Report: Violent Crime Down On MBTA

BOSTON (AP) — The MBTA's police chief says violent crime on the transit system dropped by one-third in the first three months of this year, when compared with the same period in 2012.

Chief Paul MacMillan on Thursday attributed the 33 percent drop to the work of transit police, public awareness campaigns and partnerships with MBTA employees and community groups.

Violent, or what the FBI refers to as Part I crimes, include homicide, rape, larceny and arson.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority said larcenies were down by almost 50 percent and aggravated assaults were down by 23 percent.

There was, however, one homicide and one rape/assault to rape in the first quarter of this year, compared to none in last year's first quarter.

MacMillan says cellphone thefts remain a problem.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.