Cameras, Police and Security Guards… equal what?

They equal less crime. That’s the experience NY’s MTA is having, at least. Well, to be more precise, the crime rate has dropped steadily the last few years, thanks to an increase in the number of police officers patrolling the subways and the number of arrests made.

While the number of passengers rose sharply, the number of incidents of criminal activity went down – the number of assaults rose between 2006 and 2007, but that was countered by a 27 percent increase in arrest rates.

Installing cameras in the subways is a new thing to NY and the US, but it has been done for years in other countries, with very good results. Crime rates going down might now be a direct consequence of the cameras being present, but the recordings can be, and are being, used with great success in investigations and prosecution of criminals, making sure that the criminals wind up behind bars, and as a secondary effect making sure that repeat offenders don’t come back for another run – thereby making the number of overall incidents decrease.

New trains will be equipped with cameras as the old cars are replaced, but it’s uncertain if more of the old ones will be fitted with the technology when the one-year test run is over.