Citizen perceptions on mass transit crime and its deterrence: a case study

The three purposes of this article are 1 to report the level of transit crime fears in Detroit, rates of victimization, and the extent to which such fears or victimization adversely affects patronage; (2) to determine levels of public knowledge of and acceptance of the use of undercover police officers and various alternatives; and (3) to develop a replicable survey instrument and base-line measure to allow consistent future studies. The study confirms the theory that security concerns adversely affected patronage of Detroit's system, and that the use of undercover police is the most favored method of handling security concerns despite historically strained relations between Detroit's police and the minority community. 15 references, 6 tables.