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    1. Safety & Security

    MTA Has Lowest Number of Serious Crimes Among Top 12 U.S. Transit Agencies in 2015

    March 7, 2016
    The Maryland Department of Transportation’s Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) is working hard to keep public transportation safe for its transit riders.
    Related To: Maryland Transit Administration (MTA)

    The Maryland Department of Transportation’s Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) is working hard to keep public transportation safe for its transit riders. And, it’s paying off.  With interagency collaboration at the federal, state and local levels, MTA Police reported an 11 percent reduction in serious crimes this past year on transit – including Local Bus, Light Rail, Metro Subway, MARC Train, Mobility and Commuter Bus.

    “We are proud to have the fewest serious crimes of any of the top 12 transit agencies in America,” said MTA administrator and CEO Paul Comfort. “The numbers show that the MTA is now a very safe transit system to ride.” 

    “The low crime rate on the MTA’s transit system is due to the efforts of the dedicated men and women of the MTA Police Force,” said Colonel John E. Gavrilis, MTA chief of police. “Their hard work and partnerships with law enforcement agencies across the region have led to no homicides, shootings or rapes on our system since before last year. Combined with the use of advanced technology and regular training of our officers, we continue to send the message that crime will not be tolerated on our system.”

    Over the last year, the MTA had the lowest number of Part I crimes of the top 12 transit agencies in the nation. The MTA also had one of the lowest Part 1 crimes per riders of the top 12 transit agencies in the country with one crime for every 400,000 riders. Part I crimes are serious offenses that can occur with regularity and are likely to be reported to police. They can include aggravated assault, arson, burglary (breaking and entering), criminal homicide, rape, larceny theft and robbery. In 2015, the MTA was able to clear 70 percent of the robbery cases that occurred on MTA systems.