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Table 2-34: Reports of Violent Crime, Property Crime, and Arrests by Transit Mode

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Reported Offenses, Violent Crime

Reported Offenses, Property Crime

Reported Offenses, Arrests

KEY: N = data do not exist.

^a The killing of one or more human beings by another. This includes murder, non-negligent manslaughter, and manslaughter by negligence.

^b Other transit mode includes automated guideway, cable car, ferryboat, trolleybus, vanpool, monorail, inclined plane, and starting in 2001 the Alaska Railroad.

^c The carnal knowledge of a female forcibly and against her will. This includes assault to rape or attempt to rape. Beginning in 2006 a higher threshold was required for an incident to be recorded, this lead to a significant decrease compared to previous years.

^d The taking or attempting to take anything of value from the care, custody, or control of a person or persons by force or threat of force or violence and/or by putting the victim in fear. The use or threat of force includes firearms, knives or cutting instruments, other dangerous weapons (clubs, acid, explosives), and strong-arm techniques (hands, fists, feet).

^e An unlawful attack by one person upon another for the purpose of inflicting severe or aggravated bodily injury. This type of assault usually is accompanied by the use of a weapon or by means likely to produce death or great bodily harm.

^f The unlawful taking, carrying, leading, or riding away of property from the possession or constructive possession of another. This includes pocket-picking, purse-snatching, shoplifting, thefts from motor vehicles, thefts of motor vehicle parts and accessories, theft of bicycles, theft from buildings, theft from coin-operated devices or machines, and all other theft not specifically classified.

^g The theft or attempted theft of a motor vehicle. A motor vehicle is a self-propelled vehicle that runs on the surface of land and not on rails. Examples of motor vehicles are automobiles, trucks, buses, motor cycles, and motor scooters.

^h The unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or a theft. This includes offenses known locally as burglary (any degree), unlawful entry with intent to commit a larceny or felony, breaking and entering with intent to commit a larceny, housebreaking, safe-cracking, and all attempts at these offenses.

ⁱ To unlawfully and intentionally damage, or attempt to damage, any real or personal property by fire or incendiary device.

^j An unlawful attack or attempt by one person upon another where no weapon was used or which did not result in serious or aggravated injury to the victim. This includes simple assault, minor assault, assault and battery, injury by culpable negligence, intimidation, coercion, hazing, and all attempts to commit these offenses.

^k The willful or malicious destruction, injury, disfigurement, or defacement of any public or private property, real or personal, without consent of the owner or person having custody or control by cutting, tearing, breaking, marking, painting, drawing, covering with filth, or any other such means as may be specified by local law.

^l Any sexual acts except forcible rape, prostitution, and commercialized vice. This includes offenses against chastity, common decency, morals, and the like, such as: adultery and fornication, buggery, incest, indecent exposure, indecent liberties, seduction, sodomy or crime against nature, statutory rape (no force), and all attempts to commit any of the above.

^m Arrests requested based on the narcotics used. This includes all arrests for violations of state and local laws, specifically those relating to the unlawful possession, sale, use, growing, manufacturing, and making of narcotic drugs.

ⁿ The driving or operating of any vehicle or common carrier while drunk or under the influence of liquor or narcotics.

^o Arrests for all offenses of drunkenness, which is the consumption of alcoholic beverages to the extent that one's mental faculties and physical coordination are substantially impaired. This includes drunkenness, drunk and disorderly, common or habitual drunkard, and intoxication.

^p All charges of committing a breach of the peace. This includes, affray; unlawful assembly; disturbing the peace; disturbing meetings; disorderly conduct in state institutions, at court, at fairs, on trains or public conveyances, etc.; blasphemy, profanity, and obscene language; desecrating the flag; refusing to assist an officer; and all attempts to commit any of the above.

^q To unlawfully enter land, a dwelling, or other real property.

^r The unlawful use of transit facilities by riding without paying the applicable fare.

^s All arrests for violations of local curfew or loitering ordinances where such laws exist.

NOTES

Data are from transit agencies in urbanized areas over 200,000 population and include patrons, employees, and others.

The figures for violent and property crime follow the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, (Washington, DC: 1984) and are based on records of calls for service, complaints, and/or investigations. These figures are for reported offenses and do not reflect the findings of a court, coroner, jury, or decision of a prosecutor.

Security data was first reported to the Federal Transit Administration in 1995 and were not compiled for earlier years.

Beginning in 2002, data are no longer collected for the following offenses: sex offenses, drug abuse violations, driving under the influence, drunkeness, disorderly conduct, and curfew and loitering laws.

Analysts for the FTA believe the change in reporting requirements in 2002 may have resulted in unreliable data in that year. The reliability of reporting is believed to be much better in 2003 and is expected to improve in the future.

SOURCES

1995-2001: U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration, National Transit Database, Internet site http://www.ntdprogram.com, as of May 6, 2003, tables 25-27 and similar tables in earlier editions.

2002-05: Ibid., personal communications June 14, 2007.

2006-07:: Personal communication, Federal Transit Administrarion, Office of Safety and Security as of Apr. 30, 2008.