Crime on T hits 10-year low

Matt Collette, Globe Correspondent

Crime on the T decreased in 2007 to a 10-year low, as violence dropped 18.5 percent from the year before, according to a report released today by transit police.

Serious crime fell 10 percent from 2006, with robbery dropping 20 percent, according to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. The likelihood of a passenger being a victim of a crime while riding the transit system is now less than 1 in 400,000, said acting Transit Police Chief Paul MacMillian.

Authorities credit a number of initiatives for the decrease in crime, including visible uniformed patrols and the "See Something, Say Something" campaign that encourages riders to report suspicious behavior.

"No matter how insignificant they feel it is, they should let us know,” MacMillian said in a statement. “It's better to err on the side of caution."

The expansion of the closed circuit television system has also helped transit police investigate crimes and identify suspects.

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