As illustrated, approximately 54.4 percent of all trouble report activity on MUNI is for minor crimes, infractions, and disturbances. However, an average of four to five person and property crimes are committed against passengers daily (30.4 percent of all trouble reports). An additional two incidents involving crimes and/or threats against drivers, and driver/passenger altercations occur daily (15.1 percent of all trouble reports).

It is very important to note that although most of the trouble reported on MUNI vehicles is not considered by the SFPD to be major crime, all such trouble has a significant impact on perceptions of safety held by the riding public. One high profile crime can become the cause of significant concern among riders, as can multiple "uncomfortable situations" experienced by some passengers who may share transit vehicles with large groups of loud and offensive riders. Further, trouble reports made to MUNI and SFPD may not provide a complete picture of criminal activity on transit vehicles. For many reasons, victims and witnesses of criminal activity may be reluctant to report incidents to the driver or to the Police Department.

It is also important to note that approximately 25 percent of the 1995 trouble reports compiled by the MUNI Transit Company were for incidents where juveniles were identified as either the perpetrators or victims of crime. Discussions with representatives of the SFPD Juvenile Division, as well as a review of previous year analysis conducted by SFPD, provides estimates that between 60 percent and 75 percent of the crime committed in San Francisco may be related to juveniles. Certainly these perceptions are supported with reported observations by MUNI operators and crime statistics which show high levels of criminal activity occurring immediately after school release time.

Summary Conclusions Regarding Criminal Activity on MUNI

Based on the analysis presented above, the following general conclusions can be drawn regarding criminal activity on MUNI vehicles, and at stations and stops.

• Although criminal activity on MUNI occurs during all hours, the highest weekday concentration of trouble occurs during two primary periods: (1) approximately 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM; and, (2) approximately 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM each afternoon and evening.

• Criminal activity occurs on some transit lines more frequently than on others. The lines with the most criminal activity include the 15, 14, and 38, which also have some of the highest ridership in the City. Trouble is reported, on average, more than once per day on these lines.

• Over 54 percent of the trouble reported on MUNI is for minor crimes, infractions, and disturbances. Approximately 15 percent of the trouble reports involve operators, either as the victims of assault or threatened assault, or in altercations with passengers.

• Criminal activity occurs at MUNI stops and stations primarily within the Mission and Ingleside Police Districts. These two districts experienced over 50 percent of the trouble reported at major transfer point intersections during the past year.

• Juveniles are identified as the perpetrators or victims of crime in approximately 25 percent of all trouble incidents reported by the MUNI Transit Company. However, this profile is probably understated since reporting depends on the perceptions of the individual making the report and the accuracy of the record. SFPD estimates that juveniles are involved in more like 60 percent to 75 percent of all criminal incidents in the City.

• The Captain of the MUNI Transit Company has appropriately assigned his police officer staff during the times of day when criminal activity is most likely to occur. Overtime is used to supplement regularly scheduled staffing when patterns of serious crime are most probable.

Given the average daily ridership of over 750,000 persons on MUNI, we generally conclude that the MUNI environment is statistically safe for most individuals who travel on the system. Instead, the public perception that MUNI is not safe may be due to an awareness of high profile incidents, and experience with "uncomfortable situations" involving large groups of loud and offensive riders.

Opportunities exist to improve MUNI safety and public perception by modifying police officer deployment practices, increasing public education and awareness, and adopting the best practices of other transit properties within the United States.

Opportunities for Improving MUNI Safety and Public Perception

During this study we accompanied police officers from the MUNI Transit Company on a uniformed beat which extended along the route of the 22 Filmore Line, south to Mission Street, and then along Mission Street on the 14 Mission Line between 8th Street and Geneva. During our observation, these officers would board buses, ride along for several blocks, and then disembark at major transit stops and transfer points known for trouble (e.g., Mission and 16th streets, Mission and 24th streets, Mission and Geneva streets, etc.).

No citations were issued or arrests made during the observation. However, the officers who were observed during this period interacted with passengers and drivers, were able to respond to a variety of citizen inquiries, and were able to stop minor incidents merely with their presence (e.g., illegal skateboarding on sidewalks). Although not verifiable, the officers commented on how they believe their uniformed presence acts as a deterrent to crime.

Deployment of SFPD Personnel

Concurrent with this analysis of security on the Municipal Railway, the Budget Analyst has been conducting a management audit of the San Francisco Police Department. Accordingly, we have been provided the opportunity to review the operations of SFPD and assess how the MUNI Transit Company operates within the Department.

