Robberies on the Metro system soared 50 percent through the first 11 months of 2009 over the same period in 2008, contributing significantly to a jump in overall crime on Metro.
There were 805 robberies in the Metro system from January through November 2009, compared with 538 over the same 11 months in the previous year. Statistics released by transit police show that during that same time period in 2007 there were 397. That means robberies have jumped 103 percent in two years.
The increase in robberies drove overall crime up on the Metro system by 12.5 percent during the first 11 months of 2009 over the same period in 2008. Assaults, larcenies and motor-vehicle theft all remained the same or dropped slightly in the year-over-year comparison.
Acting transit Chief of Police Jeff Delinski said robbers who snatch electronic devices from unsuspecting riders are the driving force behind the rise in the robberies. As small electronic devices have become prolific in society, so too have the criminals who seek to steal them, Delinski said.
In many cases, a robber will grab an iPod or cell phone from a rider just before train doors close at a Metro station, Delinski said. The crime isn’t reported until the victim reaches the next station and by then, the robber has gotten away.
Transit police started fighting back in April by placing undercover officers as decoys, Delinski said. The officers carry the latest electronic device and pose as distracted riders so they appear vulnerable. When a robber grabs the device, the handcuffs come out.
Transit police statistics show that the department made 1,837 arrests from January through November 2009. Of those, 166 were for robbery. Delinski said more than 90 of the 166 robbery arrests were made by the undercover police decoys.
10 most crime-ridden Metro station parking lots
1. Capitol Heights
2. Southern Avenue
3. College Park
4. Suitland
5. New Carrollton
6. Largo Town Center
7. Branch Avenue
8. Greenbelt
9. Shady Grove
10. Franconia-Springfield
“We’re constantly restructuring strategies to follow trends,” Delinski said. “The challenge is to continue to reduce crime in areas that have gone down and to have an impact on robberies.”
