VISIBILITY AND VIGILANCE: METRO'S SITUATIONAL APPROACH TO PREVENTING SUBWAY CRIME

The paper discusses how the design, management and maintenance characteristics of Washington, D.C.'s subway system have contributed to the system's safety and appearance. To determine whether Metro's environment is responsible for its low crime rates, its design characteristics were reviewed and its management and maintenance policies were assessed to determine the extent to which they embody situational crime prevention measures for both theory and practice. Some of the key findings are summarized.