Personnel assigned to each of the ten Police Districts are deployed into the following general categories:

• Sector Patrols: Officers are assigned to radio cars to patrol specific sectors of the City. These sectors can vary in size based on geography and population density.

• Beats: Officers are assigned to foot or bicycle beats, based on district characteristics, and the nature and extent of criminal activity in specific neighborhoods.

• Directed Enforcement: Officers may be assigned to plainclothes enforcement units which deal with specific, localized crime issues such as drug sales and use, vehicle burglaries, vehicle theft, etc.

• Support: Officers are assigned to the station; guard, transport, and book prisoners arrested within the District; manage the vehicle fleet and radio inventory; and conduct other activities to increase the effectiveness of patrol and beat officers.

• "Captain"s Staff": Officers report directly to the station Captain for special duty, such as the processing of permits and service of subpoena. Nearly all districts assign officers from this group to "school cars". School car officers provide law enforcement services at all middle and high schools, working shifts that roughly correspond with school schedules.

In addition, the SFPD has a number of special and tactical units which support the district stations, including a City-wide Juvenile Unit which was assigned 33 sworn personnel in 1995.

We will be discussing police officer deployment practices of the SFPD in our management audit of the Police Department, which is scheduled for completion later this year. However, for purposes of this management audit, we are providing comments on modifications to current Department police officer deployment practices which we believe will enhance MUNI safety and security.

Three factors point to the need for District Stations to assume more direct involvement in juvenile and MUNI crime prevention and suppression.

As mentioned previously, MUNI, the SFPD, and the SFUSD are all collaborating on improved supervision of students during periods of transfer and travel on MUNI vehicles. Designated school trippers [4] have been assigned, school schedules are being modified to stagger release times and minimize student interaction, and civilian monitors (including teachers) observe boardings and some travel by students.

Nonetheless, SFPD should consider redeploying police officer personnel within the Department so that each District Station with a high concentration of schools, and/or student movement on MUNI, establishes juvenile officers whose shifts overlap those of the school car officers. [5] These juvenile officers should be made responsible for monitoring student activities as the students leave campus, wait at stops, and ride on Muni vehicles (school trippers and regularly scheduled lines). Juvenile officers should also be required to coordinate their activities with SFPD"s Juvenile Unit so that problems which cross district station boundaries can be effectively addressed. In addition, foot beat officers within each district should be periodically diverted to major transit intersections during hours when juvenile crime is highest at these locations.

The Captain from each district should also be required to compile statistics on prevention and enforcement activities on MUNI and at transit intersections within his/her assigned district. MUNI trouble report data should be regularly sorted, to the best of the Department"s ability, by the district where trouble occurs -- even when such trouble occurs on a moving vehicle. As data becomes more refined, so should police officer deployment practices within the districts.

The SFPD is presently evaluating an internal proposal to establish one juvenile officer in each district station. However, no action on this proposal had been taken at the time of this report. We support this proposal in concept. However, based on available data and discussions with SFPD personnel, we believe that the Mission and Ingleside district stations should receive priority when making officer deployment decisions.

These recommendations to re-deploy officers at the District stations to become more directly involved in juvenile and MUNI crime activities should not be done at the expense of regular sector patrol and foot beat assignments. Instead, police officers should be assigned from throughout the Department based on an organization-wide staffing assessment. The Mayor should direct the Chief of Police to integrate juvenile and MUNI staffing needs into the current deployment plan being developed by the Department.

Increasing Public Awareness and Education Efforts

MUNI and the SFPD report regularly to City officials on crime activity on MUNI vehicles. Periodically, when major program changes occur, there may also be press releases generated by MUNI or the Mayor"s Office regarding efforts being made by the City to prevent or suppress criminal activity on MUNI vehicles. Further, MUNI provides a telephone "tip line" number in several standard publications (e.g., the MUNI Timetable), and has produced special brochures on safety on MUNI vehicles (e.g., "Kids Ride Safe on MUNI", "MUNI Riding Tips for Seniors", and the "Graffiti Line"). Other programs, such as MUNI"s "Special Stop" program also publicize the safety aspects of special programs designed for the convenience of riders.

MUNI and SFPD representatives also participate with citizens" groups such as SAFE (Safety Awareness For Everyone), and have regularly convened and participated in City task force groups such as the "San Francisco Organizing Project" which is intended to bring MUNI, SFPD, the San Francisco Unified School District, and other groups together to evaluate remedies to MUNI security issues. In partial response to the directive to develop low cost proposals for improving MUNI services, the Department initiated a Speakers Bureau which will provide speakers for schools and various civic organizations to speak on MUNI safety, and other matters.

