Violent crime down, theft up on T

BOSTON. Violent crimes reported on the T are down 11 percent in the first six months of 2008 compared with last year, but thefts are on the rise.

According to transit police, there were 154 incidents of violent crime (including robbery, rape and aggravated assault), down from 174 at this time last year.

But T police say there has been a 33 percent increase in reported larcenies (from 229 to 305) in that same period. Transit police say 37 percent of the robberies involved thefts of Sidekicks, a spike that prompted an MBTA awareness campaign earlier this year.

In addition, the number of people who reported being groped or inappropriately touched on the T jumped from 17 to 38 in the first six months of 2008. The MBTA launched another campaign in conjunction with the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center encouraging riders to report inappropriate incidents.