The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) released the results of a safety audit showing serious crimes on the RTA were down 59% for the first six months of 2018, compared with the same period for 2016.
“We wanted to report year-to-date numbers to RTA Trustees, so we looked at the first six months of each year in the audit, and the results are very encouraging,” said Joe Calabrese, RTA CEO/GM. “It’s clear that the hard work RTA Transit Police do to keep our 200,000 daily riders safe is paying off.”
Ad Loading...
The most dramatic decreases showed robberies down by 80% and thefts down by 51% for the reporting period.
RTA Transit Police Chief John P. Joyce says the dramatic decrease is the payoff for RTA’s investment in safety. “We now have more officers and more visibility. That’s a clear deterrent to would-be criminals,” he said. “We have working video cameras in every bus and train and on every platform, and we fully utilize that technology. If you commit a crime, we’re going to see you and we’re going to arrest you. That’s a strong deterrent.”
The most dramatic decreases showed robberies down by 80% and thefts down by 51% for the reporting period.
Lavonte Perez
The safety audit also indicates a decrease in many “quality of life” crimes — from bad behavior on buses and trains to misdemeanors. For example, disorderly conduct dropped 47% for the reporting period. But because RTA police have placed an increased emphasis on arresting people who are drunk, disorderly, and belligerent (categorized as aggravated disorderly conduct intoxicated or “Aggravated DCI”), that number has increased by 2,100% for the reporting period.
“No one can ever completely prevent people from committing crimes on public transit — that’s a challenge for all major transit systems,” said Chief Joyce. “But we have the people, the technology, the visibility, and excellent response time. We work to make riding RTA safe for all of our riders, every day. That’s our number one priority.”
The RTA Transit Police employ 136 full-time sworn police officers. It is the second largest law enforcement unit in Cuyahoga County and the sixth largest in Ohio. The Transit Police are State of Ohio certified Peace Officers under the auspices of the Ohio Peace Officer Training Act, and have jurisdiction over all of the GCRTA’s operations including bus, paratransit, light rail, heavy rail, and bus rapid transit throughout Cuyahoga County.
Today’s riders—and the communities you serve—expect more from public transit. While ADA compliance is required, leading transit agencies know that true accessibility also means delivering dignity, efficiency, and a better rider experience. This whitepaper reveals why forward thinking agencies nationwide choose the Low Floor Frontrunner as their first choice for ADA compliant vehicles—setting a new standard with passenger first design, faster boarding, improved safety, and unmatched operational performance.
Fred Ferguson, president and CEO of the American Bus Association (ABA), discussed how the industry prepares for emergencies, the growing recognition of motorcoaches as critical infrastructure, and steps operators can take to strengthen disaster readiness.
The approved contract modification will increase funding for transit security officer services to a total not-to-exceed amount of $32.1 million, ensuring a continued and visible security presence across DART’s buses, trains, stations, and facilities.
The Siemens CBTC System, Trainguard MT, in compliance with New York Subway Interoperability Interface Specifications, enables trains to run as close as 90 seconds apart, using next-generation signaling and continuous communication to keep operations moving seamlessly.
According to the new quarterly data, there were double-digit reductions in five of the eight serious crime categories, including aggravated assaults and robberies.
The project, finalized on February 12, provides the city with two different configurations of high-definition cameras to outfit 16 buses in the Pretzel City Area Transit fleet.
The funds will specifically reconstruct the portion of the pier used by PSTA’s Clearwater Ferry, creating a permanent dock for the ferry service, which serves as an important transportation and tourism link to other Pinellas County communities.