All of these efforts are commendable. However, there have been only modest attempts at developing radio and television advertisements (public service announcements), bus posters, and other prominent advertisement intended to advise patrons on ways to avoid crime on MUNI, how to respond to threatening situations, and/or report incidents when they occur. Although the Community Affairs Unit, in conjunction with MUNI"s safety manager, is presently developing some low cost advertising posters for buses, MUNI"s advertising budget is not sufficient for producing and managing a safety advertising campaign of consequence.

We requested the Acting Director of Community Affairs to provide a proposal for a resource base for a crime awareness marketing effort. She developed a proposal which would:

• Reinstate two full-time positions, which currently remain vacant to contribute toward achieving the Department"s salary savings target; [6]

• Increase MUNI"s printing budget above current levels; [7]

• Add miscellaneous production and design costs estimated at approximately $42,600.

We believe this proposal provides a realistic assessment of MUNI"s needs in this area. However, given MUNI"s current budget and contribution requirement from the General Fund, the Department should explore alternative means of obtaining some advertising and promotion services and materials directed toward safety. For example, MUNI"s current contract with Transportation Displays, Inc. (TDI), for which MUNI presently receives a minimum guaranteed payment of $2.2 million annually for ad space on transit vehicles and at Metro stations, provides the Department with:

• $10,000 of creative design services per year through 1997-98;
• $60,000 per year of advertising space and/or advertising time on Bay Area electronic and print media, through 1997-98;
• $100,000 per year through 1997-98 to fund a professional public relations position and associated administrative expenses, to be used for the promotion of MUNI; and,
• The right to use any unsold or unused ad space.

The City also maintains a similar right to use any unsold or unused advertising space at transit stops and shelters under its current agreement with Gannett Outdoor Company, Inc. (the City receives a $150,000 minimum payment for advertising space under this agreement).

The contribution guarantees under the TDI and Gannett agreements provide a good mechanism for MUNI to initiate an expanded Crime and Safety Awareness Campaign. MUNI should approach the contractor with a mutually beneficial proposal to share in the cost of such a campaign in order to improve MUNI"s image, and reduce the blight on board MUNI vehicles that is caused by graffiti, vandalism and other similar offenses. The contractor"s share of the campaign costs could be provided in the form of non-cash contributions of professional talent, design, and production.

Further, this is a good area for MUNI to seek private contributions from private sector business. MUNI should develop and immediately implement a project to seek such contributions in the form of cash or services from local companies.

Once cash contributions or donated services are identified by the Department, the Director of Public Transportation should report to the Public Transportation Commission on additional City resources which may be required for a comprehensive Crime and Safety Awareness Campaign. Depending upon the Department"s success in negotiating contributions from TDI and other businesses, and the characteristics of the proposed program, the Commission, the Mayor, and the Board of Supervisors should give the proposal favorable consideration.

Adopting the Best Practices of Other Transit Properties

During this study, we researched the library of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and surveyed several transit police agencies on current practices to address crime. Most of the methods included in the literature and practiced by these other jurisdictions have either been attempted in the past, or are currently being employed by MUNI. However, there are several which merit further consideration by MUNI and the SFPD, as follows:

• Orange County adopted a "zero-tolerance" policy for graffiti and vandalism, which included a program to identify juveniles who consistently "tag" bus windows. All graffiti was photographed and cataloged, analyzed by a handwriting expert, and detailed reports were generated by maintenance personnel to identify the run and day/time that the graffiti occurred. This information was then shared with police and the Probation Department to identify juveniles who regularly vandalized buses. The juveniles then received a warning from law enforcement personnel, or were cited. This program not only reduced the presence of graffiti, as has occurred in San Francisco with the current graffiti abatement program, but also reduced the incidence of graffiti. The Santa Clara County Transit District uses a similar program, and has developed a computerized "Tag ID" program to identify responsible juveniles.

• Long Beach Transit has a program where the local police will periodically saturate problem bus lines with plain clothes and uniformed officers, making sure to issue citations for all infractions and violations of rules, no matter how minor. By periodically making officer presence very apparent on problem routes, the incidence of crime in these areas has diminished.

