More Metro riders got mugged, pickpocketed, assaulted and even raped last year during the worst crime spike to hit the transit system in at least the past six years. Overall, 2,279 serious crimes were reported throughout the agency in 2010, according to Metro statistics. That’s 79 percent more crimes than the 1,274 investigated in 2005.
| Most dangerous stations in 2010 |
| The 10 stations with the highest levels of what the agency considers its most serious crimes were in D.C. and Prince George’s County: |
| 1. New Carrollton |
| 2. Branch Avenue |
| 3. Greenbelt |
| 4. Prince George’s Plaza |
| 5. Gallery Place |
| 6. Metro Center |
| 7. L’Enfant Plaza |
| 8. Southern Avenue |
| 9. Largo Town Center |
| 10. Minnesota Avenue |
Riders were most likely to have their belongings stolen — and the likelihood keeps growing even as ridership has faltered in the past year. The agency investigated 1,007 robberies in 2010, up from 894 cases in 2009 and just 349 in 2005. Metro blames the rise on the increasing popularity of smartphones and other pricey electronic devices, which are getting snatched out of riders’ hands in three of every four robberies.
But beyond such thefts, brutal attacks also have increased. Seven rapes and sexual assaults occurred in the Metro system in 2010, according to the statistics, more than all the cases in the previous five years combined.
The agency hasn’t always been forthcoming about its most violent cases, though.
The agency did not alert the public of two rapes linked to the same suspect in the Largo parking garage last February, even though one victim was a 13-year-old girl and the other was carjacked then assaulted.
The agency’s annual crime report also said it had no homicides in 2010, but Lawrence Perkins, 21, was found fatally stabbed inside the Congress Heights station on May 30 just before the system shut down for the night.
Metro spokeswoman Angela Gates said the case was not included in the agency’s statistics because D.C. police “have jurisdiction over all homicides.”
Meanwhile, aggravated assaults rose 49 percent in a single year to 136 cases. But the agency uses inconsistent numbers for how many incidents occurred in 2009, recording 94 on one page and 91 on another within the same report, which is slated to be presented to the board of directors Thursday. Gates explained that three cases were reclassified, making 91 the correct total.
In one bright spot in the crime report, fewer cars were stolen last year — and fewer attempts were made.
But thieves turned their attention elsewhere: More bikes were stolen last year, with 280 taken compared with 207 in 2009, far outstripping any increase in cycling. Gates said the agency began an anti-bicycle theft operation last summer and made several arrests.
The agency also has been focusing on robberies. The agency has posted reminders to riders to stay alert when using their gadgets, created a video showing how fast a robbery can occur and handed out pamphlets on how to stay safe at night.
“We are looking at officer deployment and shifts to ensure our resources are being used wisely,” Gates added.
