The National Academies Press

Currently Skimming:

Pages 33-47

The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.

From page 33... ... The first adopters of operator barriers in the United States were Miami–Dade Transit and San Francisco MUNI. Miami–Dade Transit has had a positive experience with barriers and believes the barriers have been very effective in protecting its bus operators against assault, even though it only provides partial protection. Read the entire page →
From page 34... ... In addition, some bus operators have reported feelings of anxiety and claustrophobia. They have also expressed concerns that partial barriers may allow a determined attacker to slide open the barrier or go around it to reach the operator. Read the entire page →
From page 35... ... MCTS has been testing operator barriers, with the MCTS Maintenance Director leading this program. With input from its bus operators, the agency developed the prototype, ordered supplies, and constructed and installed 25 barriers on MCTS buses in March 2009. Read the entire page →
From page 36... ... (Courtesy: Milwaukee County Transit System.) FIGURE 18 Rochester Genesee RTA barrier, closed. Read the entire page →
From page 37... ... INFORMATION MANAGEMENT AND CRIME ANALYSIS Information management includes intelligence gathering, crime data analysis, and strategic resource allocation. Although many transit agencies perform some type of crime monitoring, as noted in TCRP Synthesis 80, the larger transit agencies tend to employ more advanced crime management and analysis procedures such as CompStat (COMParative STATistics) Read the entire page →
From page 38... ... Advantages • Intelligence and crime analysis allow for more efficient and effective resource allocation, including officer deployment throughout the system. • Crime analysis provides insights into crime trends, specific crime categories, hot spots, problematic time periods, and perpetrators; use of specific algorithms/models may help law enforcement predict crime hotbeds. Read the entire page →
From page 39... ... ; and • Number of reports submitted by officers. Another transit agency currently using CompStat is the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Read the entire page →
From page 40... ... If an operator is physically assaulted or verbally threatened, the video provides legal evidence of the attack and can be used to identify and prosecute the attacker. • As noted by an agency, their bus operators who have reminded aggressive or threatening passengers that they are being recorded have been able to stave off the escalation of disputes. Read the entire page →
From page 41... ... However, IndyGo management decided to pull video only to investigate customer complaints, accidents, and other reported problems; IndyGo managers still keep a log showing the reason each piece of video is pulled. In general, bus operators have now accepted the video surveillance system. Read the entire page →
From page 42... ... . Therefore, addressing verbal assaults can prevent physical attacks, provide data on the types of verbal assaults that are occurring, and help create training content and response strategies for bus operators. Read the entire page →
From page 43... ... 43 FIGURE 25 Images from four of the six video cameras in a TTC bus. (Courtesy: Toronto Transit Commission.) Read the entire page →
From page 44... ... Therefore, bus operators are taught to inform problem passengers about the video and audio surveillance system and that their behavior and speech are being recorded. This has helped stop conflict situations from escalating into assaults. Read the entire page →
From page 45... ... The 911 center can access the real-time maps during emergencies and incidents. Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority, St. Read the entire page →
From page 46... ... Pace expects that the amount of data presented to the dispatchers will be reduced; at the same time, the data being evaluated to maintain and restore service will increase, resulting in a more uniform response throughout the system. EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS Bus operators typically have within reach of their seats emergency panic buttons that open up emergency communication with a dispatch or control center. Read the entire page →
From page 47... ... In response, a workplace violence unit has been established to locate assailants of bus operators, and DNA kits have been issued to bus operators. Police use the DNA collected by the operators to identify and prosecute individuals who attack operators by spitting on them by comparing the samples with the national UK DNA database. Read the entire page →

From page 33...

... The first adopters of operator barriers in the United States were Miami–Dade Transit and San Francisco MUNI. Miami–Dade Transit has had a positive experience with barriers and believes the barriers have been very effective in protecting its bus operators against assault, even though it only provides partial protection.