• The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) has initiated a program of retraining vehicle operators, with disability determinations on industrial injuries, to act as quality assurance specialists on transit vehicles. In addition to policing the vehicles for minor infractions and violations of rules, these employees monitor drivers on conflict avoidance and resolution techniques. This monitoring information is shared with the CTA"s training division so that appropriate training can be provided to active drivers.

• Gardena Municipal Bus Lines has designed its transit facilities to provide space for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority (LACMTA) Police, who provide law enforcement services for the Gardena agency. Daily contact between police officers and route supervisors, coach operators, and bus maintenance personnel reportedly improves police officer effectiveness.

• New York City Transit, Alameda County Transit, and others have an aggressive program to provide public awareness of crime, safety on bus vehicles, and mechanisms for reporting crime.

  These represent some examples of methods used by other transit properties to improve law enforcement, and increase public awareness and participation in crime prevention and reporting. MUNI and the SFPD should evaluate these programs for implementation in San Francisco, and continue to survey other jurisdictions to identify best practices used elsewhere.

  It is important to note that safety on transit vehicles is a national concern. However, there is no central data base for evaluating relative safety between transit systems. The Federal Transit Authority (FTA) has recognized this, and is currently developing a system which will provide standardized measurement of criminal activity within transit systems. Once such a system is developed and operational, MUNI can use the data to identify properties with similar demographic and operating characteristics which show good performance. MUNI and the SFPD can then benchmark their operations against these properties, and determine whether these other properties have developed programs which successfully reduce the incidence of transit crime.

  Conclusions

  MUNI Transit Company police officers are effectively deployed given current SFPD personnel assignments and 1995 criminal activity reports.

  In addition, decisions by the Mayor to require District Station police officers to inspect MUNI vehicles at least one ride per shift is a good mechanism for increasing 24-hour police officer presence on the system. Other initiatives to coordinate school related juvenile ridership with the SFUSD, and place civilian monitors on MUNI vehicles are also positive crime prevention actions.

  Despite these efforts and a recent reported drop in criminal activity on MUNI vehicles, public perception that the Municipal Railway is unsafe continues.

  The City could increase public safety on MUNI vehicles, in stations and at stops by: (1) modifying Deployment practices related to district station, Juvenile Division, and MUNI transit Company operations; (2) increasing efforts to enhance rider awareness of safety and crime reporting; and, (3) adopting the best practices of other jurisdictions related to crime prevention and suppression in transit systems.

  Recommendations

  The Chief of Police should:

  6.1.1 Incorporate modified deployment policies to provide expanded juvenile and MUNI law enforcement capacity at the district stations, as described in this report.

  6.1.2 With the Director of Public Transportation, evaluate the best practices of other transit properties for implementation in San Francisco. Adopt programs used at these other properties, as appropriate.

  The Director of Public Transportation should:

  6.1.3 Initiate a campaign to obtain private sector contributions for an expanded public Crime and Safety Awareness Campaign;

  6.1.4 Direct the Acting Director of Community Relations to develop a proposal for a public Crime and Safety Awareness Campaign which incorporates contributed services from the private sector, and is at least partially funded from private donations.

  6.1.5 With the Chief of Police, evaluate the best practices of other transit properties for implementation in San Francisco. Adopt programs used at these other properties, as appropriate.

  Costs and Benefits

  There should be no additional costs to redeploy police officers within the SFPD. Costs for implementing an expanded public awareness campaign and adopting best practices in other transit properties can not be determined until MUNI and the SFPD complete efforts to obtain private sector contributions, and evaluate the appropriateness of programs used by other transit properties for implementation in San Francisco.

  Implementation of these recommendations will improve SFPD effectiveness at addressing juvenile crime on MUNI buses, and will increase public awareness and participation in crime prevention and reporting on MUNI vehicles and at stations and stops.

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  Footnotes

  1. MUNI trouble report statistics are compiled from daily activity reports, which are generated by MUNI Central Control records. Together, these documents currently provide the best profile of criminal incidents on board transit vehicles.

  2. A Z-Score was computed for each independent variable to be used as a method of comparison. This standardized score is a statistical conversion which computes standardized units which can be used to compare unrelated data.

  3. No homicides on MUNI vehicles were reported during the period studied, although three accidents and suicides were reported and listed as homicides.

  4. Additional transit vehicles that are dispatched for peak student travel periods.

  5. This proposal is consistent with an internal SFPD recommendation to establish one juvenile officer within each station.

  6. These positions would also be used for other MUNI promotional campaigns.

  7. The Department included an increase in its printing budget of $63,000 in FY 1995-96 to $132,000 in FY 1996-97.