Crime rates on Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) property have fallen to their lowest level since 1980, the MBTA Transit Police reported at the end of January.
MBTA officials said that in 2009 crime rates dropped 21 percent, including a sharp decline in the number of aggravated assaults, larcenies and murders.
Only 827 serious crimes were reported at the MBTA in 2009, down from 1,052 in 2008. There were no reported murders and the number of aggravated assaults decreased from 103 to 88 over the last year.
Given the number of individuals riding the MBTA transport lines daily, these crime rates are low and should assuage commuters' safety concerns, according to Joseph O'Connor, deputy chief of the MBTA Transit Police.
"We have 1.2 million riders a day and if you look at the number of crimes that occur, it is a very safe system and your chance of being victimized is very low," O'Connor told the Daily.
He attributed this decline in crime to the policing strategy of vigilantly reviewing crime statistics and responding to any notable patterns that arise.
"What we do is look at detailed statistics of crime and put our officers where crimes are occurring," he said. "Anytime we see crime occurring, we put officers there and that's helped reduce crime."
O'Connor also called the MBTA's ongoing public awareness campaigns a key measure in its crime-prevention strategy.
"We think there's a number of reasons crime rates are down," he said. "We have a number of … public awareness campaigns that we use to help our riders be aware and not be victims of crimes."
One of these campaigns, according to O'Connor, is a partnership between the Transit Police and the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center to raise awareness about sexual assaults that occur on the MBTA and to encourage riders to come forward to report these crimes.
Several Tufts students, however, said that they were still concerned with the safety of riding the T, especially at night.
Sophomore Emily Cox says she generally feels safe on the T but still exercises caution.
"I've never felt unsafe, but I've definitely been aware that it's not the smartest thing to be alone on the T at 12 in the morning," she said. "I'm more aware of my purse and the people around me, but I've never actually felt threatened."
Freshman Marian Younge felt that she should not ride the T alone at night, but otherwise is not concerned.
"I usually go with friends, so I feel safe," she said. "Maybe if I went by myself, I would feel scared."
Some students still feel that the T may not be safe despite decreased crime rates. Freshman Erik DeAngelis echoed Cox and Younge's sentiments. "I know I shouldn't be worried, but at the same time, I wouldn't ride the T at night," he said.
O'Connor said he hopes that the Transit Police's public campaigns and increased security will alleviate these fears and make people feel safer on the MBTA systems.
"Unfortunately, in the past some high-profile incidents have created fear perceptions among some riders," he said. "One of our core missions is to reduce the fear among riders."
Aside from trying to increase the personal safety of commuters, the Transit Police have also focused their efforts on protecting personal property.
The police launched a campaign to prevent theft from motor vehicles parked in MBTA garages, which is classified as larceny. They have been distributing handouts in garages and asking riders to remove global positioning system (GPS) devices and other electronics from sight and to wipe windshields to remove the marks left by these devices.
Officers are also working to reduce bike theft, handing out educational materials to bike riders at stations and encouraging the use of stronger locks and serial numbers to aid in locating stolen bikes and arresting thieves.
With these measures in place, reported larceny dropped 26 percent in 2009, from 701 incidents to 522. O'Connor says that officers still consider preventing larceny a priority, but hope this drop indicates the success of current measures.
