Attacks on TriMet drivers and other employees nearly doubled in 2015, even as crime on the transit system dropped overall.

TriMet released the numbers at its board of directors meeting Wednesday morning. Crimes against customers dropped 41 percent, with the largest decline in robberies and thefts.

Crimes overall have fallen to less than one incident per 100,000 passenger boardings, said Harry Saporta, TriMet's executive director for safety and security.

"It's the first time I've ever heard of it being that low," he said.

The 41 crimes reported against employees included 13 aggravated assaults, 6 assaults, six thefts and 16 incidents of harassment or menacing. Most of the victims in the assault and harassment cases were bus drivers, but the statistics include other employees including fare inspectors, field managers and transit police officers.

The agency will form a team, led by Saporta, to reduce crimes against employees. Saporta said TriMet will also start a public campaign that will focus on the consequences of crimes against TriMet employees.

"One crime is one crime too many," Saporta said. "It's not tolerated, and we're very aggressive in pursuing those."

The Transit Police Division added five new police officers last year, as well as a crime analyst, and increased patrols. Other new tactics include "ghost cars" -- empty marked patrol vehicles left in high-crime areas to imply the presence of a police officer -- and bait cars to catch car prowlers on TriMet property.

TriMet union employees and retirees packed the public comment portion of the agency's board of directors meeting on Wednesday, some to address the issue of assaults on drivers. The agency and the union for its frontline employees, the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 757, are gearing up for negotiations over union members' contract, which expires in November.

Shirley Block, president of the local, said that many of the assaults were the result of fare disputes. She said riders' frustrations were exacerbated by late buses, and that better scheduling could help.

She also said TriMet should be more aggressive in pursuing arrests and convictions against people who commit crimes on TriMet employees, and they should ban riders who commit crimes on the transit system for the maximum 90 days allowed.

-- Elliot Njus

enjus@oregonian.com

503-294-5034

@enjus