5.4 Safety and Security

Crime

The creation of new, high quality, well-maintained MAX stations, and the presence of security personnel, may improve the sense of safety and security for transit users while waiting and riding the service. The evaluation team investigated passenger survey data, crime statistics, and CAT incident reports and interviewed key personnel to determine if there has been an impact on community safety, or perceptions of safety.

The Wackenhut security personnel add to the sense of security on the buses and in stations. Wackenhut reports indicate that only a few security incidents (injuries, assault, burglary, drug activity) occur each month. RTC has a policy against loitering that is enforced by Wackenhut security officers. If a bus arrives and the passenger fails to board, an officer will ask the passenger why he or she is at the station. Waiting for someone is an acceptable response, but otherwise if a person does not have an intention to use transit, the officer will ask him or her to leave the station. This policy is intended to keep vagrants out of stations. Approximately 20% of incidents reported by Wackenhut concern loitering.

Wackenhut officers do not enforce RTC rules such as prohibitions on eating or carrying open containers: this enforcement is the responsibility of the bus driver. RTC reports that for the most part drivers and Wackenhut employees have a good relationship, watching out for each other and helping one another. Drivers on the CAT system have indicated that they would like security officers on their buses too. The only negative aspects of having Wackenhut security personnel on board have been comments from passengers regarding where they stand and how they ride the vehicle. Some passengers say they are intimidated by their presence.

The hypothesis of the evaluation study team is that MAX’s high quality; well-maintained stations and the presence of security personnel have improved both the actual and perceived safety both at stops and on board. Tables 5-14 and 5-15 and Figure 5-7 and 5-8 give riders’ ratings of MAX and CAT Route 113 in terms of vehicle safety and station safety.

Table 5-14: Rate the Safety of max / cat Vehicle

	April 2005		October 2005
Response	MAX	CAT 113	MAX	CAT 113
Excellent	68.9%	12.0%	64.9%	21.3%
Good	29.8%	62.2%	31.1%	47.1%
Fair	1.3%	20.0%	2.2%	24.0%
Poor	0.0%	5.8%	1.3%	7.6%
No Answer	0.0%	0.0%	0.4%	0.0%

Figure 5-7:

Rate the Safety of MAX / CAT Vehicle (October 2005)

Table 5-15:

Rate the Safety of MAX Stations / CAT Stops

	April 2005		October 2005
Response	MAX	CAT 113	MAX	CAT 113
Excellent	53.8%	3.1%	50.2%	13.8%
Good	38.7%	54.2%	40.9%	34.7%
Fair	6.7%	32.4%	7.1%	32.0%
Poor	0.9%	10.2%	1.8%	19.1%
No Answer	0.0%	0.0%	0.0%	0.4%