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Source: Boston.com
Read Article

To help stem a rising fear among residents in Dorchester, Roxbury, and Mattapan, the MBTA has begun formally escorting buses through crime-plagued neighborhoods, has placed more transit officers on its most notorious line, and has increased the number of security cameras monitoring passengers.

It is a pretty well known fact that Mattapan, Dorchester, and Roxbury are areas that have relatively high crime rates. Unfortunately, routes taken by buses from the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) through these areas are not exempt to these crimes. Maria Cramer, the article’s author, cites a stabbing on the 28 on New Year’s Eve and a shooting on the 23 near the Washington Street and Columbia Road intersection. As a response to the complaints about crime, the T has decided to increase surveillance on these buses. This surveillance consists of three cruisers that will drive behind buses with video feeds and officers that will ride the buses during the afternoon hours in which students are returning home from school.

I’ve been on the 23 and the 28, the buses that will be followed. I’ve once went to the Burger King right across the street of the crime scene the day after the shooting happened. Eerie, needless to say. As a former high school student who travelled these routes and a person who believes safety comes first, I think this a great idea. People tend to commit fewer crimes when there is police presence. Also, if they do commit a crime, the police will be much closer, closer enough to at least catch the perpetrator quickly if not stop the act before someone seriously gets hurt. Cramer says, “MBTA Deputy Chief Joseph O’Connor said the efforts have more to do with changing the public’s perception of the Route 23 bus than responding to crimes onboard, which he said are infrequent given the nearly 13,000 people who ride the route on an average weekday.” I don’t mind that his main motivation is to change the perception of the public, as people don’t care about statistics when crimes are committed. They just see the crime and get freaked out, keeping themselves and their families away from what caused the crime if they can. I don’t blame people for thinking that way; it’s completely human nature and makes sense. There will be an extra cost in following these buses and placing officers on the buses during peak hours, but it’s worth it because it will give the community peace of mind, and General Manager Dan Grabauskas has said that “Safety is our number one priority.” This makes me feel like his motto is being followed.

There are some good comments in the discussion, like someone who said we need to go to the root of the problem and people who overall agree with the idea. A few readers on the site, however, don’t agree with this, claiming things such as it being a waste of money and blaming the liberals (including picking a bone with Barack Obama who has absolutely nothing to do with this) even though this isn’t a political thing (the internet isn’t quite idiot-proof yet, folks), One comment, though, is quite appalling:

MBTA/Boston Police= Waste of Tax dollars!!! Where were these bums when the stabbing took place on the 28 bus??? Dunkins…… Why of the 300+ cameras installed on these buses in town, this one was NOT On!!!!! Typical Bull…Face it ppl SAVE YOUR MONEY, BUY A CAR stay off these buses. These thugs will always be around.

This user obviously does not understand the point of mass transit and is a cynic. It saves fuel, consumer money, and the environment. It also reduces traffic. These “thugs” will always be around if we say they will always be around; this user has no idea what a self-fulfilling prophecy is, either. We have to stop the thugs in the act when they commit a crime, but that isn’t enough. That will only treat the situation. In the meantime, we should also be looking for the cure, the thing that will minimize the problem as much as possible. Everything starts at the household, the family. If people are brought up right, there will be less motivation to commit crimes. It’s not so simple, of course, but I know that the root is there. For now, though, this strategy by the MBTA will help against crimes committed on these bus routes, and I’m all for it.

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