The Boston Herald reported today that Boston Mayor Menino wants a crackdown on T violence after the Herald uncovered that riders at stops like Forest Hills and Ruggles on on the Orange Line, and Ashmont on the Red Line are the most likely to be victims of violence on the T.
Highlight’s from the Herald’s investigation:
All told last year, some 972 major crimes – assaults, rapes, robberies, car thefts and larcenies – were reported to MBTA police, down from 1,000 in 2005, according to T statistics reviewed by the Herald.
Forest Hills station recorded the highest number of incidents among Boston T stops: 43. Ruggles in Roxbury had 34 serious crimes occur, including 21 robberies. The Dudley bus terminal logged 31 major crimes, including 16 robberies. Ashmont was also a hotbed of criminal activity, with 24 reported.
Not surprisingly, the Deputy Chief of the MBTA downplayed the danger.
MBTA Deputy Chief John Martino said the crime reported on public transportation is “infinitesimal” when considering the T logged more than 337 million passenger rides last year.
“You have a less than half of 1 percent chance of being victimized by crime on the MBTA,” Martino said. “The crime we do have is primarily youth-on-youth. A lot of the people we carry are young people.”
Everyone who rides mass transit is at risk. It’s time the MBTA acknowledges that more police enforcement is necessary for a safer system. It should be common sense.
