Over the past couple of months, I’ve noticed more publications trying to take on the topic of whether MAX trains generate crime. And every time I read a piece on the issue, I say the same thing: Man, this is a tough one.
File photo/DJC
That’s because, despite what any TriMet official or critic of the Portland-Milwaukie light-rail project says, proving whether this is true is very diffcult; several variables are involved.
Earlier this year, I tried to take the issue on myself. And after talking to a variety of public information officers from a variety of different bureaus within the cities of Portland, Beaverton and Hillsboro, this is what I found out:
- When MAX lines were first put into Beaverton and Hillsboro, crime actually fell overall in the cities.
- Major transit centers, like the Beaverton Transit Center, do have a pretty high level of crime.
- Train lines that run through high-crime neighborhoods tend to have more crime than other lines.
Of course, even these facts are a little shaky. Crime fell in Beaverton and Hillsboro when the lines were put in, but the decrease wasn’t by much and a number of other factors could have played a role. Also, major transit centers do have a pretty high level of crime, but most high-density commercial and residential areas – where the transit centers are located – have high levels of crime. That lines in higher-crime neighborhoods have more crime is also pretty predictable.
The most difficult part of the issue is determining how crime should be measured – should it be gauged by how many crimes occur on the trains? How many occur at the stations? How many occur within the cities? If city-wide crime is measured, how is it tied to crime on MAX trains?
In my opinion, measuring how much crime occurs on the trains and the stations doesn’t add much to the discussion; as I said, whenever you have a lot of people together, there’s always going to be some crime. And, in this case, crime in the stations and trains is not that significant compared to other high-density areas. So to me the issue is finding a way to connect crime within the city to the trains – anyone have any ideas on how to measure that?
