than one in 400,000 passengers,” Acting Transit Police Chief Paul MacMillan said.

Overall, serious crime dropped 10 percent over the last year with more than a 17 percent decrease in robberies and aggravated assaults.

Transit Police have seen a trend of decreased crime since 2004, when they began implementing a new patrol plan, where officers are permanently assigned to specific geographical areas.

Prior to 2004, officers were assigned to a different location on the immense MBTA system every shift.

According to MacMillan, this has created a sense of ownership among officers, an investment in the community they work in and a better relationship with the people and organizations in those areas.

“They have taken ownership of their areas, and they really take it to heart that they can make a difference,” said MacMillan. “They are much more in tune with things happening.”

Other initiatives that have launched in recent years have also contributed to the downward crime trend, MacMillan said, including the installation of close circuit TV cameras in many of the urban stations.

“It helps us identify offenders and therefore it's a deterrent for repeat offenders,” said MacMillan.

MacMillan also attributes the drop to the agency's “See Something, Say Something” initiative, which encourages
commuters to report suspicious activity. That program launched after Sept. 11 as a homeland security measure, but has aided in fighting all crime, MacMillan said.

Inner-city stations with an influx of teens after school continue to be a concern for police officials, said MacMillan. Forest Hills station in Jamaica Plain saw an increase in crime, and authorities are beefing up staff there to combat the problem.