Report: Crime on Muni decreasing year over year

A train approaches the Coliseum BART station on Tuesday, April 25, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. A train approaches the Coliseum BART station on Tuesday, April 25, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. Photo: Noah Berger, Special To The Chronicle Photo: Noah Berger, Special To The Chronicle Image 1 of / 19 Caption Close Report: Crime on Muni decreasing year over year 1 / 19 Back to Gallery

Fear has been higher on public transportation lately after a string of crimes on Muni and BART.

In March, a stranger set a 50-year-old woman's hair on fire while she rode the 9-San Bruno Muni line. A month later, a mob of teens swarmed a BART train at the Oakland Coliseum station, assaulting passengers and running off with their belongings.

After the violent mob attack, BART interim Police Chief Jeffrey Jennings declared a state of emergency for his department. The announcement came after a sudden spike in crime on public transportation, which has increased 22 percent in 2017 compared to the same period last year.

See also: BART makes first arrest in teen takeover robbery as police declare 'emergency'

While San Francisco may be seeing a spike in incidents on public transportation, a report from SFMTA asserts that crime on public transportation has actually been decreasing in the past three years.

An interactive map shows an average of five police-reported crimes per 100,00 miles in March of this year (the last-reported month). Comparatively, 2014 and 2015 saw an average of 9.2 and 8.8 crimes per 100,000 miles. The data includes incidents committed both on and off Muni vehicles, a change in reporting methodology that was enacted in January 2013.

Larceny – the taking of personal property without the use of force – accounts for the majority of crime on public transportation from year to year, according to SFMTA.

The report claims that a "boost in police presence at stations and on vehicles" accounts for the decreased crime rates. SFMTA spokesman Paul Rose added that Muni has increased security with "data-driven policing, advancements in video technology, and our ongoing communication network between MTA staff and SFPD."

Story continues below.

While an op-ed in Streets Blog SF claimed that the decrease in crime could be chalked up to a decrease in ridership, the number of riders has actually risen by about 25,000 since 2013, according to figures supplied by Rose.

Although crime has decreased on Muni over the years, officials are still shaken by the slew of recent incidents. Following the mob robbery in April, BART added extra police controls and enacted emergency staffing levels.

As for how to nip this crime wave in the bud, many officials at an April 27 meeting called for a crackdown on fare evasion. Read The Chronicle's full coverage of the meeting here.

Read Michelle Robertson’s latest stories and send her news tips at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com.